The Denison review., 1915-03-31
SELECT BODY
DIRECTS WORK
Sitting Committee Is Holding Reins in
acknowledgements to State
Government Reorganization
Big REFORM MEASURE ON TAP
Stringent Prohibitory Regulations
Insurance Rating Bill! Passes
the House last Week.


sYls :" \: SO
tBy George Gallarno)
Des Moines, la, March S0-Witll the
house working under direction of q
sitting committee. headed by Repre-
sentative Griffin, Of Woodbury.. and the
senate ready 10 name such a commit
tee before the end Of the present week,
the members OF the 35tlt general as
sembly are looking forward to final
adjournment about April 10. Tho 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 tho house it found calen-i
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
dlred 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 III the assembly. 1t can
he 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. Y
To Reorsanizc State Government
The much talked OF bill intended to
reOrganize the state government rs
drafted by the committee on retrencll-
ment and reform Of the two houses,
has made its appearance in each house
as a committee bill. and will take its
place OH the calendars for action. The
bill divides the activities of the state
into three departments to be known rs,
the department Of social progress, the
department. Of ind ustries and the de-.
I0Ttueut VI puOilS 7oAASty. AhO eos
,ernor is given authority to appoint
slperintendents of these three depart
lments and the bill divides the various
divisions and departments of the state
government among them. II the bill
should become q law the auditor of
state would lose control Of the bank
lug department, the county examina-
tion department and the municipal ac-
counting department; the secretary OF
state would lose the land department
and the automobile department; the
superintendent Of public instruction
would be madea 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 superintendents
provided for is 10 hold Office At the
pleasure Of the governor and Is to
draw an annual salary Of s3.600. 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 nre 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 eyen-numbereG year
the different superintcndents shall
make reports to the governor sum
mary of all financial statements and
from this the governor shall prepare
a budget for the Information and use
Of the general assel oily In consider
ing appropriations for the ensuing bi-
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 q
survey of the business of the state and
TO recommend improved methods Of
conducting tile same
Opposition to the Plan
That there lis considerable Opposi-'
ton to the plan OF the committee. rs
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 s5th general assembly and rs
~ the extra powers given the COM,
mittee by that assembly For many
years every session of the general as
sembly of 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 Eeform. 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
hest interests Of the state in all things
and to haze an eye to opportunities