Bills Altering Vote Opposed By Key, Beer

Two Government professors yesterday criticized the Congressional bills aimed, at changing the present electoral college system. Samuel H. Beer, professor of Government, and V.O. Key, Jr., Jonathan Trumbull Professor of American History and Government, said that the proposed modifications served no useful purpose.

The Senate sent the bills, designed to modify the electoral college so as to conform more nearly to the popular vote, back to the Judiciary Committee Tuesday for further study.

Beer, chairman of the state branch of Americans for Democratic Action, said that the suggested changes would "reduce the influence of Massachusetts and the other populous states in the elections." Under the present system a small majority in a crucial state can give a large block of electoral votes to the candidate and disproportionate influence to the state, Beer said.

Candidates accordingly work especially hard to get the vote in metropolitan areas and give the cities great influence, he added.

"It would be grossly unfair to deprive the cities of their advantage in Presidential policies without, at the same time, correcting inequalities of over-representation of rural areas in Congress," he concluded.

Key said that proposals seeking popular voting would reduce the power of small states and minority groups. In the closely divided states, politicians tend to court minorities, hoping to swing the state with their aid, he said.