Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-07-17
WOULD INCREASE POWERS
OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary Of
State to Be Selected by Governor and
Subject to His Direction-Politioal
Powers Of Officials Would Be Re-
tricted.


officers, is recommended in the tenta-
tive report prepared by khe Legislative
committee on retrenchmnt and reform
to be presented to the Thirty sixth gen.
/ eral assembly.
( In preparing suggestions for the
legislature, the committee mas taken
the report of the efficiency engineers
and modified it to suit the present
situation in state affairs. The general
plan recommended is as follows:
| Reduction OF secretary OF state, aud
: itor and treasurer to executive officers,
1 deprive them of seat on the executive
! council and take away all departments
I not closely related
Organization of three departments
: TO have control of all state activities.
The governor to appoint the supern-
I tendents of each department. and they,
with the governor, form the cxecutive
council.
! Use of the zldget system in state
affairs
Changing the system of automobile
+; registration so that one number plate
3
car. Registration fees collected Jan.
l of each year as at present.
Attorney general to become head Of
state legal department
Each Member Submitted Ideas.
The plan was agreed upon by the
, ub-committee at d meeting held at
Spirit Lake. 1t was drawn after each
member of the committee had submit
vt I; 4 50 Oh.
of the efficiency engineers. While the
plan is not as radical as the ensin-
GERS scheme, it is a striking depar..-
ure from the present system Of con-
Quoting the states affairs.
While the engineers recommended
that the state government be divided
into seven departments, the com lit
tee has been satisfid to divide 1t in
to three departments. Into these tai ee
departm ents will be incorporated all
Of the present divisions of the state.
| The law makers do not suggest that
| any OF the present departments be alb
/ olished or that any Of them be COM
bined. The plan provides only for a
Encouragement OF them. AS there are
nearly forty departments at the state
house. the scheme contemplates from
| twelve to fourteen departments Icing
placed in each Of the three divisions
of the state.
Restrict Political Powers.
| The secretary of state. auditor and
treasurer will practically be deprived
Of political power II the legislature
! adopts the plan. These officers ere to
be reduced merely to the things the
constitution has mentioned they should
have control over. They will take from
the secretary of state the automobile
de partment. This department will be
placed in one Of the new divisions and
the committee suggests that the pres
ent plan Of issuing new numbers each
year be abandoned.
The committee wants the state 70
issue but one number for each car,
that number to be used until the ma
| chine is junked.
! The fees for registration would be
maintained pust as at present, the
state to collect from eacn car owner
on Jan. l. This scheme is expected to
save the state thousands Of dollars
each year.
| The governor would have the power
of naming the heZs Of the depart
ments under the proposed system. He
and the three men he appoints would
form the executive council.
The increasing Of the power of the
governor Is intended by the commit
tee to make the governor an officer
with real power to organize the gov
eminent that responsibility may be
placed. Under the present plan Of the
secretary of state. auditor. treasurer
and governor forming the executive
council it is argued that the governor
has one vote and that he may easily
be outvoted by the other members OF
the council.
\ Budget System Popular.
The budget system has been in USE
in other states for many years. BY
adopting it in Iowa, the committee ex-
poets Tat accurate information will be
placed before the legislature so thai
it will not go blindly at the matter Of
making appropriations, and so thai
appropria tons shall be evenly bal
anced. There is q suspicion now tha
the state is spending too much money
on certain things and neglecting others
The attorney general is to become
the head of the legal department un-
der which will he grouped all of tn
departments connected with the courts
The committee has not recommended
any changes which would require
amendments to the state constitution
AS the secretary of state, auditor o.
state, treasurer and attorney genera
are nnentioned in the constitution a.
elective officers. they wiz be left 30 il
the new scheme of things.
Altho the engineers recommend tina
the chief justice Of the supreme cour
appoint the other judges Of the cour
and the judges Of the district court
the legislative committee has no
adopted any of this scheme in it's re-
port.
A. to Civil Service.
Altho favoring civil service in tn
state department, the committee feel
that the states affairs will be handle,
in an efficient manner II responsible.
is properly placed, as contemplated b,
the formation Of three divisions Of tn
government.
The change would probably not saw
the state any money. but the plan 1
intended to be one which will improv
the efficiency of the government. A
no departments are to be wiped ou
and none are to be combined wit
j, others, 1t 10 expected that there will
no fight on the bill when It IL presente
! In the legislature.
~ The plan - far IL tentative. Change