Evening star., 1951-08-26
House Seats
ReshuffIing Brings
ID Into Contention
By J. A O'Leory

By J. A O'Leoy
The changing tides of population
will move IA House seats from one
group of States to another next year,
and partisan campaign workers al
ready are gazing into crystal balls
trying to figure out whether the
Democrats or Republicans will gain
from the reapportionment.
A reliable G. o. P. source figures
the Republicans should make a net
gain of five or six seats from the
realignment. A veteran Democratic
campaigner counters with the claim
that his party will be no worse of
in the overall results.
Both forecasts may have to be
altered by later developments. Three
big States that will lose seven seats,
and several that gain one each have
not yet reshaped their congressional
district boundaries. In most cases,
the areas through which these new
lines are drawn play an important
part in determining whether the new
districts will be Democratic or Re
publican.
Tug Of War
Pennsylvania, which loses three;
New York, which loses two, and Mis-
souri,, which loses two, still are strug-
Cling with the redistricting problem.
The Keystone State will seek q
solution in its legislature. either this
fall, or in January. One story going
the rounds is that it may eliminate
two Republican seats and one Demo-
cratic seat, but Republicans indicate
they expect to benefit from the gen.
eral overhauling of districts. Penn
sylvania had So congressional dis
trictS.
New York will hold a special ses-
sion of its legislature in few weeks,
and may drop one district upstate
and one in New York City. New York
had IS congressional districts, the
largest number of any State.
Missouri faces tough problem in
rubbing out two Of its Is dis
trictS. Kansas City and st. Louis have
gained population from the rural
areas. The legislature. however. is
controlled by the agricultural regions.
The legislature is not now in session.
but committees are working on the
problem.
The law provides that if State
which is losing seats fails to redistrict,
the entire delegation must run on a
Statewide basis. This happened In
Missouri in 1882, and it worked. to
the advantage of the Democrats. But
that was in the height of the de-
preston, when Franklin D. Roosevelt
was carrying the country against
Herbert Hoover.
Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and
Illinois also lose one seat each.
California Coins Most
So many people have taken Horace
Greeleys advice and gone West, that
California tops the list in this reap
portionment with a gain Of seven
seats Florida picks up two. Five other
States gain one each-Washington.
Texas, Michigan, Virginia and Mary
land.
The Virginia legislature has not
yet acted, and there is possibility
the new district may be carved out
of the fast-growing area across from
Washington, in Arlington and Fair
fax Counties. The Norfolk Newport
News area also has been growing and
is in the running. t,
Maryland has assigned its new
seat to Baltimore. 1t formerly had
s, two of which were in Baltimore.
Republicans should benefit from
the jump of seven seats in Califor-
mia. Democratic experts say. however.
that if they can get good candidates
in the new districts, they may break
almost even. California has an un-
usual election law, which permits
candidates to cross-f1le on both party
tickets.
Dies Moy Return
Texas has not passed a redistrict-
ing law, and probably will elect its
additional Representative next year
at-large. Reports have reached
Washington that former Representa-
tive Martin Dies, chairman Of the
House Un-American Activities Com
mittee in it's early days. may try to
come back to the House. if he de-
cideS not to run against Senator
Connally for the Senate.
In Oklahoma, four of the districts
have been merged into two. Two
Democrats-Representatives Wicker
sham and Morris-will have to COM
pete for one. Two Republicans-Rep-
resentatives Schwabe and Belcher-
will fight it out for the other. assum-
ing all four seek reelection.
Mississippi, which loses one seat,
must wait until January to consider
redistricting. because under its con-
stitution. this can only be done at
. regular session Of the legislature