Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-01-20
SPEAKER CUNNINGHAM HAS G..
eANTIc TASK IN MAKING
HOUSE ASSIGNMENTS.
SPECULATION AMONG
MEMBERS AS TO SELECTION
Lieutenant Governor Harding Testi-
fies to Difficulty in Fixing Commit
tee Places - Legality Of Redistriet-
ing State For Senatorial Di.tribu-
ton is M after For cosson.

piclOn llal SpeahSr SulliiiH ham W ohe
! the sabbath by working on the commit
/ tee assignments for the house, as he
I promises to have them ready for an
nouncement when the house meets OF
i Tuesday forenoon. There is good deal
Of quiet speculation among the mem
bers as 10 who viii get the chairman
ships of the important committees
Guessing on senate committee chair
| manships is easy as compared TO that
in the house. for in the senate there Is
q custom as to precedence and the TACT
| that always more than half the nlenl-
| bership is Of previous experience. Pre-
| sumabiy. however. the four of i've DIG
! chairmanships in the house viii! be TAX
! en- from the list OF veteran members
like klay LARA bee Dawson. Haigrins
DIXON. Jacobs. Stipe. Whitney and
others
President Harding had it in mind
! but perhaps lacked the nerve 10 Go Il
10 make an effective reform in senateI
! committees by naming eight or ten
good committees 10 handle the really
big subjects before the legislature. then
10 name. one catch-all committee ~
/, handle all the little stuff and the great
mass of unimportant bills that flood the
legislature. Some day such a reform
will be effected and better results viii
! follow. President Harding has been
! much complimented on his commit
tees, and they have generally satisfied
! the members of the senate.
Committee Selection Difficult.
Its bigger task than I thought 1t
was going 10 be-" said Mr.. Harding, Il
did not consider it at all until l came
down here But found II much more
difficult to fix the committees the way
that would be satisfactory than anyone
could know Of However. the senators
were very nice TO me and made the
task as light as possible
! There is still a great deal OF conslc'
Grafton TO the problem Of how to avoid
the inevitable congestion of business al
the close Of the session. The senate mas
seldom ever adopted any closure rule
as to bills but may do so this time, nS-
inf an early date after which no bill OF
a general nature can be introduced by
a member, but only committee DIS go
to the floor OF the senate. II both houses
would do this. the members all agree
il would greatly expedite business. But
most of the members are afraid to take
! the step in that direction.
Distribution Of Senators.
It has been put up TO Attorney Cen
eral Cosson to say whethe. II would De
legal for this legislature TO properly
district the state in the matter OF as
tribution Of senators. He has peen
asked for an official opinion on the
subject and if he decides favorably the
senate apportionmenr matter will be
~ a v
Hutchins, of Kossuth. at the last ses-
sion, introduced a bill It make the
senate apportionment different from
that which has prevailed for thirty
years. That would mean that Black
hawk would get a senator all by itself
and there would be one lost to either
Jackson or Mahaeka county. Possibly
there would be other changes. Mr,
Hutchins points out that matter OF
fact the senatorial districting bill
passed at the last session was illegal
in that it was not made up in accord
: ance with population; bit he rs in
doubt as to whether the legislature
having adopted an illegal apportion-
rnent has the right to rectify the error
until after another census has been re-
ported.
Pleased With Taxation Bill.
II have read the report of the COM
mission on taxations," said Senator
Schrup. OF Dubuque. and I find that
y it is a valuable report. The commits
sion appears to have worked out the
matter in very sensible way and to
have prepared some bills that would
accomplish great good in the matter OF
reform in assessment and taxation in
\ Iowa. am not saying that I am for
: everything recommended but I do
know that there is something very
much needed in changes in our system
Of assessment and the committee has
done good job preventing the mat
ter fairly and concisely. We certainly
are in great need Of some improvement
in our laws in this respect"
Appointment Of County Officers.
County Auditor Finley, Of Dallas
county, who is on the legislative COM
rnittee Of the County Auditors Asso-
citation. is in favor personally Of a
great change In the law as to hand
. ling county business. He would have
the county board or commission OF
), three elected by the people. each one
TO be assigned to a separate department
and to have this board appoint the
treasurer, auditor, clerk and other
= county officials, just as tbs done ir
the commission governed cities of the
state. OF course any suggestion of this
u kind will meet with a storm of pro-
test but several county officials have
. reached the conclusion that it would be
of he ,i<h