Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-13
RADICAL REFORMS
IN STATE CONTROL
Legislative Committee on Retrencflment Finally
Files Its Recommendations.

| the lowest cost. Iowa as a business
concern, handles more property en-
ployeS more men, pays out more for la :
| Dor and property, perhaps, than any
other enterprise operating wholly with
| in its boundaries. If by reorganiZatio
by ordination by efficient business
regenera ton, the cost may be lowered
to the people or better results be OBJ
tanned at the same cost, we should
give freely of our time ana effort in
betterment of the states business af-
fairs.
After careful considera ton this COM
mittee believes the present policy of
creating a department and then leav-
ing it practically without Independent
supervision. is unwise. We believe the
state will receive better service, If in
stead of the present diffusion of pow ers
and responsibilities. the various de-
partments of the states business ac-
tivities be placed under direct super
vision of department heads, those de-
partment heads to be appointed by the
governor and to serve subject to his
wish, thus making the governor the
real administrative head of the state
the real source of authority and con-
comitant responsibility
We believe that in governmental af-
fairs the thing to be most desired is d
plan of reorganization comprehensive
enough 20 meet the growing demands
of the state. Such plan must have
for its purpose the highest efficiency
at the lowest possible cost. The sys-
tenn or plan must be such that it may
expand naturally and syminetricaiiy as
necessity demands.
To Centralize Powers.
We believe that the central idea Of
government is action coupled with re-
sponsibility. The present organization
of the states business, in the judg-
ment OF your committee fails TO meet
those reQuirem ents in the fullest posi-
BILE measure.
There is no plan of coordinate or
ganization. Offices have been created
and departments established without
reference to what had been done be-
fore. There is diversity of authority
and division Of responsibility in all the
branches and departments of govern
ment
1t is the opinion Of your committee
that the chief cause for such waste
and inefficiency as is apparent in the
is due TO the system under which 1t is
conducted-a system which, in the
light Of modern business experience,
has become crude and unwieldly, not
to say obsolete. For the government
OF Iowa is only vast business concern
IN which the people of the state are
the stockholders. Probably no other
business concern in the state is with
out single administrative head to
whom the stockholders look for results
and TO whom they give credit or cen
sure as the bushes fares we'll or i'll,
either as to It's entirety or as to any
departmen t thereof.
The constitution provides for the
election OF an auditor, secretary and
treasurer of state, but does not speci-
fically define their duties. Our plan Of
reorganization contemplates concen-
tration of authority in one head-the
governor Of the state-and to accom-
plish this end 1t is necessary that the
governor be vested with authority to
appoint the various officials thru whom
he must carry out his policy. We
would, therefore. leave to the secretary
of state the recording part Of the
states affairs, to the auditor the ac-
counting part Of the states business
and to the treasurer the handling Of
the states revenues Just as was orig
inally contemplated when the consti-
tuition was adopted and before sue
cessive legislatures placed numerous
departments OF administration under
these officials.
Save by Consolidation.
We hope and believe that thru this
system greater efficiency and economy
will result by combining certain boards
and abolishing others, but have not
entered upon a specific discussion of
that feature at this time, leaving the
field for later consideration.
By this policy we would restore these
officials to the status contem plated
originally, with the purpose ultimately
Of abolishing those offices by constitu-
tional amendment at such time trans
ferring their remaining powers and du-
ties to the officials to be now referred
to. This would not only concentrate
authority in the governor as the ap-
pointing power. eliminating division of
authority at present prevailing, but
would shorten a now badly encum-
bered ballot, thus making for simpii-
fed government
We would divide the various de-
partm ents of the states activities in to
three great divisions with a head of
| chief OF each division to be appointed
by the governor and to have general
supervision over the several depart
ments placed under him. Instead Of
each department being left to pursue
it's own course, wholly or substanti-
ally Independent Of all other depart
ments, all would be welded together
in coordinate activity. minor depart
ment heads under the great depart
ment leader. the three ttffr1eI,t
leaders laboring together and all in
cooperation with governor as the
supreme head, becoming in fact the
! cabinet Of the governor and responsive
| to his policies.
! We have designated these three d.
visions as departments Of social pro-
gress, department Of industries, and
department Of public safety We have
! listed as one Of the sub divisions the
railroad commission. and we do this
because we believe that the member
ship OF that comission should be ap.
pointed by the governor in further
ance OF the short ballot. and also ef-
ficient concentration Of administrative
authority and responsibility. The at.
torney general should also be appoint.
ed by the governor.
Department. Rssdiustmere
While the following scheme OF de-
partment division is not necessarily
absolute-perhaps the best interests Of
the state may be more completed,
served by further revision--it Is tn.