Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-01-24
AFTER MORE MONEY
APPROPRIATIONS THE STORM CEN
TER IN IOWA LEGISLATURE.

and Binder Dropped Secure First VIC
tory in the House-BiIl for Establish.
ment of Three More Normal Schools.
Dies MONIES, Jan. 22.-If the appro-
priation committees of the legislature
can have their way, the present session
will not be long one. Despite the
great number of bills that are pouring
in, and despite the fact that some of
them are really of considerable impor-
tance, the fact is generally conceded
that the interest centers on those meas
nres aimed at the large surplus in the
state treasury. The appropriations de-
manded at this time will far exceed
those required Of any previous session
for long series of years. From every
class of institutions and from every de-
partment of the state comes up the
chorus of demand for more money. AL
most every member represents some
particular interest in appropriations,
from the state university graduates,
who want a large amount for that insti-
tuition, to the ambitious county seat
towns, which are presenting their
claims for new normal schools.
81 have notion that if the appropria-
ton bills were out of the way, the inter-
est in this session would wane pretty
fast" said Chairman Garst of the sem
ate committee on appropriations. 81
have heard all this talk about the large
amount of important legislation that is
going to occupy the attention of this
session and I have told all my friends to
get their bills in early and push them to
action before the appropriation commit
tees get their work completed. don't
think the session will interest members
nearly SO much after the appropriation
budget is made up"
Appropriations to Be Closely Scanned.
The opening meetings of the appropri-
alton committees in both houses de velop
a decided tendency to conservatism.
Chairman Garst in the senate and
Chairman Bows in the house, asked for
expression from the members of their
committees, and the unanimous verdict
was-that in the face of the extraordi-
nary demand for appropriations, the COM
mittees must stand as buffer between
the people and the treasury. At both
ends of the capitol, it was agreed that
every appropriation measure must be
examined with the greatest care, and its
merits must be clearly proved, before it
could receive favorable report. In
cidentally, it is said that the appropria-
tion committees are not very friendly
to the project of establishing a new
group of normal schools. Chairman
Garst presented to his committee con-
densed statement indicating the amount
asked by the institutions for all pur-
poses. This indicates that 81 ,053,475 is
asked for the IL state institutions for
general purposes. Then the state board
of control asks $4,000 additional to
buy lands for the soldiers orphans home
at Davenport, the insane hospitals at
Independence and Clarinda, and the
institution for feeble-minded children
at Glenwood. Further, the state uni
versity asks permanent additional
allowance for support of $1,000;
the agricultural college at Ames
asks like permanent increase
of its support fund of $31, 500; and the
state normal school at Cedar Falls asks
q similar increase of $4,000 annually.
For the two years of the biennial period,
this would make 1922, 900 in additional
support funds alone. In addition to all
this, the board of control asks $62, 900
for improvements at the institutions,
which are stated to be of great import.
ance, but not indispensable. The gov
ernor also requests legislation to repay
the $3S, 655. 90, which was advanced by
Iowa banks at his request, to pay the
expense of transporting the Fifty-frst
Iowa regiment from San Francisco to
Iowa The historical department asks
$4,000 to equip and furnish it's new
building. If it is decided to build three
or four normal schools, somewhere from
S1O0, 900 to 100000 will be asked for
these. These appropriations, it should
be understood, relate simply to the in
situations. They do not include the
regular allowance which must be made
by each general assembly to pay the ex-
pense of the state government depart
ments; state officers, the legislature, the
supreme court, district judges salaries.
ETC. When the appropriation commit
tee had inspected the modest looking
list of demands, it was agreed that a
100000 surplus would have very little
chance of surviving the assault.
Move to Abolish Two Offices.
It is possible that the offices of state
printer and state binder will be abol.
!. ished at this session. The development
of opposition to these offices came sud.
denly and caused general surprise.
When the house was presented a joint
resolution from the senate providing for
q joint convention of the two houses to
elect printer and binder. the house
unceremoniously declined the invitation,
voting down the joint resolution by
vote of so to 40. This action was
equivalent to the house declining to
allow the election of printer and binder
and if the house should persist in its
present attitude these officers could not
be elected. Immediately after this
action the house instructed its printing
committee to fully investigate the ex-
pense of printing and binding and re-
port. This report will be presented in
few days. A bill will then undoubt.
eddy be presented to abolish both offices,
and until the fate of this measure is
determined the house will undoubtedly