Lake Charles American-Press from Lake Charles, Louisiana • Page 4

EDITORIALS Equalizing Representation Tin decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, calling for reviakmt of congressional districts into areas of more equal pofmlatfon, eowld not have been very surprising to anyone. court last year ruled that state legislative districts must conform to the "equal population" rule as closely as possible. It followed, therefore, that congressional districts, representing federal offices, could not long escape from similar scrutiny. The ruling could bring about a significant change in the geographic boundaries of Louisiana's congressional districts although not anytime soon.

If all of the state's eight congressional districts had the same population, each would include 407,127 Citizens, based on the I960 census, which, by the way, is itself almost four years old and is rapidly becoming outdated. The present alignment of congressional districts favors North Louisiana at the expense of South Louisiana. South Louisiana at present has five congressmen, representing 2,266,618 people, or an average of 451,323 per congressman. North Louisiana is represented by three congressmen, representing 1.000,404 people, or an average of 333,468 per congressmen. South Louisiana congressional districts are larger, by more than 100,000 persons per district, than North Louisk ana districts.

In other words, South Louisiana would have to have seven congressmen, rather than five, to have equal representation, on a population basis, with North Louisiana. The most obvious discrepancy lies between the eighth district, represented by Gillis Long, and the sixth district, represented by Jimrnie Morrison. Long's district has a population of 263,850, compared with a population of 536.029 for Morrison's district. Long's district has less than half the popula- THE WORLD TODAY tion of Morrison's district, yet hat the same representation to Washinftoft. In national awaits, a voter in the eighth district, which is the citadel of the Long power in Louisiana, fe? the way, hee the equivalent ef twa votw to every one fot voter in the tixth district.

The two New Orleans with population tottli of 449,491 and 499,561, respectively, ere also represented. Congressional districts Within the states are set up by action of the state legislature, legislature has, of course, been dominated for years by rural legislators, jealous of their own political power, and hostile toward the growing cities. Louisiana's House of Representatives voted to reallocate its teats last year, and a measure of the inequity in that body has been removed, though it is still far from ideal, No action was taken concerning the state senate however, and reallocating the seats in that body must, sooner or later, occupy the attention of the state's lawmakers. Thus, when the new legislature' takes office, it may find itself faced with two redistricting problems one for the Louisiana Senate, and the other for the state's congressional districts. A reshuffling of a few parishes probably will be the extent of the legislative's realignment of congressional districts, and this is not apt to prove a real solution.

The only equitable solution would be to carve out another district in the New Orleans Baton Rouge area, giving that area four congressmen instead of three, and enlarging Districts Four, Five and Seven to absorb the present District Eight. This would be the logical solution, but it is doubtful if the legislature will carry out such a drastic reform. The legislature has not yet been reformed to that extent. Court Action Comes Slowly By JAMES MARLOW Associated Press News Analyst WASHINGTON (AP)-The Supreme Court has decided to cure a kind of national paralysis in which politicians wouldn't budge to give voters fairer representation in Congress and state legislatures. For years the court was too timorous to do this.

It said it didn't want to butt into the political field. It took its first big step two years ago. Two years ago the Supreme Court reversed the reasoning of a case from Tennessee deciding lower federal courts may decide whether city voters are unconstitutionally discriminated against in the apportionment of legislative seats. In Tennessee the state constitution required reapportlonment every 10 years because of population shifts but there had been none since 1901. This decision was a political shocker.

It did more to stir than anything be arranged to give "equal representation for equal numbers of people" so far as practicable. The court has set down no exact measuring stick for populations In a district. It said districting must be fair by population. It relied on the Constitution for its authority, of course, citing those sections which speak of apportionment by numbers and give protections to citizens' rights. Now Congress at last may try for First it tangled with state stato legislatures and now with Con- history in the voting field.

districts but for congressional gress. Congressional districts, Since then about 35. states, un- enforcement of the stanSarfs.5 state legislatures balked, citizens could sue in federal courts. -Q- VCAklvtUwVUf VU Uil" like state legislatures' districts, der the spur of the decision and haye been lopsided for genera- the drive of cities and suburbs tions. i have taken some steps to district with 500,000 peo- district.

