Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-09
to rlme.-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. April 9.-The senate tos
day defeated the retrenchment and rec
form committees plan for the reor~
ganization OF the state governmente
The report Of the appropriation come
mlttee for indefinite postponement %
the measure was adopted by q vote oe
SO to Is. There was little discussion Of
the bill. 1t was filed as the result
of two years investigation of state At
fairs made by the efficiency engineerss
The plan provided for abolishment OF
the executive council and making the
governor the head of the state gov>
ernment. The fifty-seven departments
were to be grouped into three divisiona
with superintendent at the head -
each.
Several weeks ago when the blu waA.
called UP for consideration In the sen4
ate 1t was discovered 1t required an
appropriation. Therefore 1t was ssnk
to the appropriations committee. which
fact resulted In its death.
House Also Swipss pian.
Both branches OF the legislature tooA
a swipe at reform measures today. Tho
house SO amended a bill by tho reS
trenchment committee to reduce the
number Of employees Of the next lagts-
lature that 1t Is certain the senate WilI
not pass the bill aud then pasoo6 ~
The senate. however. passed an 1rns
portant bill to forbid any official oe
the state accepting any fec whatever
from any source for any service per<
formed in connection with his offics.
Tho senate concurred in aN the
house amendments to the temperance
bills.
No Change in Primary law.
BY a vote Of 81 to ~ the house
turned down yesterday tho prOp0eal 10
amend the primary law BY strikine cut
the 35 per cent clause To get . nomiS
nation. therefore. q candidate viii con4
tinue having to get at least IS per
cent of the votes cast by his party for
the office
Rogers. Of Carroll. author Of the bull
made a determined fight for tho
change "The people ought TO have
the right to determine these matters,"
he declared The man who gets q
plurality of their votes ought to be
nominated" He cited the nomination.
of the republican candidate for srA
perintendent Of instruction In the consf
vention of 1910 as an instance whereS,
In a candidate who had $4,000 votes
less than the high man in the prisi
maries was nominated.
When these bills become laws tho
program of the drys will be complete,
The mulct law repeal becomes effective
Jan. /. 1916. At the same time the lnwi
enforcement measures will be effective.
Road Fight to Be Renewed.
Tho reopening of the highway fight
was forecast when the house sitting
committee voted to vote out the senate
bill. At the same time it was announced
that the hackers Of the Johnston road
bill had drafted an entirely new
measure to be presented as substitute
senate bill. Among other features IL
would abolish the highway commission
and substitute a state engineer and
transfer the offices from Ames to Des
Moines.
Phone Bill Passed.
BY vote OF 45 to 1, the senate today
passed the Crist bill, which gives tho
state railroad commission power to
compel physical connections or joint
services between telephone companies
in towns and villages thruout tho
state. The companies. however. are not
placed under the commission by tho
bill. A section of the bill permits dis
crimination against localities. Accord
! ing to Senator Crist a person win be
| able to talk with any point in the state
| regardless of whose telephone he has
| in his home. should the bill be passed
by the house and become law.