Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-04-02
tBy George Gallarnol

Ao&lSl6IIVC DOluSSs
(By George Gallarno)
Des Moines, Ia, March 30-With the
house working under direction of .
sitting committee, headed by Repre-
sentative Griffin, Of Woodbury.. and the
senate ready to name such a commit
tee before the end of the present week.
the members of the 35th general as
sembly are looking forward to final
adjournment about April 10. The date
of final dissolution may be little
later than that named. but the chances
are that both houses will be ready to
stop by the 10th.
When the sitting committee took
charge in the house it found a calen-
dar of more than one hundred bills al
ready brought out for consideration by
the various committees and with these
bills it will have nothing to do. But.
aside from this the committee gath
cred into its hands nearly two hun
dred proposed measures on which the
various committees Of the house had
taken no action. Considering the early
date of the naming of the sifters 1t Is
probable there will not be the whole
sale slaughtering of bills that follows
this procedure in the assembly. 1t can
be taken for granted that, though the
committee has drastic power at its
command over everything but appro-
priation bills and bills introduced by
the committee on retrenchment and
reform, no bill Of merit will be held
from the consideration of the house.
To ReOrganize State Government
The much talked of bill intended to
reorganize the state government as
drafted by the committee on retrench-
ment and reform of the two houses,
has made its appearance in each house
as . committee bill. and will take its
place on the calendars for action. The
bill divides the activities of the state
into three departments to be known as
the department OF social progress. the
department of industries and the de-
partment of public safety. The gov
ernor is given authority to appoint
superintendent of these three depart
ments and the bill divides the various
divisions and departments of the state
government among them. II the bill
should become law the auditor Of
state would lose control Of the bank
ing department, the county examina-
ton department and the municipal &C.
counting department; the secretary Of
state would lose the land department
and the automobile department.; the
superintendent Of public instruction
would be made subordinate to the de-
partment of social progress. The state
treasurer's office. the attorney gen.
erals Office and the judicial branch of
the state government would be left
intact. Each of the superintendent
provided for is to hold office ut the
pleasure of the governor and 10 to
draw an annual salary OF $500. The
three are to constitute the governors
advisory board and with the governor
are to take the place OF the present
executive council, composed of the
governor. the secretary of state. the
auditor Of state and the state treasurer.
They are to receive the reports from
all departments and to have charge of
the editing and publication Of the
same. 1t is also provided that in No
vember of each even-numbered year
the different superintendents shall
make reports to the governor sum-
mary of all financial statements and
from this the governor shall prepare
q budget for the information and use
Of the general assembly in consider
ing appropriations for the ensuing b.
ennial period. The bill is the result
Of the work Of the efficiency engineers
engaged by the 35th general assembly
at an expense of $4,000 to make .
survey Of the business Of the state and
to recommend improved methods OF
conducting the same.
Opposition to the Plan
That there is considerable opposi-
ton to the plan Of the committee. as
outlined above. and that the measure
proposed will hardly get through this
session of the assembly, is. shown by
expressions OF members Of both houses
and by the introduction Of . bill in
the senate by Senator Chase OF Web
ster City. having for its object the
abolishment Of the committee on re-
trenchment and reform. as enlarged
by the 35th general assembly and as
to the extra powers given the COM
mittee by that assembly. For many
years every session Of the general as
sembly Ct Iowa has had, during the
sessions of the assembly = committee
composed Of the heads Of the COM
mittees on ways and means. appro-
priation and judiciary. in each house.
and known as the committee on re-
trenchment and reform. This COM
mittee, composed of the six men in
the two houses who had charge of the
most important branches Of legislative
procedure, were supposed to know the
best interests Of the state in all things