Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-17
NEITHER HOUSE OF LEGlsLA.
TuRE WANTS TO LEAVE CUES
TON TO OTHER.
NOBODY REALLY TRYING
TO FIX FINAL DATE
Of Sitting Committee Really
Prod to Hurry Members to Action
Senate Refuses to Revolutionize
Methods Of Selecting Committee
Who's Who in Senate Not Known.

Des Moines, March IT, The time
having arrived for the usual by-play
of adjournment resolutions and sitting
committee proposals in the legislature,
some explanation is needed t. make it
all clear.
1t must not be concluded that because
one house or another passes something
fixing certain date for adjournment
that it really means that a mark has
been set for stopping. 1t may not even
mean that anybody seriously con-
templates an adjournment at t. e time
indicated. Each house usually passes
an adjournment resolution then ties a
string to it, in the form of motion to
reconsider. Neither house wants to
pass a resolution over to the other too
soon, for that would mea leaving it to
the other house really to decide. Each
house wants to serve notice on the
other to hustle up, but yet to keep the
matter within control. That is why
there is so much jockeying with adj
journment resolutions.
At this stage of the legislature it may
be set down as certain that nobody.
either publicly or privately, is really
trying to fix date for adjournment.
As to Sitting Committee.
AS for the sitting committee pro-
posals, it is now as always the case,
that the first suggestions are in the
shape of prods to hurry up the bust
ness. There is also in these proposals
the element of desire on the part Of
somebody, or some group, to provide a
way for arbitrarily smothering bills that
can not be killed off in any other way.
A sitting committee is an extraordinary
proceeding to expedite business, not be
facilitating that deliberation which the
law contemplates but by forcing action
without elaboration. 1t Is the fo,vorite
scheme of the legislator with joker
or a rider or club, who wants to do
something in the dark, who fears to
face the legislative body squarely with
whatever proposal he has, affirmative
or negative. So the earliest suggestions
of sitting committees amount chiefly t.
serving notice on the slow committees
that if they are to get their bills under
tn. wire they must be quick about it.
Sitting committee proposals and adj
journment proposals are before both
houses now. There probably will be no
sitting committee in the senate for
some time. The house may get one
soon. Agreement on the adjournment
matter will come later
No Revolution in Committees.
The senate refused yesterday to set
the pace for a revolution in the manner
of selection of committees, substituting
committee selection by clique for
| that of selection by presiding officer
responsible only to the people of the
state It adopted a rule for reports
from all committees within fifteen days
after bills go to the said committees,
and turned down, Is to 27, the Francis
proposal to have all committees Sc
| lected by committee on committees
majority selected by the majority
caucus and minority selected by the
caucus of the minority party. There
| will be offered by Senator Crist bill
| to effect this purpose rather than by
rule of the senate. In the debate
there was brought out the fact that II
could affect the proposed or contem-
plated sitting committee and not be
binding at all on the next senate. The
! DEBATE WHICH looh up Vic oieSAi ioOi
was at times bordering on the acri-
monious. There were clashes, verbal
of course, between Francis and Hard
| ing Once Thompson of Burlington
started in, with his usual lpompous
harangue, to question the motives Of
everybody who disagreed with him ano
more especially with Francis. The
latter raised point Of order and Hard
| ing called Thompson down hard, for his
| i'll hammered discourtesy. Gillette from
| the committee on suppression of in
temperance resented the idea which haG
been touched upon of questioning the
actions of that committee and gave as.
surance that in his opinion that com
mittee had sought to- give fair con
sideration to every bill. Savage ant
Schrup wanted to stand by the com
mittees.
The whole fight disclosed that there
| is yet a decided difference OF opinion
as to who Is who in the senate, as
to who is really in control, not SO much
wet and dry matter as one Of gen.
eral control.
Senator Francis closed the debate
with a spirited and earnest talk in IA
vor of committee selection of commit
tees at all times, Of having every sen
ator stand squarely on his feet and be
his own man, of policy that would
give the senate itself full control Of all
its bills, etc. But the senate was not
prepared on short notice to adopt the
\ plan of having a committee on com.
| mittees.