Evening star., 1961-02-22
Lee Urges Restudy
Of 9th District Plan
Wants Relief
For All Three
Biggest Areas
Bya star staff Writer

Assembly start over again On
carving out the States new
congressional district.
Mr.. Lee said he would ask
the House and Senate Judi
ciary Committees at q public
hearing to appoint a subcom-
mittee to develop . plan which
will relieve all three Of the
big existing districts"
Gov. TaweS and most DEM
ocratic Party leaders have in
dorsed q plan which would re-
lieve only the 5th district in
Southern Maryland. It would
take Prince Georges and How
ard Counties out Of the 5th
district and set them up as
the new Sth district. The 5th
then would be composed Of
the remaining four Southern
Maryland counties.
The adminiStration'S plan,
which at this point seems al
most sure to pass, would dol
nothing about relieving the
| population problems in the 9Th
and I'd districts, both Of which
have populations Of over 600,-
600.
Matthias Asks Change
Representative Matthias, Re-
publican Of the 9Th district,
also strongly criticized the ad-
ministration's plan at the hear
ing today.
"It has long been recognized
in this country that population
provides the formula upon.
which the membership Of the
House Of Representatives Is:
apportioned among the States
and within individual States"
Mr.. Matthias said.
Congressional districts are
created to serve the people
not the political fortunes Of
members Of Congress-" he said.
Maryland'S six Democratic
Congressman approved the adj
ministration's plan at a meet
ing to which Mr.. Matthias was
not invited.
Mr.. Matthias told the Gem
eral Assembly committee that
the additional member Of Con-
J gress was learned by the peo-
pie Of Maryland and it
should be made to serve the
best interest Of those people
by rising above political con-
Siderations and achieving the
: most nearly equitable appor-
tionment Of Congressional dis
tricts throughout the entire
State"
He noted that the populations
of the eight districts as pro-
posed in the administrations
plan range from a low Of 223,- =
1895 in the 1st district Of the
Eastern Shore to 628.84 in the
9Th district of Western Mary
. land.
"In q State with one Of the
longest records Of representa-
tive government in the world,
it is hard to justify these fig
ureS," Mr.. Matthias said.
Tawes Urges Priority
Gov. Tawes has said the
plan Endorsed by him has the
approval Of most Of the po-;
litical and legislative leaders
Of the State. He said that,
since the 5th district Is the
biggest in terms Of population,
1t was essential that 1t get
priority in creation Of the new
district.
There was reluctance by the
Democratic hierarchy to tamper
with the 9Th district which
includes Montgomery. because
to remove Montgomery from
that district would make the
Western Maryland district an
almost sure Republican area.
Although Baltimore City iS
over represented from a popu-
lation standpoint with its three
members Of the House Of Rep
resentatives, there also was .
reluctance to tamper with the
city districts because it iS Q
Democratic stronghold.
The Montgomery Delegation
has introduced O bill to make
q new district out Of Mont
gomery and Howard Counties.
Republicans in the LegiSla-
lture have introduced q bill
which would take q Congress-
man away from Baltimore City
and would make Montgomery a
separate district and Prince
Georges o separate District.
New Start Urged
Mr.. Lee said he thinks the
Legislature should start all
over by appointing q sub-com-
mittee "of men Of good will"
who will recommend q redis-
tricting which will relieve all
three big districts"
Besides the 5th and 9Th
districts, the other big one
Is the I'd which is now
composed Of the Counties of
Baltimore. Carroll and Hartford.
The Howard County legisla-
tive delegation also will pro-
test today the administrations
plan to link that county with
Prince Georges. Howard iegis-
lators want to be with Anne
Arundel County and the other
counties of Southern Maryland
which would be the 5th dis
trict under the administrators
plan.
"Our interests clearly are as
sociated with the Baltimore
metropolitan area while Prince
Georges are with Washington"
lnaii nnl Ella ..lk Il. a.