Evening star., 1930-12-01

AS the time approaches for the re-
| apportionment of members in the
House of Representatives from the sew
eral States, old controversies are re-
vived, and there is continued debate
over the possibility that the House
membership may be increased to en-
able all States to keep up to their
present quotas. with additional MEM
bers for added population. There is
much opposition to this on the ground
that larger House would be unwieldy.
There is also discussion of the relative
influence of city and country areas.
Neither the vets nor the drys-
neither Republicans nor Democrats, .
declares the Roanoke WorldNews,
"have any right to hold to an advan-
tage gained by rotten borough meth
DDS or by denial of representation to
any considerable section of the popu-
lation. The mathematical division of
the House into congressional districts
representative way. If that gives an
advantage to either faction, or to either
party, it Is because that faction or that
party is entitled to that advantage and
because it is now withheld from it by
system Of representation 20 years out
of date"
"It must be recognized" advises the
Jackson Citizen Patriot, that shifts in
population are inevitable in a growing
country such as the United States. And
with those shifts. there must come
changes in representation, losses for
some States and gains for others. The
residents of States which lose will show
themselves good Americans by accept
ing the verdict of the census without
complaint"
Gradual shifting of congressional
power to those sections of the Union
still capable OF extensive growth" is
pointed out by the Salt Lake DeSeret
News, with the conclusion that "this
can only mean an increase in the
strength and influence of the West"
The GAINESVILLE Gazette believes that
control Of Congress in 1882 may be de-
cided by the results of the reappor-
tionment, and the next President may
also owe his election to. the shifting
votes in the electoral college.
X 4 \ x
Quoting Jefferson's statement that he
viewed great cities as paStilential to
the morals, the health and the liberties
Of man." the Springfield (Mass.) Re-
publican holds that many rural people,
especially in the West and South, would
say amen to Jefferson's view, expressed
100 years ago." and that paper con-
cludes: 1.-THE traditional distrust of the
great American cities may easily be-
come deep-seated fear of their political
influence If the misgovernment and COR
ruption of those cities continue in the
next decade to be as disquieting and
repulsive to all the civic decencies as
they have been in the recent past.
Nothing is better advertised in the rural
homes of the United States than the
foul atmosphere of the municipal gov
ernment of New York and Chicago.
Are cities unfit to rule themselves fitted
to rule the country? One can take for
granted the answer to that question:"
Just as caustic is the comment of the
Detroit News, based on the intention OF
Senator-elect Dickinson of Iowa to "at-
tempt to halt execution of the change
until provision can be added, restor-
ing the 81 States which have been lost
to 81 States, in the computation given
out by the Department of Commerce. !"
The News declares: I'VE do not know
whether it is the mere loss of two jobs
for Iowans that animates Iowas new
Senator. In any case, the motive Is
shameful, the intention Is destructive OF
efficient government, and the Congress
as he would constitute it would not be
based on population count as the fun
damental law prescribes. We have been