But this is a slow, pain- pie might have only one repre-! ful rofl d. sentative in Congress, or a state Th en Monday the court said The court, through injunction, could forbid congressional elections by districts in states guilty of malapportioned districts and ui or a siaiei me UU bam oi msJapportioned districts and legislature, while another with congressional districts in the order candidates for Congress to only half that many people states-it was just talking of run at large until there was re- might have just as much repre- Georgia but the ruling applies districting, sentation. This has worked to the advan-1 SIDRW AT Tf tage of the rural population, to VV the disadvantage of the growing cities. Forty state constitutions required regular redistricting every 10 years or oftener to give voters in all sections more equal representation. But for generations some state legislatures ignored their own constitutions.

Congress has looked the other way on this question of equal like to get but rarely do: Dream Letters representation in districts electing members of the House. The Senate is not involved. Every state, big or small, is entitled to two senators. By HAL BOYLE NEW YORK (AP) Fragments of letters people would J. i i "In order to provide a more international flavor to rock 'n' roll group the English Beatles are interested "Because of an unfavorable long-range weather forecast which predicts heavy snow next week, we are abandoning for this year our plans for a joint father-son 25-mile overnight hike.

We know you will be bitterly disappointed at having the outing called off. Better ors I Does a court have the right to at ng SI erican me m- luck next ear -interfere with the way Congress legislature provides for federal courts around the edges of years. A famous test came to the Su- We ould eal 19 -year-old provided objection to ki n.rf hair grow longer. Of course, thk for he would receive on 'y W.OOO a this week to but "Harry, my conscience has preme Court in 1946 a case has been bothering me ever from where populations i since I put that measly 25-year of ist your Japel at our last old' banquet. I was of districts varied from 138,000 to 839,000.

But the court wouldn't tell the legislature to redistrict. This is a "political thicket," the then Justice Felix Frank- pin in timers ing if you and the missus wouldn't join me and my wife on a cruise through the Carib- furter said, backing away. He bean next month aboard our suggested the remedy for unfair, company yacht? Don't worry ness in districting is to get the i about the expenses. I'll argue state legislature to do it. This! tn at out later with the Internal was ducking the issue.

Revenue Service myself." the problem That leak me to probably have remained check in the oil storage tank in unsolved a few more gener your summer cottage isn't a of a state a state the disadvantage of the much bigger city weren't going to let the arrangement be changed. ft yuui aiuniiier cuiuiKc uui I a ations for a very simple reason, jieak at all. That oil is oozing If tho 1 right out of the ground, and the basement already is half full, You don't need a need a geologist. Incidentally, my partner and I are willing offer you $50,000 for the i as she stands." 4 WED, FEBRUARY 19, 1964, Uke Charles Americon Frets Lake Charles American Press YEAR Published Week qnd Sundoy MEMBER ASSOCIATED toast If entitled exclusively tg ttvt UM fpr of oil thi wtvtfoeer os well gii news duty to inform you that your uncle has expired and your cousin, Wilberforce, who as a Socialist has bad a lifelong prejudice against Inherited wealth, refuses his share of the estate. This leaves you sole heir.

The estate includes $100,. 000 in cash, and a framed photograph of your uncle. Do you want the should we send it to Wilberforce?" "Sir, we have received a communication from a lady claiming to be your wife who says that after 40 years of living with you she'd like to enlist as a woman auxiliary of the French Foreign Legion. Although the legion isn't active any more, we are always looking for a good cook out this way, So if you can recommend her barbecued lamb, please ship the lady FOB to Sidi bel Abbes, Algeria. Tell her to be sure and bring a good supply of veils." QUICK QUIPS "Khrushchev Asks World- Wide Scrapping of Bomherg." Headline.

