Evening star., 1930-12-01
Redistricting of Congress
Revives Old Controversies

10 years getting Congress to recognize
its duty. If an extra session Is needed
to make legal reapportionment stick, let
us have an extra session. The time for
temporizing with scuttlers of the Con-
stitution Is past"
A gain of nine seats for California is
emphasized by the Pasadena Star-News,
with the remark that the Pacific Coast
State, latter long wait--a delay much
too long-is coming into fair repre-
sentation in Congress" The Star-News
records that "this increase places the
State in sixth place in strength in the
House." where it is outranked only by
New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio
and Texas. That paper continues: But
an even higher distinction comes to
California under the reapportionment-
this States gain of nine members In
the House is more than twice the gain
of any other State. Michigan comes
next to California with gain of four,
New York New Jersey and Ohio gain
two each, four other States gain one
Connecticut, Florida, North
Carolina and Washington. OF the
greatest interest to Southern California
next Legislature. Upon the basis OF
population Southern California should
have six of the nine additional Con-
gressmen."
X X X n
The Indianapolis Star advises that
"the country probably would be served
much more efficiently and expeditiously
by a House about one-half the present
size" while the South Bend Tribune
holds that between loss of two seats in
Congress- the most that will be taken
from any State, and the creation of
more cumbersome House, the latter Is
toll fcfa of fn iV1Iyi
citizens of any State" The Dallas
Journal contends: "It might better
serve the Nation, if the apportionment
law were so amended. as to reduce the
membership, maintaining the present
status of the States that have gained
in the census and requiring the States
that have gone back to take their loss
in representation. The House, as 1t is,
lacks little of being an unwieldy body"
Commenting on the proposal from
Iowa for the exclusion of alien residents
from the population figures upon which
reapportionment Is based, the New Or
leans Times-Picayune says: Their ex-
clusion would trim down the allotments
to New York and other industrial States
with heavy alien populations. But when
the proposal was last brought forward
in Congress Eastern representatives
countered with proposition to exclude
the non-voting Negroes who most do
congregate' in the South. In that
earlier fight over the reapportionment
bill these two proposals collided head
on the both we're left out of the law
If reconsideration of one is demanded
during the December session the other
will promptly be lugged in"
The Fort Worth Record-Telegram
looks forward to proceedings in the
States with the statement: 1T is too
much to expect that the activities of the
1llustricus Elbridge Gerry will not be
emulated by various of the personnel Of
the Legislature which will be called
upon to accomplish the redistricting.
Politics is politics and human nature
is human nature Under that double
barreled axiom some of the involved
chips will be certain to fall more nearly
in accord with expediency than by the
law Of census mathematics. But the
force Of public opinion should become
an influence to be reckoned with. Those
areas which are entitled to increased
representation should be given it."