The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-04-17
A LEGISLATURE LETTER

ery member also feels that things are
going slowly in spite of the general
desire to hurry. There is SO much
to be done that all that will be left
undone will fill five-ton trucks in
hauling the remains to. the balers-,
as usual. And yet it is not as bad
as last session. Then most of the
house members had spent their time
in watching each other and sparring
for advantage on the road question
Now they are able to spar for hall
a day and pass a bigger road bill
and better one This week, Tues
day, they spared again over the
new motor vehicles law, and passed
it in good shape IN an hour ana a
alton that fully enlightened every
body concerning it.
$50 Bills Made Laws.
At this time, less than a week be-
| fore time for adjournment, both
houses have passed and sent to the
governor for his signature, Just ABOUT
$50 bills, department bills OF various
kinds, and all kinds of minor bills.
general assembly have not as yet
been passed and freed from entang-
ling strings. That is why so much
remains yet to be done in the short
time left.
After deposing Secretary of State
Allen recently and taking the auto
mobile department away from ms
office from the duties OF, preparins
the annual Iowa Official Register,
better known as the Red Book.
"Compliments of w. S. Allen, Secre-
tary Of State" will therefore no
longer grace the title page of that
| publication, as the book will be is
sued and edited by Ora Williams, the
state document editor, who should
| look after it.
Game Commissioner Next.
AS mentioned in this department
last week, a probe of the department
of the fish and game commissioner
of Iowa has been under way, ana
now it is reported that COMMISSION
hospital in Des Moines, while the de-
partmental affairs committee has
such evidence as may cause him to
resign when he gets back we'll again.
The fish and game commissioner IS
appointed by the governor, and may
be removed by him.,
! 1t is limited that the board OF con-
troll of state institutions may also be
nut under the microscope yet, as
III
mands at this session and their JOB
! is getting to be bigger than that OF
all the rest of the STATE government.
Still another investigation was Or
dered this week in a resolution 10
have the affairs of the Iowa Panama
Pacific Exposition commission at
San Francisco looked into. At that
time an Appropriation OF S?,VoV
was made for the Iowa EXHIBIT az
this exposition, and every detail Of
the expenditures to be made was
itemized in the bill 1t is claimed
now that no full report Of, this com
mission has ever been made and the
secretary, Woodwork Clum. is to pc
especially grilled concerning the
matter. Those who know however,
say the fault and failure to audit the
the state executive council, at least
two of whom did not attend to bust
ness of the council during the time
this matter should have been handl-
ed. Secretary Clum and others OF
tie commission say they will clear
| up every detail satisfactorily.
Pardon Probe is Finished.
The biggest thing of the session
has been practically finished. Gov,
ernor Harding and Attorney-General
Havner have both been investigated
and found wanting, ac 60 70
cation of the reasons for the gov
ernor granting the Rathbun pardon
at Ida Grove ramitied into every pos
sible nook and corner. Like poison
gas it descended and spread and con-
'taminated until several regulations
have been hurt and some ruined Dy
it. The chief reason for the lnvestl-
CATION, the claim that Governor
nor00n1ng
Young Rathbun-that the governor
of the great state of Iowa was brib--
ed-fell perfectly flat. Chief Coun.
sci Byers made up his finding OF
facts from the evidence on Tuesday
of this week, and each member OF the
house judiciary committee had a
COPY handed to him Wednesday. In
that summary of the case, Mr.. Byers
Stated that no evidence had been
received any bribe for granting the
pardon. He did, however, find the
governor guilty of neglect OF duty IN
not Investigating the application for
a pardon closer, in having knowledge
of the arrangement at Ida Grove to
uuash several indictments and not
doing anything to stop the deal and
of ''unseemly' controversy VIZ me
attorney-general over the Rathbun
case instead of cooperation.
At the same time Attorney-Gen--
eral Havner is found to be guilty Of
nine points OF official failure. which
are set out in the finding Of facts,
and which it is suggested would war
rant impeachment. especially ir aid
ing and advising the quashing Of in
dictments in Ida county.
Mr.. Byers does not especially rec
ommend impeachment of either
Harding or Havner, but indicates
that there is evidence of which trial
for impeachment can be based: The
rest of the matter is with the 1udicl-
airy committee. and that committee
went into the case with a determine
ton to learn the facts-if not with
prejudice against the governor.
Several of the committee stand for
Impeachment of the governor IL pos
sible, and others would like to see
Havner hauled into the impeach-
ment court. The final report Of the
committee will be made up immed1-
ately in order to finally dispose OF
the matter so that the members can
continue their legislative work unin-
terrupted. Their verdict may be on
Nv censure for both Harding and
Havner-a slap on the wrist, as 1T
were. And all the poor witnesses