Reapportionment?

Newspapermen racking their brains for things to write about at Swamp- scott raked up a report that Republican leaders in Massachusetts were talking to Mr. Coolidge about a Congressional reapportionment once in ten years./-A

Since 1911 there has been no reapportionment of Representatives in Congress. The Constitution provides for a reapportionment once in ten years.*

Since representation in the House is on the basis of population, it is necessary that the number of representatives from each state be in proportion to its population. If population grew uniformly throughout the country there would be no need for reapportionment, but population does not grow in that way. So periodically a ratio is determined (one representative to a certain unit of population) and the number of Congressmen to each state is reapportioned. Naturally, Congressmen object to any reapportionment which would reduce their numbers and throw some of them out of jobs. Consequently at every reapportionment except one (that following the Census of 1840) the number of Congressmen was increased. CENSUS No. OF RATIO TO

YEAR CONGRESSMEN POPULATION

Before 1790 65 1 to 30,000

1790 106 1 to 33,000

1800 142 1 to 33,000

1810 186 1 to 35,000

1820 213 1 to 40,000

1830 242 1 to 47,700

1840 232 1 to 70,680

1850 237 1 to 93,423

1860 243 1 to 127,381

1870 293 1 to 131,425

1880 332 1 to 151,911

1890 357 1 to 173,901

1900 391 1 to 194,182

1910 435 1 to 211,877

It is now proposed to make a new apportionment, with 483 Congressmen at a ratio of one to every 218,986 population.

The "virtue" of this plan is that no state would have fewer Congressmen than it has at present. Twenty-three states would have the same number. Twenty-five would have additional seats as follows: California, 5; Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 4; Illinois, Texas, 3; Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, 2; Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, 1.

The objection most often urged to this and other like plans is that they increase the size of the House, make it unwieldy. However, it is pointed out that Members of Parliament number 707, French Deputies, 626, Italian Deputies 508.

/-Art. I, Sec. 2, Clause 3.

"Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union according to their respective numbers. . . . The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. ..."