Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-25
OF LEol9LATuRE TURN
DOWN FINDINGS or EFF.
cIENcY EXPERTS.
FAILED TO CONSIDER
PLANS As DESIRED
Report Held 70 Be Incomplete and Re.
forms Suggested Considered Too
hadieal--cemmittss Named 70 In.
form Engineers That Work |. IN
satisfactory.

Des Moines, March 25-That the eff
nclency engineers employed to investi-
gate state affairs and recommend re-
forms in the state government to bring
about economy and greater efficiency
tailed to fulfill the most important part
or their contract, was the opinion of
the majority OF the members Of the
legislative committee on retrenchment
and reform. which met yesterday at
the capitol. There was general disap-
pointment with the report filed by the
engineers, as 1t dealt almost entirely
with a radical plan for an entire
cnange in the form Of government and
the Capitalization of power in the gov
ernor and chief justice of the suprene
court.
When the committee found that the
engineers had failed to consi Ter the
state government as it is and make
recommendation how to improve con-
oitions without resorting to a general
overthrow of the present form, there
developed dissatisfaction with the re-
port. Senator Joseph Allen and Pep
resentatives John w. Jacobs and Ger
r1t klay were appointed a committee
10 INFORM the engineers that the COM
mlttee does not consider the contract
TO nave been fulfilled. They will de-
mand that the agreement be lived up
TO. In the meantime the committee
mas not accepted the report filed sew
eral weeks ago and it Is holding back
almost $4,000 out of the $4,000 set
aside for the employment Of the engin-
GERS.
Call Report incomplete.
The part of the contract which the
committee complains has not been car
ried out deals with the terms requir-
Ing the engineers to study conditions
at the state house and to recommend
changes which will result in the saving
Of money and space One of the sec
tons which the legislators call par
ticular attention to as not having been
fulfilled, follows:
Said second part shall also prepare
a written report giving a complete
classification Of, assets, liabilities and
operating accounts of each Office,
board, commission and department as
now organized and as recognized as
under their recommendations; and
shall also set out the accounting meth
cd IN use and suggest such changes as
will simplify the keeping and report
ing OF the accounts thereof and rec
ommend, II necessary, improvements
in any system OF bookkeeping now in
use, having tdue regard for. the &C.
curacy and efficiency Of the work to
be done and to furnish to the party of
the first part, the outline Of forms nee
essary to effect the change, which
forms shall be such that the first party
may utilize them in the publication OF
bound volumes, If necessary"
No Opinions Expressed.
The members Of the committee did
not express their opinions on the
change in form Of government recon-
mended by the engineers. A resolution
was adopted directing each member Of
the committee to file written report
based on the report Of the engineers
stating his views with reference to the
recommendations made. It rs known
that several Of the committeeman
favor the consolidation of departments
as a business move. The majority
opinion will be gathered when the
written reports are received. These
written statements will be passed to a
subcommittee which probably will be
appointed at the next meeting, and to
which will be delegated the duty Of
preparing report to be sent to the
legislature.
The report Of the engineers gave the
committee little to work on yesterday.
The changes suggested would require
change in the constitution and in the
state laws. The absence Of practical
suggestions as to how to secure greater
efficiency as now constructed and how
committee to consider.
Report Must BE Complete.
1t is the desire Of the committee that
OF the contract entered into With the
engineers so that they will not get the
idea that a careless agreement was
nothing practical in return. The re-
port Of the engineers must be COM
pleted. they say, before 1t will be ac-
cepted
A letter from J. w. Kline of Fort
Dodge asking that the state board Of
health be investigated and he abolished
was taken under Amusement No ac-
ton will be taken until the next meet
ing from the expressions Of the men,
bers.
The members of the committee who
are present were: Senators Joseph
Allen Of Pocahontas, Joseph Mates of
Odebolt, L. E. Francis. Of Spirit Lake.
John L. Wilson, Of Almont, s. w. De-
Wolf, Of Reinbeck, and Representatives
John w. Jacobs, of Lake City. Gerrit
Klay Of Orange City, and B. H. Black,
Of Nichols.
PECULIAR LEGAL QUESTION.
caiaboose and eaielsns Tank involved