Now we cajj be entirely certain that the war potential of our bombing planes greatly exceeds thjt of Russia's. Somehow we have the hunch that if Sen. Margaret Chase Smith were to reach the point of actually believing she could wto to Kresideftcy, gbj would fortbwllo SAatclj her baJ out ej the riog. World Did You Have in Mind, Mr. President? 1 PEARSON SAYS Voluntary' Import Curbs By DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1964, By Bell-McClure Syndicate) WASHINGTON PRESt dent Johnson, a Texas cattleman, has been on the spot regarding the imports of Australian and New Zealand meat the result is a "voluntary" curb on meat from the Antipodes which is being put into effect this week.

The curb, however is anything but that. It has been forced on the Australians and New Zealanders at a time when U.S. manufacturers are selling more goods to both countries than at any other time in history. It is also at a time when the grandstanding war threats of Indonesia's President Sukarno makes relations between the USA and the two English-speaking Dominions closer perhaps than their relations with London. The Johnson administration was also advised by Chris Herter, secretary of state under Els- enhower, not to curb Aussie and New Zealand meat because of the effect on American farm shipments to Europe.

Herter has been working under Johnson to ease our tariff problems with the Common Market, and argued that if we restricted meat imports from the Antipodes it would set a precedent for further restrictions against chickens and other US farm products by France and Germany. ACTUALLY, AGRICULTURE department economists, headed by Willard Coehrane, have argued that the drop in American meat prices this year is to over production by American cattlemen; not the Importation of meat from Australia and New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand meat while important to them is relatively insignificant compared to the vast U.S. market. The grass-fed cows and bulls raised "Down Under" produce a lowgrade of lean, un- tender meat used in American hamburgers, weiners and sausage products.

It is not really competitive with corn-fattened American beef, However, pressure at the White House from the cattle states has been strong; so despite the fact that President Johnson recently appointed Miss Esther Peterson as consumer advisor to keep prices down, the Australians and New Zealanders were told to "voluntarily" restrict Imports. BRITISH PRIME MINISTER Sir Alee Douglas-Home talked very frankly to President Johnson about the weak strength of British troops on Cyprus and warned that Britain could only send 2,000 additional troops to that strife-torn island. This was one reason why Undersecretary George Ball rushed off to the Mediterranean to head off war. Home explained to Johnson and to others in Washington that there are now between 5,000 and 6,000 British troops on Cyprus and that the additional battalion would not be able to prevent civil war. In fact the prune minister's aides confided that In case of civil war, British troops would be pulled into their compounds away frpm any fighting and would let the Greeks and Turks kill each other off.

"We have no pleasure in remaining in Cyprus to be shot down by both sides," the Prime Minister remarked during bis stay in Washington. The extra battalion, he explained, would mean moving 2,000 troops from one side of NATO in Germany, to the other side in the Mediter a a therefore would not be welching on i a i n's NATO commitment. Greeks meanwhile had warned the United States and Britain in no uncertain terms that if the Turks sent troops to Cyprus, as they have a right under the treaty to protect their nationals, Greece would consider it an act of war. This meant that Greece would probably invade European Turkey through Thrace. WHAT BOTHERED THE administration about Prime Miniiter Home's determination to sell busses plus factories to Cuba, was that his announcement came on the same day the Organization of American States had officially found Cuba guilty of invading demonsatic Venezuela.

Thus a great pillar of democracy, England, put itself in the position of supporting a dictatorship which had tried to overthrow another democracy by violence and sabotage. The United States had finally persuaded Canada to cut off us shipments of auto truck and bus parts to bolster Castro's decrepit transportation system, which depends chiefly on old worn out American automotion products. The sale of British busses, Unscramble these four Jumbles, one Utter each square, to form four ordinary words, UIGY I 0 K) WQS4N HOW TO YOUR plus the proposed sale of French trucks, will not only rescue Castro but will mean that Cuba is lost to the American auto industry for years to come. THE BACKSTAGE OBJEC- tion to Carl Rowan, able Negro diplomat and former newsman, as director of the U.S. information Service, arises in part from the distribution of a 30-minute documentary on last summer's freedom march on Washington.

