Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1915-02-19
(By George Gallarno)

| (By George Gallarno)
Des Moines, Ia, Feb. 16.-The 80
called graft committee" appointed
by the state senate to investigate tht
| charges of extravaganza by the law
| makers, as made by Governor Clarke
in his message to the legislature, flee
its report in the senate today.
While admitting that possibly the
senator's had engaged more help than
is absolutely necessary to conduct
their business, the committee reports
that it can find nothing to substant1ate
the charges that the lawmakers were
in any way grating on the state; at
the same time, however. they declare
that Governor Clarke had some excuse
for calling the matter to their atten-
ton, but that he was unfortunate IN
his choice of words.
The investigating committee con-
sisted of Senators Crist, Darrah. Rob
inson, Gillette and Quigley. three re-
publicans and two democrats, Senator
Quigley, democrat, being the one re-
sponsible for the introduction OF the
resolution leading to the naming OF
the investigators.
The report of the committee details
how the investigation was conducted
in open meetings, and that evidence
was produced from more than thirty
witnesses. It declares 1--WE do not find
in the testimony heard or in the in
vestigation that we have conducted,
any matter or thing that reflects in
any way upon the honesty, honor or
integrity OF this body or any OF its
members; nor do we find any evidence
or fact from which q deduction could
be made that any member Of this SEN
ate had personally profted directly or
indirectly, in the organization of the
senate or in the conduct of It's AFFAIRS.
We believe that the expression OF
pure unadulterated graft % used by
Governor Clarke in his message to the
assembly, was An unhappy choice Of
words to express the thought he had
in mind, and that 1t was unwarranted
by the facts as they have been dis
closed to this committee"
In going into detail as to the en-
ployment Of extra help by the assem-
bly,. the committee says In it, opinion
the senate is employing twelve helpers
whose services might be discontinued.
They are listed as four doOrkeepers.
one assistant file and bill clerk. one
policeman, one mail carrier, who car
ries incoming mail from basement
postoffice to the senate pOstof6ce on
the floor of the legislative chamber.
one janitor in the cloak room. one
ianitor on the floor Of the chamber.
and three assistants assigned to the
document department. The committee
thinks the bill clerk slated for dis
missal earns his salary. but as his
work is that of supplying the various
state Offices with files Of bills and
legislative journals, he should be en-
gagged at the expense Of the state ex-
ecutive council, and not by the senate.
It also declares the three extra men
in the document department. should
come under the charge OF the execu-
tive council. Thus it is found there
are employed by the senate only eight
men whose services might be dis
pensed with.
It is when the committee gets to
considering the committee clerk prob
lem, fifty young women stenographers.
one for each senator. that it gets into
deep water. 1t recommends reduc-
ton Of the number of these stenog-
raphers, but the majority Of the COM
mittee having been unable to agree as
to the extent Of this reduction the
problem is shifted to the shoulders OF
the whole membership Of the body. On
this subject a minority statement is
filed with the report which condemns
the practice Of engaging more COM
mittee clerks than there are commit
tees, and also the practice Of the sem
ators in using the clerks for their bus
mess correspondence, and recon-
mends an amendment to the law so
as to allow such use of the stenog-
raphers. This done it is claimed q
working arrangement that is satisfac-
tory can be made requiring the en-
ployment Of not more than twenty-five
such committee clerks in total
In closing the report the committee
declares that it finds no fault with the
services any of the employees are rem
dering the state, and that without ex-
ception they are honest, ready and
willing to perform all duties assigned
them, but that the services of those
designated are not needed to secure a
thorough and efficient administration
Of the affairs of the senate.
Panama Bill Now Law.
The bill appropriating $4,000 for an
Iowa exhibition at the Panama-Pacific
exposition passed the house without
amendment, as it came from the SEN
ate, has been signed by Governor
Clarke and the funds are available for
use of the fair board. No part of this
fund can be used to pay for the Iowa
building already erected, that having
been taken care of by enterprising
private citizens, the legislature refus-
ing to include in the appropriation an
extra $4,000 20 reimburse them for