Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-11-11
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IN RE.
FORM MAKES RADICAL REC
CONCENTRATIONS.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO
BE NAMED BY GOVERNOR
Adoption Of Committee Suggestions
Would Place Duty Upon Chief Ex-
seutivs Of Appointing His Assist
ants, Eliminating Other State OFF,
consolidation Board Changes.

Des Moines, Nov. 1.-THE legislative
committee on retrenchment and reform
is in session here today and Is en-
gagged in framing up the report to be
made to the general assembly recon-
mending changes in the general plan
OF state government. The sub-com-
mittee directed to formulate the report
held session last night to get the
copy In shape for the entire committee.
AS soon as it is completed the main
features will be given out here for pub
LEGATION.
The feature Of the committee recon-
mendation that will attract the great
est attention and cause most discus
sion Will be the reorganization of the
state executive council instead of hay-
ing this body consist of eour of the
elective officials as now for many years
1t will consist Of the governor and
three others appointed by him. To each
one of these three appointive members
OF the council would be assigned GER
tain OF the executive duties of the
| state and under them would be the
leading bureaus and commissions.
Would Enlarge Governors Power.
In this way the governor would be
given an enormous increase in power
and responsibility, for working in and
| thru this council and its three ap-
pointiye members there would be
handled the business Of the state per-
tanning to corporations and their
registration and taxation, the super
vision of banking and insurance. the
county accounting and municipal ac-
counting, the automobile registration
and records, the various bureaus con-
! nected with labor. Industry, public
health, dairying, pure food, sanitation.
weights and measures, printing and
| binding and all other purely admin
| istrative duties.
Under this new council would be the
department of supervision so divided
| that the fewest possible number of in
| spectors would be needed to do the
| business OF course it would not be
expected that bank examiner would
also test Kerosene or that high school
inspector would find out whether a
creamery was run in sanitary man
ner; but there would be some CONSOLE
dation OF inspection work to avoid
duplication and unnecessary travelling.
Educational Board Changes.
! There would be grouped under the
legal department Of the state all the
various legal activities of the state.
They are now somewhat scattered. A
radical change is recommended in the
board Of education for handling the
state colleges, and some consolidation
between various educational boards.
j There are included in the report
some suggestions for improvement in
legislative methods, as for instance, a
requirement that before a bureau or
department asks for an appropriation
| it shall have the Endorsement of the
governor; also the requirement that
all the appropriations be considered
In one bill, toward which there has
been some trend in recent years.
The committee hardly anticipates
that its recommendations will be i'm
mediately accepted: but the report will
be freely distributed and full discus
sion will be invited to the end that
whatever Of good there is in it may be
utilized in future legislation. The
committee has almost ignored the
schemes suggested by the efficiency
engineers who worked on the matter
for several months last year.