Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-02
SOME or MINOR SUGGESTIONS OF
EFFICIENCY ENGINEERS TO
De ADOPTED.
CONSOLIDATION OF STATE
OFFICES NOT PROBABLE
Secretary Dawson, Of Executive coun.
eli, Only state Official to Give Ap.
prevail 20 Entire List Of Recon-.
msndations-AIlsn sussssts Calling
Ghost Of King George III.
pecial to Times-Republican.

sDes Moines,- March at Is expected
that the legislative committee on re-
trenchment and reform, of the last
general assembly, will meet very soon
to exchange notes on the report made
to them by their employe. the expert
accountant or bookkeeper. and to pre-
pare definite recommendation to the
Thirty-sixth general assembly based on
the examination thus made.
The committee consists Of Senators
]. H. Allen, L. E. Francis. Sherman w.
DeWolf. Joseph Mates and John l..
Wilson, and Representatives William
Larrabee, Gerritt Klay, Charles w.
Miller, B. H. Black and John w. ia
cobs. Each one of the members is sup
posed to have received copy of the
printed report, and besides copy was
sent here for fling with the secretary
of state. The law required that all
reports and all accounts and all bust.
ness in fact be In the office of secre-
tary of state.
It will be recalled that, as to the
special report on the accounting meth
DDS of the department of agriculture,
which was filed before the adjournment
of the legislature, the committee on re-
trenchment and reform refused to in
dorse and recommend some Of the
findings Of the bookkeepers. 1t was
quickly shown that the suggestions
made either We're already in effect or
impractical. The present report ap-
pears, therefore, as the findings of an
adverse party, with no chance on the
part of any of the state officials or
others to criticise or suggest correc-
tons. After this has been done. the
committee on retrenchment and reform
having heard both sides. a final re-
port to the legislature will be made.
Approval in Part.
AS to the small matters involved in
methods of accounting and adoption OF
labor saving machines and elimination
of unnecessary work. there will be no
question as to the approval Of the re-
port; for these are in line with what
the state officials and Legislators have
been doing for number of years and
but carry out the general plan OF the
administration for economy in all
THINKS. But IHS UlS quSStiOh 40 S0Ahe
to be whether or not the committee
will recommend to the legislature the
almost revolutionary plan for readjust-
ment Of all official duties. consolida-
ton Of major departments. creation OF
a new governing body, reorganization
of the judiciary Of the entire state ana
providing an advisory body as to legis'
lation.
The detail work in framing up this
report was done by S. Bartlett Jones.
young man who never before had any
experience with this kind of work and
who before he finished investigation
last winter vowed he never would have
another such job. The foreign In
fuence and training crops out all thru.
He has been over from the old coun-
try only few. years. The budget sys-
tenn of handling business is distinctly
European.
The plan Of. having the offices of au-
ditor of state and treasurer of state
into france department
with one head is an entirely new sug-
restion. That of having the office OF
secretary of state merged into that OF
attorney general is also something
which no presidents are
cited.
Diversity Of Opinion.
Among the state officials and en-
ployes there is diverse opinion based
on the somewhat imperfect knowledge
they vet have of the purport Of the re-
port. Secretary Dawson. Of the exec
utive council, is almost the only one
to approve off hand the general rec
concentrations. You'll probably find.
he said, that those who object to re-
form the the ones who fear that If re-
form comes they will not get back their
Jobs. I am for anything that promises
betterment Of conditions" The gem
eral comment is unfavorable to the
major features Of the report.
II think the next thing might be &c
send over to the old country and ten
them TO resurrect old King George III
and tell his ghost we are now ready for
his system of government, said Secfe-
tary Of State Allen. :.
'"The whole scheme is such that u
ought to be promptly condemned anc
the people Of the state be given to un-
derstand it is no part of the program
to adopt any such revolutionary meas
ure." said Clerk Garrett Of the supreme
court.
The feature that Is most discussed is
that of the proposal to shorten the bal
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