Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-09-26
BoARp or. CONTROL POSITION
CALLS FOR EXTRAORDINARY
TALENT.
GOVERNOR MAY NOT PICK
FROM LIST OF AsPIRANTs
n cory Of Law 10 That Men Shall Be
Named Who Are Not Candidates
Salary Held TO b insufficient Re.
munsration for Ability Required -
Bio and Hard Job.
special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, Sept. 26-The twenty
five or thirty "candidates' for MEM
bership on the board OF control need
not be surprised IL not one of their
names is favored when the appoint
ment is announced.
control law is that men shall be Sc
lected for the positions who are not
in any sense candidates. It should be
a case Of the Office seeking the man.
And in the past that has been the
case.
1t is recalled that when the first
board was named there was trouble be-
cause one office seeker was named.
But the first board was composed Of
men not one OF whom sought the Of
flee. The democratic line comes thru
Judge Kline. His successor. John T.
Hamilton. was called from private life
by Cummins much against his wish.
Then Senator Wade was named in
much the same way. Neither Of the
present members Of the board was in
any sense a candidate for the place.
One thing IL certain, that no amount
Of plugging for this or that candidate
will have the slightest influence on the
present governor.
Salary 10 Inadequate.
1.-THE trouble with the whole busi-
ness" said ex-senator Maytag who
was in the city the other day. "is that
the salary for the position Is not good
enough and fear the governor viii not
be able to ind the man who ought to
be selected who will accept. II was
hiring men to handle as much money
as these men on the board do, I
wouldn't think Of paying less than
$4,000 year."
what we ought now to have on the
board" said ex-senator Newberry, rs
q man filled with interest and enthusi-
asm In regard to the whole subject Of
betterment Of our institutions. one who
will become a recognized leader in all
matters relating to the social problems
Of the day."
The business end Of the board Is suf-
two Of the best possible business
men.
Governor Knows Nssda
a deep study Of the whole problem Of
institutional life and started out to
develop in Iowa system that would be
the best in the world. He was able
backed by Judge Robinson and others
on the board. More than one member
has gone upon the board to ind that
his ideas as to what there is to do
were wrong and that the Job Is a great
deal more than q big. business task.
for 1t involves all the relations between
society as whole and the small army
of detectives. delinquents and unfortu-
mates. The governor has come into
such contact with the board in his
dozen years Of public life that he has
pretty clear idea Of what Is wanted
on the board to supplement the abilities
Of the two present members and to
give the state the very best institu-
ton management In the world. It Is
because Of this that some persons are
predicting that the governor will not
depart from the custom Of the past In
permitting the office to seek the man.
The ideal man for the place would
be a well educated man In middle life,
possibly professional man, one who
Is a reader and student, man Of rec
ognized deep sympathy for humanity.
one Of decided progressive tendencies.
who is able to lay aside business or
professional cares and make the sac
rifice which the state demands for this
place. II he Is found he will be APP
pointed.
Position No sineeure.
Another feature about the position is
that, somewhat contrary to that which
some persons have sought to make APP
pear, tho position Of member of the
board Of control involves vast amount
Of hard labor. There are no public
servants in Iowa today more over
burdened with work than the members
Of this board. No one unfamiliar with
their work can have any idea Of the
amount Of business which comes to
their desks and which must receive
personal attention. There IL very lit
tie delegation Of work or responsibility
to others Some Of the work Of ar
ranging bids and working out the pur-
chase problem now goes to assistants
but not nearly as much as might profit
ably be delegated. The members are
required to personally visit each and