Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-04-03
GOVERN DEPARTMENTS
BY A COMMISSION
Legislators May Make a Radical
Chansein Handling State Affairs.
TELLS WHERE GRANGE STANDS
State Secretary steen Before Com
mittee-Governor Urges Big
Measures-Some Politics
! Whispered About Leg
! islative Halls.

NAcdsuIes7oOme fOntlcS
Whispered About Leg.
islative Halls.
! (By George Gallarno.)
Des MONIES, Iowa, April Three
commissioners to be appointed by tho
governor may be given the power to
appoint and remove all appaintive Of
ficers and clerks and heads Of q num-
Der Of departments at the state house
If bill which it is said will soon be
introduced by the joint committee on
retrenchment and reform shall be-
come law.
1t is claimed the bill is in course Of
preparation and that it will make
wide sweeping change in the methods
of securing and holding appointive
Office In number Of departments in
the state. The commission Of three
Is to consider everything from the
point Of good business methods and
efficiency and is to have power to
raise or lower salaries paid ap-
pointees. The object Of the bill will
be to remove the Offices from influ-
ence of politics and 1t will be provid-
ed that any department head or en-
ploye who uses his Office or position
to aid any candidate for Office may be
removed. The life Of the commits
sion will be for long term of years
and its activities are to begin with
the expiration of the terms of Off
GERS now holding positions by APP
pointment; that is, 1t will not be
given authority to remove any pres
emit ohiceholders except for cause un-
til the term for which they were
named has terminated. While the
governor Is to name the commissions
ers, who are to receive $500 year
each for their services, if the pro-
posed bill becomes law, the appoint
ments will not be effective until con-
firmed by vote of two-thirds Of the
senate. The departments affected by
the bill will be the agricultural, Aor-
ticultural mines and mining, food and
dairy and others. .'--''
For County Examiners.
The house has passed a bill by
Representative Dixon which provides
for examination of the books and rec
ords of all county officials by public
accountants to be named by the audi
tor of state. The bill gives the audi
tor authority to name a department
head and also to appoint eight exam
liners at salaries of Sc per diem and
expenses, and eight assistant examin-
ers at lower rate of per diem to be
fixed by the auditor.
Tells Where Grange Stands.
F. d. Steen, secretary of the Iowa
Grange and member of the Corn
Belt Meat Producers association, ap-
peared before joint hearing given
by the ways and means committees
of both houses, on the proposed per-
manent tax commission, which is pro-
vided for in bill recently introduced.
Mr.. Steen declared that though the
Grange Of Iowa had nothing to do
with the circulation Of the petitions
Of remembrance which have been
pouring in on the legislators, pro-
testing against the creation Of . tax
commission, he knew the great ma
joaity az farmers believed the pro-
posed law would do thsm IN injustice.
and that the legislators should take
sve1y signature ent the petitions be-
fore Il ct its full face value. Mr..
Steen declared he had gone over the
bill carefully and while no had found
that It provides the farmers land
shall b assessed ut liz full face
value, he could And no provision in
It for assessing the corporation prop
sTty IN the state ut it, actual value.
He said the valuation Of railroad and
other corporation property 10 left 70
be assessed upon q value fixed from
statements furnished by interested
parties. As another reason for his
claim that the farmers Of Iowa are
opposed to tax commission Mr..
Stsen told the committee that ut was
creating machine which, though
pure enough ct the beginning, il sus-
csptible o6 being used q q political
machine. The Grange IL against al
of these commissions which may be
the means Of further removing DO
htical power from the hands Of the
people," Mr.. Stesn also told the
committee that the farmers are will
ing to pay their just share Of taxes.
and win not object TO being taxed on
q full valuation assessment when
other property is assessed and taxed
In the same manner. He held that
when laws are passed fixing this uni
form method Of assessing and pro-
viding for enforcing the same the
state executive council would prove
efficient for the administration Of the
same. Senator Nichols of Muscat;ne.
member of the Thirty-frst general
assembly, was present at the hearing
and intended to speak against the
bill, but waived his time to allow Mr..
Steen to complete his address.
Governor Urges Big Measures.
Governor Clarke in special mes
sage to the legislature calls the at
tention Of the members to the fact