Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-31
AIM TO BAR ALIENS
IN APPORT|ONMENT
Foreigners Would Be ExCIud-
ed in Count for House
Membership.

Proposal for an amendment TO the
Constitution, as result of which
aliens, or unnaturalized foreigners,
who are not entitled to a vote, would
be excluded in computing the number
of seats in the House to which each
State Is entitled on its numerical popu-
lation, is made by Representative Hail.
Republican, of Indiana an educator
and member Of the House District
committee.
Just when the Senate has passed
the reapportionment bill, on which
the House will act in a day or two,
this suggestion by Representative Hall
is considered of timely Importance,
and the change would be made by
simply further defining the word per
son" as used in the Constitution in
the provision for apportionment, which
Mr.. Hall points out is used in the sense
OF citizens" and was not intended to
include aliens"
In this way, Mr.. Hall emphasized
the seemingly insurmountable dtn-
Guilty confronting CongreSs-of finding
a way to retain the present member
ship Of 435, giving each State the in
creased membership demanded by its
gain in population, yet not decreasing
the delegation from any of the AZ
States-could be solved.
Quotes Statistics.
He quotes statistics to show that in
certain districts only one out of 10
of the population votes, as an indi-
cation that the large percentage are
aliens and not entitled to a vote.
Representative Halls explanation of
the problem of reapportionment and
his proposal is, in part, as follows:
Congress is now confronted with a
most perpleXing problem and one
which has many ramifications which,
no doubt, will ultimately lead to
changed policy of government toward
the great number of aliens who live in
the great centerS of population.
The problem arises from the con-
stitutional necessity of apportioning
the number of members of the House
of Representatives among the differ
ent States. This is done with regard
to population, as determined by each
decennial census.
grounded belief that the present nu-
merical membership of the House is as
large as it should ever be and if in
creased beyond 435, which is the pres
ent number, there will be a decrease in
efficiency of the legislative machinery
of the Government. Based on the thir-
tenth census G910) each State was
given as many Represetives as the sum
of 211. 877 was contained in its total
population. If a major fraction re-
manned after an equal division, the
State was accorded an additional mem
Der. In the past some like scheme has
been used to make sure that no State
or practically so, would lose in the
number of its representation in the
House of Representatives and likewise
in the electoral college. which elects the
President of the United States.
The Constitutional Convention estab-
lished the number of the first House Of
Representatives as IS. This was only
an arbitrary apportionment. as no
census had been taken.
Three Suffer Decreases.
Since the census of 1860 there have
been but three instances in which the
membership of a State delegation has
been decreased, viz. Maine in 1870,
from five to four; New Hampshire in
1880 from three to two, and Vermont
in 1880 from three to two.
If an apportionment had been made
on the basis of the 1920 census re-
tanning the present number OF men,
bers in the House of Representatives,
II states WOulQ nave SuIleIeu ue-
creases in the number of its members.
The States and their losses in member
ship are as follows: Indiana, /; Iowa.
/; Kansas, /; Kentucky. l: Louisiana,
/; Maine. /; Mississippi, l; Missouri, 2:
Nebraska, /; Rhode Island, /; Yer
mont. l. Total, IL.
The gains would go largely to the
States of California, Michigan, New
Jersey. Ohio and Texas.
In looking at the above list of States
one is struck with the fact that 8
of the IL States belong to the heart
of the nation and each of the eight
is populated. very largely, with pioneer
American stock; likewise Maine and
Vermont are comparatively free from