Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-18
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

apportionment, but with the Sinking
of the reapportioning, after the 1920
census, the two functions are now
more closely related and united into
one measure.
The -Vandenberg bill as recon-
mended by the Senate committee April
%. does not directly Stipulate reappor-
tionment to be made automatically upon
the new census, but 1t provides that the
President shall report to Congress q
statement of the population OF each
| State, as ascertained by the decennial
| census, together with a statement OF the
number of Representatives to whlcn
each State will be entitled. under the
| formula provided in the last preceding
| reapportionment act. The results oil
| the fifteenth census will be reported IN
December. 1880, at the opening of the
short session of the Seventy-first Con-
gress, and the present method OF appor-
comment will apply, as adopted after
the census of 1910 will apply. Inls
limits the total membership OF the
House to ABS, unless a new law DC
| adopted before the expiration OF the
present Congress, March 4, 1881. Inc
Constitution does not require a Repre-
sentative for each 10000 population
of representation; the maximum mlgnt
be 100 900 or 100000, II Congress Sc
decreed by law.
The first basis was that of April, 1890
which made it $4,000 for Representa-
tive. That of 1910 was oil BIT, based on
| the 1910 census. The present popula
ton, instead of being 81 .972, 266, as IN
| 1910, undoubtedly exceeds 12O,00o,0uu
or about 80 per cent increase over ina!
| of 1910, hence the average NUMBER OF
| 1Nxr PfnYpCPnTA-
| tive exceeds 280, 900 constituents. some
| Congressnnen represent perhaps 40. 0Ot
! constituents. while others stand for hall
| a million. The more than half million
| population of the District OF Columpla
! should be enabled to send from TWO nc
| four members. to the House. In accoro
with the representation OF other consult
llencies. 1t has been asserted tnat one
Representative stands for 100000 con-
stituents.
In the early discussion of apportion
ment, there was proposed an amend
ment in connection with the Bill OF
Rights" providing that there should MOI
be less than one Representative for eacn
! SO. 900 persons which would have given
! the District of Columbia now from III
! To - ConereSsmen-if not robbed there
from by special legislation. But on thai
basis our next House of Representatives
based upon what is now Jne toIal pop"
lation, estimated at 123,000,000 wouio
be not less than 2,400 members, in place
of 435.
| X X X
The total number of seats Whicf
would have been affected If reapport1on'
ment had been decreed on the basis o.
the 1920 census would have been IL
! but based on the estimate OF populatior
! to be found in the coming census Int
increased membership will be %. the
changes will be very different for oil.
ferent States. California would add I
congressman, Ohio 3, Michigan 4
and several States one or two each
while losses would include for Missouri
3. Iowa and several Southern
States one each. The predominant loss
would be in the South, owing to the
limitations by the States on the Negro
vote.
tCopyright. 1919. by Paul v. collins)