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Universitv Daily Kansan Monday. Feb. 29. 1960
Reapportionment
A national census is being conducted this year to determine representation in the House of Representatives. This process is called congressional reapportionment.
The number of House seats was set in 1910 at 435. With the addition of Alaska, the number of seats rose to 436. Following this year's census the number of seats will revert to 435, unless Congress amends the law.
When the population of the United States is determined the total will be divided by 435. This will establish the size of the Congressional districts. Following the 1950 census, each district consisted of approximately 350,000 people.
Under a 1960 population projection by the Census Bureau there will be a shift of 19 seats in the next Congress, with 7 states picking up additional seats and 13 states (including Kansas) losing seats.
This change will be accounted for, the Census Bureau says, by the addition of Alaska and Hawaii as states, and estimated shifts of population among states.
While on the face of it this system seems fair, there are serious faults in the representation.
Following the 1950 census the Congressional Quarterly reported some serious redistricting shenanigans.
"Fifteen states have redrawn the boundaries of their congressional districts and the net result, politically, seems to be more 'safe' districts, and fewer 'hot' election contests," the report said.
Studies of the 15 states that have been redistricted show that:
1. Political advantage and other political considerations were major factors for redistricting.
2. The party in control of the state legislature generally redistricted the state to its own advantage.
The net result of these political maneuvers within the states is to deny citizens correct representation. Surveys of state congressional districts show that the formula of representation has been thrown out the window for political advantage.
A study by the Congress of Industrial Organizations shows that congressional districts vary in population from 159,000 to 807,000. Both districts have equal representation in Congress.
Quit Yelling
Ray Miller
It's about time once again for the labor unions to begin screaming for congressional reapportionment and yelling about how unfair the American public — the rural public — is to the city dweller.
But in spite of this somewhat childish presentation of "the facts" via grade school graphs and charts, the fact remains that this country will act upon its 1960 census the same as it has the 1940 census, the 1930 and back to 1920.
What is the history of reapportionment in the House of Representatives? No one worries about the senators because we know they are going to stay the same, but the House seems to send the unions into a tail-spin.
Prior to 1911, apportionment of representatives varied. States seemed to be satisfied to allow other states to gain representatives as long as none had to lose any representation. But in 1911 this situation ended. A stalemate developed over apportionment in the decade following the 1920 census, and the 1911 apportionment carried over.
As a result of this stalemate, a Michigan Republican, Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, badgered and bullied Congress into passing the Vandenberg Act of June, 1929. He was inscured that Michigan had only 13 representatives while its population was enough for 17.
To quote from a Christian Science Monitor article:
"The act is based on the plain premise that equality of popular representation is a mathematical problem, not properly a legislative one. It provides that the president, in the first week of the first session after each census, shall report to Congress the population of each state and the number of house
seats to which each is entitled under a specified formula."
What does this mean to the layman? It simply becomes a matter of automatic reapportionment. The only way the representation can be changed from the terms of the Vandenberg Act is by Congress changing it within 15 calendar days after the president has presented it. This in itself puts the burden squarely on Congress. If any tinkering is done with any state's apportionment, the blame is easily placed. In practice Congress has never done this and the act in effect, has taken apportionment out of politics.
Still there is another "automatic" feature of the Vandenberg Act. Congressional districting within each state is up to the legislature. If any legislature fails to make the necessary adjustments when the number of congressmen is changed, the federal law lays down the rules for electing them.
In practice, then, suppose a state gains a seat but does not redistrict. What is done? The additional member is simply elected at-large. If a state having one or more congressmen at-large loses a seat and fails to redistrict, one of the at-large seats is vacated.
But suppose a state is reduced to fewer seats than it has districts and fails to redistrict. What is done then? The House isn't whipped. The Vandenberg law simply makes all of the congressmen of that state elected at-large until the state is properly redistributed.
So, again, why the cry of "rotten boroughs" from the labor unions? There is no argument that apportionment within each state for their own legislatures is needed. But from this writer's view, the federal government seems to be in good shape on the apportionment question.
- Rael F. Amos
... Letters ...
Let's Live Together
Editor
After much discussion and debate we finally came to a very simple solution that will revitalize if not revolutionize the entire housing situation here at K.U..
Originally our house was manned by 14 women who lived co-operatively and now 14 men man our house and also live by the cooperative system. The natural flow of thought has led us to conclusion that 7 men and 7 women living co-operatively would lead to a much more creative atmosphere and would help greatly in the development of a truly functional co-
educational system ...Here is our
proposal;
As of today, we are taking applications from all interested females between the ages of 18 and 28 who feel the need for individual expression. As the applications will be accepted on a first come first served basis, we cannot assure placement of all applicants.
All interested parties may apply in person anytime between 7 a.m.
and 12 p.m. Mon.-Sun. .Please bring with you . . an O.K. from Mother. . .
The Men of Hilden-Gibson
Some Kansas State students rioted for a holiday Thursday after gaining a victory over KU Wednesday night. Wonder if the instigators of said riot agreed to go to school Sunday after losing to Oklahoma Saturday night.