Showing of this graphic civil rights denjonitration by USIA to foreign audiences aroused the unanimous objection of the U.S. Information Advisory Committee, on which Clark Mollenhoff of the Deg Moines Register is one of the most vocal and important members'. "I was pot against film clips of the march being distributed abroad because I think USIA should cover the news," says Mollenhoff, "But I do oppose foreign distribution of a long documentary without proper news commentary to explain the picture, "To an American audience it was a fine dramatic picture. But foreign audiences are not sophisticated and we should not advertise our problems, We are not showing Tobacco Road or the Grapes of Wrath abroad ahd we should not have shown this." Carl Rowan, chosen by Johnson to be the new USIA director, is not being blamed for making this decision, He was serving with credit as ambassador to Finland at the time. But Mollenhoff says he does question Rowan's judgment on matters pertaining to race relations.

While not enthusiastic over Rowan's appointment, Mollenhoff is not conducting a crusade against him. Rowan is certain to be confirmed by the Senate with no great opposition. LT. GEN. JULIAN SMITH, commander of the Battle of Tarawa landing In World War II, Is working hard to block a law to register firearms, such as that used in the assassination of President Kennedy.

Speaking beforo the Frances Wallace chapter of the DAR in Alexandria, the doubly general declared that jf guns were registered, the Com i could find where every gun is located when and if they took over the United States. The ladies present were shocked at the general's idea that the United States could so easily be subdued. The General said that Hitler was able to disarm Germany because he got hold of the registration of rifles and that the Allies were able to disarm the Italians by going to city hall to get the registration of firearms. Some of we ladies rememberd that when Gen. Smith landed his Marines at Tarawa he showed great courage but dubious wisdom, The Marioej were slaughtered ai they high waves in unaJJ landing craft.

When I calW Owrfimith to ask whether really exported the Conmmnifti to take over the United easily, ho quickly said no. Then bj nplalMd (feat assum- itoajk war will kill forty mJlUoa pejong there will PERSPECTIVE Civil Rrghfs-4 fi fflft Iwoi vf te gffl HfMf MB none na IB wnR Wt et fly WASHINGTON When the chrfl rights bill moved toward! passage la the Rouse of Rep-: ftswitfltiwi, one el the most effective twhmthe-Scenes steef-l tag Jobs was performed by the i Democratic Study Group, an or- of Democratic legis- DSO had worked out a "btrddy system" for the 1963 vot- tng on the foreign aid bin, and used the game tyitem for the civil rights bill. Uader the direction of Rep. Frank Thompson Jr. (D N.J.), each of JO DSO members was responsible for keeping track of five or six other both on attendance and how thev voted.

The system worked well, reducing substantially the need for regular whip calls. In addition, the DSO stationed men at the head of the teller line on the House floor to see if they voted. Thus careful attendance and voting records, checked both from the galleries and the floor, could be kept on each member. Throughout the debate, the Justice Department had four or five key men, usually including Deputy Attorney General Nicholas deB. Katzenbach and Burke Marshall, head of the Justice Civil Rights Division, present in the galleries.

Whenever a crisis arose over an amendment, a signal would be made from one of the two DSG leaders on the House floor Thompson or Richard Boll- Ing (D Mo.) and the Justice Department, civil right groups and labor leaders in the galleries would come down for a strategy conference off the floor. Sometimes these strategy conferences were held in the Speaker's offices. The group worked closely with Judiciary Chairman Emanuel Celler (D the bill's floor manager, and his lieutenant, Rep. James C. Gorman (D Calif.) At the start of each day of the debate, basic strategy and plan- EDUCATION WTO T'-T clvfl frra towtbet White Horn Jotepfi wwi i.

Democratic Action regularly present at these meltings. The RepnblfcaB the bill was talntd of ocraUc. Rep. WBifWH M. Mc- CulIoch (R Ohfo) ority member oft the Jwhlety Committee, tod the Republican rights forces, aided by Rep.

