Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-24
SESSION 5 LOBBY
LESS OFFENSIVE
PLENTY OF QUESTIONABLE
WORK BUT NOT As MUCH
AS USUAL
COLLEGES, BRIDGE FIRMS,
AND OTHERS ACTIVE
Lobbyists Display Shrewdness and
Seek to Cover Up Actions by Ae'
cusations Against OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Lobby Refuses to Acknowledge De-
feat-Legislatve GOSSIP.

Des Moines, March 24.-The ordinary
and usual lobby methods have ceen
seen in and around Legislative halls this
session, tho in the view of old-umers
there has been less of the offensive
lobbying than in the last two sessions.
! The major part Of the lobbying is done
openly fairly and with due regard to
the proprieties mon appearing before
committees to state their case ana
making use of fair arguments.
The chief lobby work for the session
has been done on these subjects. name
ly: the college controversy, labor IN
terests, employers Of labor, teachers
pensions, insurance matters, temper
ance measures, school text books, school
reforms. taxation, franchises, bridge
contracts and regarding pharmacy
questions.
All the probing done thus far. and
this is not surprising. has gone pu1
little way in disclosing anything tnat
has not already been known either as
to lobbying or the methods OF Lobbyists.
One fact has been somewhat I'M
pressed on many OF the members tne
past week, however, and that is that
the lobbyists are displaying some
shreWdness in the matter of putting UP
a stall" and throwing the public on
the track They have made. and are
making. good use Of the we'll known
public prejudice against lobbying, le-
Ultimate and otherwise, and are seek
ing to help their own bills by shouting
lobby influence, at, the other side.
This fact was web Illustrated few
DAYS ago It became known, for in
stance, early in the session that bridge
contractors had changed front from
last session and whereas they were
then generally opposed to having it re-
quired by law that all bridge contracts
even for small bridges. should be let
on advertised bids, now they want that
very system. 1t was because OF THIS
that the legislators decided upon dis
appointing the bridge men. Yet when
the bridge lobby. or what there Is OF IT,
! was turned down cold and kicked into
the ditch. it was able to procure pub
LEGATION of a declaration that the bridge
lobby had ridden over the legislature
The exact reverse was the truth
The attention Of Senator Jones was
called to this situation. Yes" he said.
"as usual, the matter is put up to the
public wrongly The members Of the
legislature made very thorough study
Of the subject and got at the bottom
of it all. Under the present system OF
having bridge contracts let. following
advertised bids. with all sorts Of speci-
fications, the bridge combine, If there Is
such thing. has been thriving and
growing strong. Wessought plan that
would curb the combine. There are just
two ways to make possible the destruc-
ton Of a trust and force prices for
bridge work to where they should be
one by giving power to the people to let
contracts on private bidding and the
other to give power to construct With
out contracts. Now we provided that
there should be standard specifications
for bridges, proper estimates. the
widest publicity as to prices and bids,
and proper check on any official or
board that might not know how to get
prices that are fair and finally the right
Of private contract for small bridges
or doing the work without contact. That
system will quickly disclose all about
any combine and then destroy it by
force of a competition that can not be
stopped. To have continued the sys-
tenn of having advertised bids for all
bridge work and requiring by law that
the contracts be let on these bids would
have been just the thing the bridge
men wanted"
The important feature OF the bill
which the house discussed for need
lessly long time on Saturday, and left
hanging in the air with the vote taken
but not announced and "call of the
house" pending to fetch in absent
members, is not that the salary of the
superintendent of public instruction
is Increased and the term heightened.
but that there is such general reorgan-
iZation of the department as to con-
vert it into a working organization for
the advancement of the public SCHOOLS
Of Iowa. Several changes are made in
the department to secure greater ef-
ficiency and the house bill provides for
not to exceed five inspectors. This is
to meet the suggestion embodied In the
report to the last state teachers asso-
citation for inspection OF the high
schools, rural schools, normal work,
and other departments, SO that the
state department will be in closer touch
with the entire school system of Iowa.
The administration bill" as 1t Is called,
is the keep to the whole scheme OF re-
form and betterment of the schools OF
the state and every vote cast against
it will be distinctly reactionary IN char
acter. Owing to the absence OF num-
Der of members Saturday the full vote