Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-10
-necial 70 T.mes- Repuel!can.

~pecial to ,nnes-Repuo!can.
Des Moines. Feb. l0-Now that Sen
ator John Darrah has returned from
home. where he had been detained by
the Illness OF MS wife, the graft or
probe committee % the senate will get
together this week and make report on
its findings. The committee was ap-
pointed on the ouigley resolution %
investigate and find out whether there
was any foundation Tor the reference
in the message OF the governor 10 the
extra help and unnecessary expenses OF
the senate. The committee Went INTO
the matter as far as time would war
rant and had before it 8 great many o.
the employees OF the state and the leg
isIature and members of the senate and
Others. What was FOUND ont was sub
stantially this:
There is 10. the slightest tounda-
ton for an suspicion that any member
OF the legislature IS protit!ng or has
proated by any looseness OF nlsthods
or by the employing nt OF unnecessary
help: or N other words, there has been
and Is no graft, IN the ordinary and
narrowest sense Of the word. The
governor however, n his response 70
the committee inquiry, distinctly re-
pudiated any intent 20 have this .oea
attach TO his remarks.
The senate viii have 20 frankly ad-
NIT that q system has grown Up grad
ually which has elements o. weakness
and under which there IS Lnnecces sarE
expenditure of money and persons are
> r., 4 :.
pensed with The senators and the
governor ard others are des.rous o.
reducing this waste 20 the minimum
For instance there is a chief door
keeper and ten others. ard i g pos
sible this could be done Just as we'll
with only six aids.
There are four workers empioTed II
> .he office OF secretary OF state charged
20 the legislature Their work 3
needed and all right but they ought 20
: De on the regular payroll and lot be
regarded IS special
In the senate there Is one extra bill
clerk and In the hose TWO extras.
whose chief business II IS 70 Distribute
the bills among the state Offices.
this work is needed II should De done
by employees Of the various Offices.
There are four janttoTs at work
whose names ought 70 be or the regu-
lar custodian's payrol! instead Of be-
ing treated as extra. help tor the ses-
sion This could be Topped of and the
proper record made
AS to committee clerks some OF the
members believe they could get along
with less than one to senator. but
others believe It is a matter OF economy
} and efficiency TO have abundance OF
cheap help of this kind and that it is
good business to have stenographer
for each senator. What the committee
will recommend as TO this and other
matters Will be decided IN few days.
The great spectacular fight" over
prohibition, as advertised has been put
over until Friday. With thirty mem
bers who are dry there IS little left 20
speculate on as 70 the outcome. The
senate is, as has been known all along,
quite dry and disposed to Go almost
anything on which there can be agree
ment About all that was done yes
, terday was TO put a few holes in sew
eral inflated official boonns and disclose
J that several senators are far more
f, concerned about who should get into
the limelight first than they ara about
getting results. But the senate went
on record ernphaticalIy as indo-sing
, amending the constitution 10 forbid the
!, traffic in liquors. The resolution viii
go thru the house easily.
Mayor Glasgow, Of Washington:
: Mayor Mueller, Of Davenport: Mayor
Smith, of Sioux City; Frank Pierce, Of
Marshalltown, and others representing
the Iowa League Of Municapil.ss are
here to hold session today and fix up
various bills Of interest 20 cities and
towns. There are g grea. many Of
these bills now pending and they de-
sire to go over all Of them and see
what are good. A tentative draft Of a
measure for the home rule" idea has
been framed UP by the attorney gen.
eral as follows:
Cities and towns under whatever
form of charter they may ncw be OPP
~ rating, Or may hereafter operate, are
.aereby granted authority 20 exercise
all power of local self government
yubject to such specific restrictions as
10 particular powers as may be estab-
,ished by law. No enumeration OF
powers in any law shall operate to re-
4 stYict this general grant Of power OF
to exclude other powers comprehended
in this grant. The specifca ton in any
law OF the manner IN WHICH an! power
included in this general grant shall be
exercised, shall be construed only as
fixing the manner in which such power
shall begexercised, and no. as exclud-
ing the exercise Of the powers as &c
which there is no such specification. IT
the absence Of any provision of law
determining by whom and in what
manner. or subject to what conditions