John V.Lindsay Charles McC. Mathias (R Md Clark MacOrefw (R Mton.) and ofhers. McCulJoch's chief staff support was furnished by William H. Copenhaver, minority counsel for the Judiciary Committee, and Robert Kimball, legislative snd research director of a group known as the Republican Legislative Research Assn. This association, officially headed by Charles fait of Cincinnati, Onto, helped to writing the bill and formulating GOP legislative tactics in its behalf.

Copenhaver and Kimball were two Republican staff men who actually sat down last October with Katzenbacb and Marshall of the Justice Department to negotiate the specific point of the bipartisan bUL McCulIoch kept bis dose friend, Minority Leader Charles A. Halleck (R closely informed of all operations and In return received HaDeck's general support, though Halleck was present on the Rouse floor for little of the debate. i McCulIoch conferred fairly frequently with the Justice Department on strategy for the bill, but the relationship between the Republicans and the civil rights and labor groups was at arm's length. Some Republican! were less than pleased by the close ties between civil rights and labor groups and 0)8 Democratic Study Group, which recently formed a special arm to elect more liberal Democratic Congressmen, presumably at the expense of many currently Republican seats. Better Reading By G.K.

HODENFIELD ATLANTIC CITY, N.J, (AP) to 15 million school children are so seriously retarded in reading that they can't understand their textbooks and this is completely unnecessary," says reading expert Morton Botel. Botel told a convention session of the American Association of School Administrators; "Reading retardation could be wiped out in this country, but we just aren't organized to do "Instead, 20 to 30 per cent of the children in a typical classroom are hesitant, stumbling readers who can't understand what the books say, and who learn to hate school," Botel, reading consultant and assistant superintendent of Bucks County schools at Levittown, said there are two fundamental conditions necessary for good teaching of reading: 1. A "non-graded" reading program, so that each child advances as he masters various levels and not according to i age or the general achievement 'of his class. 2. An outstanding library program "which may not take more than one per cent of your total budget." In the traditional graded program, every class of 30 pupils Is taught at the same the bright, the average and the slow.

The important thing, Botel said, "is to make sure children aren't asked to handle books which are beyond them. Some kids have been in the wrong book every year they have been in school. It's a hopeless, frustrating experience for the child." LOOKING BACK The good general did not explain how tST remaining survivors were going to use their rifles in i muirf saturated radioactivity. Uonai Rifte Fiffy Years Ago (From the American Press of February 19, 1914) WASHINGTON Officials More dirt was removed in dig- were searching today for pre- ging it than has been left on the cedents to determine what to do with Maximo Castillo, the Mexican bandit who wrecked the Cumbre tunnel and caused the death of several Americans and a score of others. Castillo was captured yester' day by American soldiers in New Mexico.

If he is put back across the border he will probably fall into the hands of Gen. Villa, the rebel commander, who streets of Chicago by the last two city administrations. If the steam shovels used in digging the Calebra Cat were the Calebra Cat were in a row, it would cost from 135 to $100 to drive by them in a taxicab, depending upon whether it was a London or Chicago machine. More than eighty Calcasieu parish teachers will assemble in has promised him a public exe-iLake Charles Friday to attend cutkm. 'the regular bi-monthly parish i teachers' institute, which will George Fitch in Collier's 'last for two days.

Weekly: What we need in A featurfl of meeting will nreciatmg Panama canaJ the reading of a report for- fs i comparatives Only compar- ateo by a cornmittS espe- atlves and familiar ones at that cially appointed to investigate will enable us to sto up this the sS probS the great work without closing up pubitescliopii fplSwEharges 8 8 TV KSy to inspect it personally, i jn the schools by State Sunerin- Panama canal is so long tendent T. H. Harris, that a tired business man would bjve to hang eleven tours ism a strap order to go from to entf of it in a The marriage of Mr, C. H. Bartley and Miss Nettie Greenroad will occur tonight at 7:30 o'clock at the bono of Mr.

and Mrs. S. Greenroad, pawnts of the prospective bride. Pr, Morey JhM returned from PaiterfOB wberi weat to attend, the marriage bis sister, Miss Mr. and Mrs.

Howard Wetherill have into tMr beau-.