Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-13
EFFORTS OF PREVIOUS LEGiSLA-
TURE TO HASTEN MATTERS
FRuiTLEss.
PREcEDENTs FOLLOWED IN
MATTER OF EMPLOYEES
About as Good as Can Be Devised
Wet and Dry skirmish Only Sham
Battle and Jockeyne For Position
Has Something Else Back of It.

Special TO Times Republican.
Des MoineQ. Jan. 1S.-The we'll laid
and carefully wrought out plans of the
Thirty fifth general assembly for re-
ducing the waste time at commence
ment Of sessions by coupling up the
preliminaries little closer, went all to
pieces when confronted with the
stern fact, long ago we'll known. that q
legislative body OF 15S members. a
majority Of them wholly unfamiliar
with public business. finds it difficult
TO get out of the ruts of custom and
precedent The law placed on the
books providing for a count of the
votes on Tuesday and Immediately
thereafter the inauguration. looked
like a fine piece Of economy; but it
failed. All the older members agree
it would not be at all difficult 10 ar
range it so that the outgoing governor
would deliver his little speech on Mon
day and the incoming governor make
his talk on Tuesday. Yet it was de-
cided. as usual by the legislature. it,
self that it would make the prelini
raries cover four days and not two.
until the second week
The inaugura ton will take place on
Tuesday afternoon, with program of
governor: and the evening the Gus
toma-y public reception in the rooms
Of the governor 1t is probable the
thereafter until the following Mon
day.
Following PRESIDENTS.
Governor Clarke read his address 20
the Legislature yesterday in a clear and
decisive manner. emphasizing some
portions far more than would appear
on the printed copy, and he was given
/ the closest attention. II was the gen
! eral agreement that his address had
more real meat IN 1t than most Of the
messages read to the assemblies.
! The matter Of organization OF the
legislature follows very closely the
precedents Of The past, IL the matter
OF helpers. employees clerks. committees
and all that pertains TO the physical
| organization of the two houses. When
ever any of those who sought to effect
changes made a start in any direction
it would be found that what has been
worked out before is about as good as
could be devised. The committees will
be the same as in the past That is a
matter entirely for the two houses.
They could change the committees, re-
duce them in number or size. or other
wise direct, but the predecents will be
followed,
Sham Battle Ends.
Now that the reformers have fired
their big guns and the governor has
done some firing upon the forts, and
sufficient time has elapsed to show
something of the real lineup in the
legislature. it may be worth while to
disclose what really is back of the
sparring for position in the legislature
The skirmish over wet and dry
proposals has been a sham battle.
| There has been lively scrap on In
| the senate over committee chairman
ships. 1t has seemed strange to some
I that there should he so much con-
| troversy over the Craftsmanship OF ap-
propriations, certainly undesirable
place It so happened that Savage, VINO
lis fairly entitled to the place by every
| consideration that can be mentioned
| is listed as wet and some of the
others mentioned are dry" hence thf
| hasty conclusion that Is all there Is u
it: but the appropriations committed
has little to do with any temperance
btlls
| This wet and dry dividing line Is bu
an incident. The chairmen Of three
| leading committees are ex-officio mem
! bers of the "retrenchment and reform
committee It's duties are primarily L
arrange the budget for appropriation
for minor matters about the stat
house. The last legislature made it
| continuing body with extra legisla
tive authority to appropriate and direc
| the state government in recess. and
added four members of the minorit.
party. The committee has made q par
tial report on Reorganization of tn
i executive departments of government
The only members Of the committee