Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-02-03
CLARKE EXPLAINS
GRAFT REFERENCE
iowa Governor informs Leafs.
|ators Where Abuses Can
Be Located BY Those
In Earnest.

Des Moines. Ia. ian. 30.-"G:at is
referred To as equivalent to turning
over money where there has been no
equivalent of service rendered for it.
Docs anybody have such AN idea OF the
use of public funds as to criticise that
statement? 1t may be called graft
or 1t may be called hy some other name.
out the SENSE in which the word was
used III IN" paragraph is plain and I.
was a perfectly proper use"
With the foregoing definition of the
word graft as ,lsed in his message
10 the ThlrtN-sixth general assembly.
Governor Clarke TODAY replied to the
special committee of five appointed by
the senate to investigate charges that
TOO many employees are put ON the pay
rhi' by the legislature. After upbraid-
ing the senate for taking exception to
| u part of his message which had moth
ms or the PERSONAL. and which was
merely Il Federation of what he had
said as president of the senate in the
IhlrtN-thlrd general assembly. the gov
efhor launched into a detailed report
oi what ne claims IS useless expense.
The resolution which called for the
investigation wits offered by Senator
QuigleN. of CLAYTON. democrat. The
committee is composed of Senators
Crist. Robinson, Darrah. Quigley and
Gillette.
Wants Thorough Probe.
Governor Clarke's reply not only
points GU where there is useless eS-
travasance i'm hiring of employees. but
ne asks that the committee make "a
= sweeping investigation and report their
findings to him. lie puts ii up square
ly To the senate that since the probe
has been started it should be carried
out TO the end That it will give Iowa
the distinction of being the first Amer
lcan state" to place its Legislative body
on q strictly business basis. The gov
ernor asks that his reply be printed i'm
the senate journal.
\ sharp criticism is made of Sen
ator QuisleN. who. the governor points
out. was {; member of the Thirty-third
assembly, where the same criticisms
were made. The senators offered no
criticism of it then. so far as | know,'
the message declares.
Cites Alleged Crafts.
Ny way of explaining his charges of
graft Governor Clarke makes the fol-
lowing specific citations:
Many times soldiers have been given
places as doorkeepers who were own
ers of farms worth many thousands of
uoilals. I" the exclusion of needy COM
rades.
-Four doorkeepars i'm The senate gall
lerles, where scarcely a half dozen peo-
pie consreg:lte at Il time, eXcept on
special occasions.
Doorkeepers each side of presidents
and Speakers desks. where only mem
bers and employees pass through.
Five men in cloakroom of each house
to hang up coats and hats of MEMBERS.
Mall Garner To carry mail from state
house p"stoffice To senate and house.
which duty could be performed by reg
ular capitol clerk.
TWO bin clerks whose only duties are
to hand out extra copies of printed bills
when called for by members.
Seven pages and two telephone mes
4 in senate cloakroom, making
nine in all. or one to every six senator's.
Law provides for committee clar.Ss.'
There are 46 committees in the senate,
20 of which will meet on an average of
tive times "a session. The law does not
provide n clerk for every senator ard
% could do the work of the committee.
The part of the message which start
ed tho investigation referred to an .Ax-
penditure of $500 per day for extra
help. clerks. doorkcepers. etc. some of
which is absolutely %essention. of course,
but much of ii is pure unadultelated
graft
Nine bills. embracing the recommen-
dations made by the r"etrenchment and
reform committee OF Thirty-ffth gem
eral assembly, will be introduced in the
Thirty-sixth general assembly next
week. The most important one takes
all executive authority away from the
secretary of state. auditor Of state and
state treasurer and places the depart
ments under these heads under the
charge of men appointed by the gov
ernor. The men so appointed will act
as the state council with the
governor. The other bills will at
tempt I" change the method of taxing
automobiles, the system of printing
public reports. and other measures VI
economy in the conduct of the state
| government.