Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-16
FATE
OF PRIMARY ACT
Ilinci9 House in COMMITTEE of
Whole Takes Up Gibson
i'll.
is AT A CRITICAL STAGE
Senate Disposed to Investigate En-
penditure of State Funds by
the Governor.

Springfield. Feb. 16.-After ad-
vanctng the Field museum, mine res
cue station and mining institute bills
to third reading this morning the
house went into committee of the
whole to consider the Gibson pri-
mary bill for the nomination of as
semblymen. A discussion of the con-
stitutionality of the bill was begun.
Blows Aimed at Deneen.
Springfield, Ill. Feb 16.-Two blows
were aimed at Governor Deneen yes
terday after the house of representa-
tives had laid on the shelf his three
primary bills by referring both to the
committee of the whole
The appropriations committee of the
house, meeting behind locked doors.
proceeded to handle the governor
without gloves. They first slaugh-
tered the senate bill carrying an ap-
preparation of $40 900 for the use of
the railroad and warehouse commits
sion in making an investigation Of ex-
press rates in Illinois. The vote by
which the bill was killed was IS to g.
Want an Accounting.
They then took up the governors
senate bill carrying an appropriation
of SIS. 1000 to defray the cost of ap-
pealing the Economy Light and Power
case to the supreme court. This in
wolves the status of the Dresden
Heights dam and vitality affects the
proposed water way. The committee
was about to hammer the life out of
this bill also when the members be-
thought themselves Of a better scheme
to stick few pins in the upholsteTing
of the executives throne
They decided to postpone action on
the bill, but in the meantime to ask
the house to call upon the governor
for information relative to the use he
had made of the $4,000 already given
him out of the state treasury to cover
the expenses in this case.
Uses Money for Machine.
Reference was also made to the
s15O.OOO the governor has had for the
Illinois Central railroad investigation
and other sums for Investigations anu
commissions There is talk of a gen
eral legislative investigation of the
uses made of the many special funds
voted to the governor out of the state
treasury.
All that was said at the meeting is
not known. It is admitted however, .
that several hard blows were aimed .
at the governor and that he was praC-
tically charged with having secured .
large appropriations for Investigations .
and commissions and these appro1ria- .
tions seemed to come in rather handy .
around about primary or election time. .
Lorimer Seeks Delay.
Pleading that the legislators do moth
ing that will jeopardize the proposed .
plan of federal cooperation with the
state of Illinois in securing a deep
waterway. Senator Lorimer yesterday,
in kilograms sent to various members
of the lower house. urged them to wait
for a short time before attacking the
Lorimer's friends are in control of
the waterway committee in the house
and il is believed that no attempt will
be made to pass any waterway bill
until the junior Illinois senator can
appear on the scene and take charge of
legislation on this proposition. Rep
resentative Edward J. Mejkal. chair
man of the house waterway commit
tee, is one of Lorimer's friends. and
he and Speaker Shurtleff will be look
ed upon TO guard the interest of the
man they helped TO make senator