Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-04
NO MORE RETRENcHMENT AND
REFORM UNTIL ATTORNEY
GENERAL RULES.
LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVES,
ASSUME EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
Committee on Carpet Before Exeeu-
tive Council and Steps Taken That
Likely Will Result in Clearing At.
mosphere Highway Commission
Gr,lIs Des Moines Road Officials.

Special to Times Republican.
Des ,Moines. June 4.The legislative
committee on retrenchment ana reform
of the Thirty fifth general assembly,
was called on the carpet yesterday and
mad a session with the members of the
executive council in the office of the
governor that will Likely clear up the
atmosphere quite materially at the
state house.
1t is recalled that the committee held
a meeting some time ago and ordered
that the eight hour system be put il
force at the state house. 1t has not
been done. tho in truth ii can be said
that perhaps the average time of state
employees is fully eight hours a day.
The committee ordered a time clock
but no time clock is in commission.
The committee suggested other ad-
ministrative and executive changes
and none of them have been adopted.
So when the committee came yester-
day to hear the report of the book
keepers on how to save It big lot Of
money for the state in coal bills, the
committee got hold of d copy of the
state constitution and decided it was
time to pause awhile. Then they asked
the attorney general to render an opln-
ion as to how far they might go in as
suming the executive powers of gov
eminent. Finally they found themselves
in the governors office going over the
law and the constitution to try to de-
termine whether or not ten members
of the legislature can exercise the eN-
ecutive functions of the state govern
ment.
1t was pointed out that If the com
mittee ordered a lot of things like the
eight hour day and the time clock and
1t was afterwards found out that Il
legislative committee is merely doing
f., the things conferred by the conStitu-
: ton on the governor and other state
officials. then there might be some
ugly explanations to be made. SO a
halt was called.
There will be no extraordinary or
ders issued by the committee of the
! legislators until at least, the attorney
general has had time to make a de-
cision as to just how far, under the
constitution. such legislative COM
mittee may go In assuming executive
or judicial functions.
The committee got a report showing
how $4,000 a year can be saved on q
| 10000 coal bill; but it will take an
expenditure Of $4,000 to get started
| and nobody has that amount Of mon
ey available. So far as 1t can be done
! the recommendations of the experts
will be followed byathe state officials
| But from this time on. for a time
! the committee will &c slow.
4
! Reasons given why there are the
worst roads ever, right in Des Moines,
! whence radiates all possible wisdom as
to road legislation and road making.
| Impossible to get teams to do the
road dragging.
! Dare not. for political reasons. hire
country teams.
Too much coal and brick hauling and
| too many auto trucks.
Have teams enough and roads have
| been dragged but the weather is re-
sponsible.
These were the excuses given the
state highway commission by city of
| Des Moines officials for the alleged
| horrible roads in the city limits which
! the members of the state highway
commission visited in person and pro-
nounced very bad
Members of the commission spoke
especially of the Easton boulevard
road as impassa BILE. The dragging su-
perintendent declared that road was
| dragged last Saturday. On cross eN-
animation he admitted he didn't see
| any one actually dragging 1t. Possibly
| it received absent treatment.
| The upshot of it is that the chair
man of the board of supervisors and
| the MAYOR of the town were induced
| in the presence of the commission to
agree to a date for joint meeting to