Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-16
Reapportionment Again.

A respportionment bill granting to
the States their proper representation
In the House, measured by their popu-
lation, Is finally before the Senate, with
prospects Of action in the Upper House.
Twice during the last decade the House
itself has passed reapportionment bills
and twice they have been blocked In the
Senate, where the rule of unlimited de-
bate has been used as an instrument to
nullify the clear intention Of the Con-
stitution. The reapportionment bill has
been made the unfinished business of
the Senate. There is no limitation upon
the present session of Congress. 1t may
run until next December. Filibusterifig
tactics against the pending bill may
cause delay, but they are not likely to
prevent final action.
Opposition to the reapportionment
bill comes from States where represen-
tation in the House will be lost by fol-
lowing the actual enumeration Of the
people. Several of the big industrial
States will gain in representation. But
in some Of the agricultural States the
population has stood still or actually
decreased. In the past 1t has been the
practice to meet such changed condi-
lions by increasing the membership Of
the House, allowing those States which
have not kept pace with the growth of
population to retain their existing rep
resentation in the House and granting
to other States an increase in repre-
Sentation. The House membership is
now 435. There has been q distinct
feeling that the membership should not
be further increased: that as q legisla-
tive body It is already too large and I'M
wieldy. The pending bill retains the
same limit Of membership.
Already there is advanced a series Of
arguments in the Senate against the
reapportionment bill. No Senator has
come forward in opposition to the ap-
portionment Of the House in accord
ance with the terms Of the Constitu-
ton. But there Is q demand that the
bill originate In the House, on the
ground that the House is more par
ticularly interested in the matter. The
House, it has been suggested, will be
''affronted" II the Senate undertakes to
put through such a measure first This
argument Is advanced by Senators who
not long ago voted for the debenture
clause in the farm bill, which House
leaders, not only Republican, but also
Democratic, consider a revenue meas
ure, which, under the Constitution,
must arise In the House. Senators in
opposition to the reapportionment bill
urge, too, that this particular measure
takes the reapportionments Of the fu-
ture away from Congress and lodges
them in the hands Of the Executive.
But that is only the case where the
Congress itself fails to carry out the
clear mandate Of the Constitution pro-
viding for apportionment Of the House
in accordance with the decennial CEN
suses. At the bottom Of all the oppo-
sition lies the distaste for curtailment
Of representation in the House.
The plan to have the reapportionment
bill dealt with first in the Senate has
the approval Of House leaders. 1t is
clear that If the consideration Of the
bill In the upper house was delayed
until after the tariff and farm bills are
both out Of the way. those opposing
reapportionment might again be in q
position to delay it indefinitely. Incl
dentally, many of the opponents Of re-
apportionment are supporters Of the So
called national origins clause" in the
immigration law, which is to go into ef-
feet July /. The longer the discussion
of reapportionment the less chance
there viii be Of vote In the Senate on
Q proposal to suspend national origins.