Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-06
House Districts Vory
Widely in Populations


Representative Bennett, Re-
publican Of Michigan, repre-
sents III, 431 persons. Repre-
sentative Alger, Republican of
Texas. represents 951,5 SGT per-
sons.
This contrast points up the
population disparity Of more
than 81 between the largest
and the smallest congressional
districts, according to a Con-
gressional Quarterly survey of
the new population figures of
all 435 House districts.
The survey indicates that
the 1860 census reapportion-
ment Of congressional seats
among the States, followed by
redistricting action in 10.
States, went only part Of the
way toward relieving extreme
inequities in district popula-
tons.
Before rediStricting, for ex-
ample. CALIFORNIA; 18th Dis
trict South COAST, with 1914
AGO population, had been the
country's largest. This district
was carved into smaller parts
in the California redistricting
law.
But Texas 5th DALLAS,
which now qualities as the
largest, is itself close to a mill
lion in population and growing
fast. 1t is currently repre-
scented by Mr.. Alger.
At the other end of the scale,
there was no change whatever
in the smallest House district
"a position still held by Mich
igan's 18th District Upper
Peninsula) represented by Mr..
Bennett.
20 Largest VS.. 20 Smallest
The 20 largest districts have
a cumulative population OF
1894, 475-approximately three
times as much as the 20 small
est districts cumulative total Of
4,550,618.
The average population
among the 20 largest districts
is 697, 074-69.8 per cent above
the average of 410,481 for all
districts.
The average population OF
the 20 smallest districts, on the
other hand, is 227 ,531-44.6 per
cent below the average.
A characteristic Of the 20
largest districts is their over
whelming urban-suburban COM
plexion, rejecting the strong |
population growth in the cities
and suburbs with which the re-
districting process has failed to
keep pace.
The 20 smallest districts, on
the other hand, are predomi-
nantly rural.
OF the 20 largest districts,
seven are in Southern cities.
OF the 20 smallest, II are in ru-
raj areas of the South.
Most of the largest and
smallest districts are in States
which failed to rediStrict after
the 1860 Census.
Exceptions are Florida, which
redistricted in 1861 but left one
district in the largest 20 and
two in the smallest 20; Arizona,
which now finds one of its three
districts in the top 20 and one
in the bottom 20; and Mary
land, which left two of its dis
tricts in the largest 20 and one
in the bottom 20.
How States Compare
The States with the most ex-
tremely malapportioned seats.
according to Congressional
Quarterly, are Georgia, Texas,
Michigan, Colorado, Alabama,
Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, South
Dakota, Maryland. Tennessee
and Florida.
Georgia's 5th District is 208.9 |
per cent over the State average.
while Michigan's 18th is 500
per cent under the State aver
age.
In Maryland, the 5th District |
represented by Democratic |
Representative Landlord has
711,045 persons, the fifth largest |
congressional district In the |
Nation. Maryland also has the
18th smallest in the 1st Dis
trict's 243,57o people repre-
scented by Democratic Repre-