Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-08
POINT TO ELECTION OF SPEAKER
As VICTORY FOR ANTl.RoAD
LEGISLATION.
THREATEN TO ABOLISH
HIGHWAY COMM SsIoN
Friends Of Good Roads and of Commits
sion Declare This Can Not Be Ac.
complished-Some Support For Bet
ter Highways to Come From Demo.
cratic Members.
Special to Times-Republican.

Des Moines, Jan. s. - While oppo-
nents Of the state highway commission
are claiming that legislation adverse
TO the commission is bound to pass.
now that NJ. b. Pitt, of Harrison coun-
ty, has been elected speaker, thos.
who are Analysing the vote claim that
this can not be. Some of Pitts sup
porters are going SO far as to predict
that the highway commission will be
abolished
Pitt won the Speakership in the re-
publican caucus with As votes out Of
the "a, just barely enough to make
him speaNerA Elwood received IS votes.
Shortess Is and Neff g. This makes "a
total of 10 votes which were cast by
flttS opponents. 1t is certain that
none of these votes would be available
for any retroactive road program. On
the other hand, the As votes cast for
Pitt can by no means all be considered
friendly 70 the johnson road crowd
type of legislation. 1t is known that
number of these votes went to Pit.
in spite of his known position on the
road question and not because of J!
and a certain per cent of his IS votes
which he received in the republican
caucus for speaker will not go for re-
trCactive road measures.
Democrats in Line.
Then there are the fourteen demo-
cratic votes in the house and goodiy
per cent OF these can be counted on
for support by the friends of good
roads and Of the highway commissions.
Pitt, Of course. has the naming Of the
house committees which is advantage
Gus to any program he may have in
mind. AS has been pointed out before
he was one Of the leaders, in the tight
for the johnson road bin two years
ago which was aimed at- the state
highway commission. TWO years ago
the senate Blocked any carrying out
of this program. The senate can be
relied onaagain this year, friends of the
highway commission say, to support
the commission. "a
In his speech CT acceptance before
the caucus Saturday Pitt said he
would appoint his committees with
View TO carrying out the wishes of
the taxpayers and to Carrying out the
work as promptly and with as much
dispatch as possible that the work
of the session might be shortened.
Arney President Pro Tenn.
Senator ". H. Arney, of Marshall
town, was elected president pro tem'of
the senate Saturday over Senator
Frank +. Thompson, of Burlington,
by d vote Of % I'd 16. Two of the sem
ators were absent. There are ten demo-
Gratis in the senate who held sep
arate caucus.
The only real contest in the republi-
can caucus was over the selection of
sergeant-at arms. r. G. Stanley, o.
Cedar Rapids, tied with W. a. Groves,
of Rolfe. in two ballots but OH the
third ballot Stanley lee his opponent
by votes, winning, out by vote of
20 to IS.
Tom Waters, Jr. of Des MoineS
was chosen secretary without oppos;-
zion. In fact the employees of the SEN
ate with the exception Of the sergeant
alarms and the stenographers, were
all chosen thru the committee of
which Senator Parker, of Des Moines
was chairman, selected some two
weeks ago by the senators. The slate
went thru unanimously. l.. p. Holt, Of
O~NSoA1 " oS liaIll-u u!Sl 3SSlSlduI sec.
rotary and l.. E. Stamm, Of Des
| Moines, second assistant. Joe Mahel
of Des Moines. was chosen engrossing
| clerk. Other members Of the force fol-
low: Enrolling clerk, FRANK. Lasne1.
Plymouth county: journal clerk, Miss
Lois Elwood, tayette county; journa.,
Miss kittie Wolf, Wayne county; bill
clerk, S. I. Zearfoss, Story county; file
clerk, George ~. Morris, Montgomery
| county; assistant bill and file clerk.
Glenn Steinhilber, Clayton county;
| postmistress, Mrs. Mayme Black, Mus
| catine county; chief doorseeper j. H.
poty, Clay county.
At the senate caucus of Saturday
Senator Glen F.. kimbail, of Council
Bluffs, moved that each senator be al
lowed TO select committee clerk but
| on motion of Senator Chase, of Web
ster City, this was postponed until
| next week, when the senate viii be in
full session. Thirteen democratic
| members might want to say something
| on this question, Senator Chase said.