The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1961-01-05
Fair APportionment
Plan Is Suggested

Maryland legislators were told
this week that to fight fair re-
apportionment of the General AS
sembly "or to delay it, is to tinker
carelessly with the capacity of the
State to fully share the power to
govern our Union"
The statement was made in a
strongly worded appeal to Rea-
sonable and Practical Legislators,
sent to all member of the General
Assembly by the Maryland Com
mittee for Fair Representation.
Christian H. Kahl, State President
of the citizens reapportionment
group said the statement mailed to
all members of the General Assemb-
ly was the Fair Representation Com
mittee'S answer to Governor TaWes
challenge to come up with prac-
teal plan. Our proposal is far
more practical than the Walsh
proposal because it is fair. We have
not sought the ideal, even though
we desire it. We have proposed a
moderate measure to get Maryland
out of the rut of malapportion-
ment. We hope the Governor will
support it.
The Committee said that people
would lose faith in an unrepresen-
tative legislature, and that the prob
lem in Maryland was so serious
that "a little tinkering will not re-
pair the machine of popular con-
troll. The time has passed for bail
ing wire approaches, because the
problem has been left unattended
for so long" In providing fair rep
resentation, the Committee said,
what clearly is right is clearly
practical
The Committee advocates a re-
apportionment proposal which
would guarantee each county and
legislative district two delegates
and one senator, but apportion the
remainder, up to $50 delegates and
50 senator's, on the basis of popula-
ton.
One feature of the Committee
plan which may be questioned in
the General Assembly is that pro-
viding for reapportionment of the
State Senate.
"The Committee feels it is es-
sential to provide constitutional
flexibility to permit senatorial re-
apportionment to prevent the kind
of legislative atrophy which has
gripped states like Michigan, Penn
svlvania. and New Jersey where
the difference in Senate and house
bases of representation causes ir-
reconciliable conflicts on vital
state matters. While senate repre-
sentation may have been tolerable
in Maryland's past, the new growth
in population makes imperative
the extension of popular represen-
tation to the Senate Thirty-seven
States. the Committee pointed out.
require consideration Of popula-
ton in the Senate as well as the
house. Twenty States base Senate
representation on population alone
While the Committees plan
would not Immediately require an
increase in Senate membership to
account for population growth, the
group argued that an increase to
50 members would help ease the
transition from the present inequit-
able system to one based more
nearly on population. If the Sen
ate were raised to so members.
for instance, each county would
still receive one Senator.
The populous counties would re-
ceive from one to three more
senator's each, but all other coun-
ties could share an additional
senator, running at large among
two to five counties. Thus, while
Allegany County would lose a
seat in the House of Delegates, AL
legany and Garrett together would
elect third Senator. Washington
County would lose one delegate,
but elect a second Senator. Har-
ford and Cecil would retain all
their delegates and probably gain
additional House seats after the
1870 census. Together they would
share election of a third senator
Other groups of counties, which
could share an additional senator