Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-16
IOWA COMMISSIONS
Governor Cummins Has Large
Number OF Important Ap.
pointments to Make.
Thirty.six Places to Be Filled
on the Various Com-
missions.
will Have Expenditure OF Large
Appropriations for the
Exposition. Etc.
'ines-Republican.


Des Moines, April 16.-Governor
Cummins is taking little rest just
now. but as soon as he returns home he
will have to give consideration to
large number of appointments which
must be made for the commissions
which were provided for by the last
legislature. There are four of these
commissions, involving the naming OF
thirty-six persons to serve the state In
the matter of distribution and spend
+ ing the state money. Twenty of the
persons named must be old soldiers,
and the remainder may be named
without restrictions. These commits
sions are the Vicksburg park commits
sion. the Lockout mountain commits
sion, the Louisiana exposition commits
sion and the commission to complete
the Iowa state capitol. The capitol
commission must be named In sixty
days and it is expected, that the others
will be named about the same time.
Already interested persons are making
many calls for the laws relating to
these commissions and the facts sur
rounding the work to be done.
| The vicksburg park commission Will
consist of nine persons, and they must
all be men who served in some of the
Iowa commands at Vicksburg during
the war. They may be privates or 9th
| erwise, and of course they will be Sc
llected from different regiments. There
were thirty-four of the Iowa commands
at vicksburg, so only a small propor-
ton will be represented. They vii.
have the expenditure of 100000, but
only a small proportion of 1t in the next
| two years. The members will be paid
actual expenses only. In all probabili :
| ty many of those who served on the
preliminary commission will be named
| to carry out the work at Vicksburg as
| planned.
| The Lookout mountain and Mission
tary Ridge commission will be larger
one sad will have the expenditure of y
| smaller sum- There will be eleven of
the members, or one from each of the
Iowa commands which took part in the
fighting at Chattanooga. The terms
land conditions are similar to those at
| Vicksburg.
| The commission for which there is
going to be the greatest scramble is
the exposition commission. BY one of
those peculiarities which are unac-
countable the act creating this COM
mission describes it as the Louisiana
exposition purchase commission" tho
! it will hardly purchase the exposition.
but will have to do with the Iowa ex-
hibit at the Louisiana purchase expo
sition There will be thirteen of the
commissioners. and this commission
will have unlimited power in the use of
the $125,000 entrusted to its care. The
act provides that an executive COM
mittee may be named and empowered
to do everything, and also employees
and clerks without number may be Sc
cured The commission 1T is expected
will make headquarters in Des Moines
| and be provided with an office in one OF
the rooms at the state capitol. 1t is
provided that not more than eight of
| the commissioners shall be from any
| one political party. Several of these
who have been conspicuous on other
similar commissions are already laying
plans to get control of this one. 1t will
be readily seen that persons so dis
posed might work the commission for
big private graft, and 1t is therefore
probable that Governor Cummins will
exercise some of his we'll known inde-
pendence in making the selections. He
i
Gus young men on the commission, and
will demand that they are persons who
do not need to depend on this sort of
work for living.
The other commission is the one
which will have to do with the compile
| ton of the state capitol. This is to
consist of only three persons, who shall
hold their positions for four years.
They will begin their terms of office
the first of next July and on the first
Tuesday of July they will meet in Des
Moines and organize by electing clerk
or secretary. The members of the
commission are to receive $5 day for
time actually employed, but not more
than $500 a year. The clerk may get
| SIS a month for time actually em-
ployed For c-Amission to spend
$250,000 this is rtainly fixing pay
pretty low. The clerk can be nothing
more than a bookkeeper or timekeeper
for the commission. Most of the work
will be done by contract, and the com
mission can probably arrange Il. sc
that meetings will be held about once
a month. There is general desire that
Hon. Peter A. Day of Iowa City, who
is one of the commission to prepare the
plans. shall be a member of the COM
mission. He is the one man who knows
more about the building than any other
living, the one who had so much to do
with it's building. and it would be a
| crowning act of his life to be connected
with the commission which completes
the building. In fact, the entire pres
ent commission might be drafted to dc
the work Governor Shaw named Mr.
Dey, George A. Josselyn, of Cedar Rap
ids, and Charles A. Cummings, of Des
Moines, as the persons to plan for the
1 completion of the capitol. Inasmuch
as they have laid the plans they may
be permitted to direct how the work
shall be done.
There is nothing In the law relating
to the capitol in the point which au-
thorizes or directs that any work shall