The Value Of a Vote
You say you have the right to vote. But this right does not automatically give you an equal voice in your government.
In fact, your vote may be worth only 1/300 that of another citizen.
What is this all about? It's called legislative malapportionment — minority rule. It means that the percentage of the United States population which actually elects the majority of its representatives to state legislatures and to Congress varies from 9.59 per cent in Connecticut to 48.76 per cent in Massachusetts.
It means that in our state of Kansas only about one-fourth of the population actually is being represented fairly. For even though the Constitution of the United States specifies that the representatives in the House shall be elected according to the population of each state, most states still base their districting on geographical areas instead of on population.
This might have been fine in those long-past days when more than one-half of the nation's population lived in rural areas. But now with more than 70 per cent occupying the cities — very small geographical areas — this method is no longer feasible.
Only about one-half the states have undergone any re-districting in the past 10 years. Kansas' last reapportionment was based on the 1940 census.
This malapportionment makes it possible, for instance, for one Oregon senator to say, "I represent 81,000 people," while another says, "I represent 7,200 people."
Often the failure of the states to re-district properly is tied up with "gerrymandering." This device, initiated in 1812 by Gov. Gerry of Massachusetts, is used to achieve or retain control of the state legislatures. Under this scheme the boundaries of the districts follow no pattern, but rather, weave in and out selecting certain "choice" locales to be included in various districts.
The only accurate method by which to determine congressional districts is to divide the total population by 435, the number of seats to be considered. Then the districts would be determined on the basis of this limitation and arranged in compact, unified areas.
The individual states must reevaluate their policy of "do nothing" if the rule of the minority in 50 states is to cease.
This is another year when our voting booth becomes the showcase to the rest of the world, exhibiting how race, color, creed, or sex matters not in a democracy. One person gets one vote. But will each person who is elected represent an equal number of people? Will your vote's value be less than one?
— Elva Lundry
By M. K. McKinney Assistant Instructor of English
THE BLUE ANGEL by Heinrich Mann; Signet Books, 35 cents.
This is a "modern rendition and adaptation" by Wirt Williams of Heinrich Mann's 1905 novel, "A Small Town Tyrant." The purpose of this rendition is to advertise 20th Century-Fox's "The Blue Angel." Mr. Williams, in a note to this edition, furthermore says, "This is not a literal translation. However, only such emendations or additions have been made as seem necessary to give the book clarity and meaning."
Someone writes anonymously in the preface, "The Blue Angel" is the unforgettable story of a prim and proper professor who sacrifices everything he has... to marry a beautiful wanton who he knows will never return his love." Whoever wrote this was carried away either by the pictures on the front and back of this edition or by a sense of alliteration. The professor is certainly anything but "prim and proper."
"The Blue Angel" is the name of a cabaret where Lola Frölich sings and dances. She draws to her three students of the Northern Academy for Boys, but their teacher of Greek goes to their rescue. In his attempt to save them, he becomes her victim.
This may seem like a retelling of Zola's "Nana," but it isn't. In the first place Lola does not have Nana's vitality, and in the second place she is not the "golden fly" that Nana was portrayed as being. Professor Rath's obriquet is "Old Garbage," because his name approximates the German word for garbage, "Unrat." He is extremely unpopular with his students, especially with the three whom he purports to save from Lola. In fact, to his face and behind his back they call him "Old Garbage." As the professor's sexual desire is consummated with Lola, he loses his position as teacher. His revenge upon the town then becomes his obsession, and with the aid of Lola he opens their home to gambling. They entice many prominent people to come and lose their money and names. In the end both he and his wife are arrested for stealing.
I find nothing to recommend the story except as an introduction to the photoplay. As a piece of literature, this simply does not come off. Maybe the original story does. I cared little about the professor or Lola in this retelling; and it seems to me that the first requirement of a novel is that it have a good plot.
Dailu Francis
University of Kansas student newspaper
Founded 1889, became biweekly 1904, trivweekly 1908, daily Jan. 16, 1912.
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Member Inland Daily Press Association. Associated Collegiate Press. Represented by National Advertising Service, 420 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. News service: United Press International. Mail subscription rates: $3 a semester or $5 a year. Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the university year except Saturdays and Sundays, University holidays, and examination periods. Entered as second-class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., post office under act of March 3, 1879.
Jack Morton
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Jack Morton Managing Editor Ray Miller, Carol Heller, George DeEord and Carolyn Fraily, Assistant Managing Editors; Jane Boyd, City Editor; Ralph (Gabby) Wilson and Warren Haskins, Sports Editors; Carrie Edwards and Priscilla Burton, Society Editors.
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EDITIONAL DEPARTMENT Douglas Yocom and Jack Harrison Co-Editorial Editors
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
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LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS By Dick Bibler
THE ART MAJOR---- THE FOOTBALL HERO THE "CAMPUS OLOGY" MAJOR