The Ocala evening star., 1915-03-20
ION FARRIS HAS
SOME GOOD IDEAS

To abolish the numerous commit
tees with their high-sounding titles,
in both branches of the Florida leg
islature, substituting therefor num-
bered committees, six committees for
the senate and ten committees for the
house, is the aim of the resolution TO
be introduced at the coming session
by Senator Ion L. Farris, of Jack
sonville
This organization plan is the result
Of the experience gained by Senator 4
Farris during his two terms as
| speaker of the house Of representa-
tives, and his intimate knowledge Of
/ the waste of time and the loss of eff
cheney in the handling of the legisla-
! tive grind through the multiplicity of +
unnecessary and wasting COM
mittees. If adopted, the resolution /
will automatically reduce the expense
for clerical and other help TO min
imum.
This idea is something entirely new
in legislative procedure and viii un-
doubtedly be watched with the keen
est interest by the legislators of ev-
cry other state in the Union.
1t is proposed that the six senate
committees shall consist of five SEN
ators each, and the house committees
to have seven members each. These
) committees, known as Committee No.
l." Committee No. 2" etc, are to be
made up of legislators according to
their vocational interests. For in
stance: On each committee there will
be banker, farmer, lawyer, bus
mess man and a representative of la
Dor. Bills will be referred to these
committees in the order in which they
are introduced. The first bill intro
S duced will be referred to committee
No. 1, the second bill to committee No.
2, and so on automatically, until all
of the bills introduced are divided pro
i rata among the committees.
The resolution further provides for
the creation of Especial Committee
on Committees and Rules" this body
e to have the naming of the members
of the committees, recognizing every
vocation and every element of citizen
ship.
When the committees of either leg
islative body are filled up with bills,
the body will adjourn until the COM
mittees are ready to report, thus en-
abling the members to attend all of
# the sessions of the legislative body to
e which they were elected by their con-
e stituents, and, at the same time, give
. them ample opportunity to do their
L necessary committee work. That this
ID in itself will prove one of the great
IL est time savers in the history of state
is legislatures, cannot be denied.
a Every bill introduced will have the
IS careful consideration of representa-
J. tives of all the elements of citizenship
in the state, men who will have nC
a direct interest in the bills under con
is sideration, because they will not know
so in advance what bills will come befor,
IN them, making packed" committe,
for or against bill almost an impos
a sibility.
al At the 1913 session of the Florid;
n legislature there were 81 committee
of the senate and but, 80 members o
in the senate. The house, with mem
an bership of 72 representatives had a
i'll committees. The members of tn
senate were appointed to serve o.
on from five to seven committees each
i'll an average of six committees to
is man, and in the house, the represen
IS tatives were serving on ten and some
DIS times IA committees each. Thus
e; can be readily seen that if a membe
to of the legislature attended to his com
nd mittee work as he should have don
he had but scant opportunity to al
re tend to the other legislative bushes
o. of the session.