Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-24

constitution proposes to reduce the
elective state Offices from seven to four
and to consolidate some $50 bureaus,
commissions and boards into seventeen
departments. The demand for the short
ballot grew out Of the results Of the
election when William r. Hearst was
democratic ticket below him elected.
The consolidation Of the bureaus Is in
accord, 1t is claimed, with modern eff
cheney methods In use in every ing
to the state government But these pro-
posed reforms hit the minor leagues
of party bosses
Every one who has attended state con-
ventions remembers the dickering ana
trading that used to go on over the
elective Offices below the governorship
The big bosses-Platt or Croker Odell
or Hill, Barnes or Murphy-Would NIX
upon the man to be nominated for gov
ernor and toss the lesser offices. like a
handful of chicken feed, to the party
leaders.
there would be for all the subordinate
places, each chieftain seeking to grab
off something for his man to strengthen
his hold upon his own particular baili-
boards and what not under supervision
Of these heads of departments, every
one furnishing pabulum for the poll
ticians.
Centralizes Political Power.
The innovation in a way centralizes
political power. but. after all, the CEN
trail heads are controlled by the people
through the primary system of nomi-
mating and electing. So, to put 1t
briefly, the proposed new form of gov
eminent is a kind of gathering string
around the bag that holds all the
goodies, but the draw Of the string Is
held by the popular vote through the
primary system.
The official abstract of the short
ballot" provision Is quoted as follows:
It reduces the number OF elective
state offices from seven to four, leav-
ing only the governor. lieutenant gov.
ernor, controller and attorney general
to be chosen by the voters of the state.
The secretary of state and treasurer
are to be appointed by the governor.
After January /, 1917. the office of state
engineer and surveyor is abolished. All
of the present elective state Offices.
however, are continued in Office until
that date, when their present terms
expire. Aside from reducing the num-
Der of state offices and shortening the
list of candidates with which the voter
is confronted on election, the article
makes the following important changes
in existing conditions:
Seventeen State Departments.
Seventeen state departments. no
more and no less, are created for the
exercise of all the CIVIL executive and
administrative functions of the state,
now scattered through $50 bureaus. de-
partments. commissions, boards. off,
GERS and other agencies. Such functions
are to be SO classified that there shall
be no duplication of activity by two or
more departments relative to the same
subject. Under the existing unsyste-
matte arrangement 1t often occurs that
a number of different authorities have
powers and duties respecting the same
subject, with the result that the public
is harassed by many inquisitions and
the public funds are wasted
by duplication of work, and it is i'm
possible to know in many cases where
the function of one Office begins and
another leaves off. The amended arti-
Gle Is to correct this evil. Section
defines the heads Of the several de-
partments, and In some cases pre-
scribes powers and duties. When the
powers and duties of a department are
so defined the legislature may not in
terfere Herewith in it's general distri-