Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-04-03


state W. S. Aliens resignation from
Office Is in the hands Of Governor W..
l.. Harding.
Action by the senate Of the general
assembly came uneXpectediy late yes
terday afternoon with the report of the
committee on departmental affairs &C
companled by Mir Aliens tentative
resignation TO take effect July |, 1919
in the event the committee report was
adopted by the upper house.
A motion by Senator Wilson of APP
panoose county resulted in immediate
action being taken and acceptance OF
the report without protest.
Senator Wallace Arney, chairman Oh
the investigating committee. said II
was Mr.. Aliens wish that action b@,
taken as soon as possible and there was
not further delay.
As soon as the report had oeen
adopted Mr.. Aliens resignation was
sent down to Governor Harding
Ian not prepared to make state
ment relative to Secretary Aliens
resignation at the present time Gov
ernor Harding said last night.
Witt. Bales or Ramsay?
Governor Harding also said he was
not prepared to say yet who would De
sappointed in Secretary Aliens place
with the acceptance of the resignation
The names OF Charles Witt, secretarF
to the governor II. e. Bales, secretary
of the. executive council and Walter
n og ia
mentioned in this connection.
Mr.. Allen was not in his Office at
the time the report was adopted.
The committee report makes the fol-
lowing statements in regard to the in
vestigatiou of Mr.. Aliens office:
That there has been mismanagement
and incompeteiCy III the conduct OF
the office.
That Secretary Allen has permitted
the time of his office employees to be
devoted to the promotion of his poll
teal ambition to the detriment Of state
business.
That Mr.. Allen has no good excuse
to offer for failing to have published
the proposed suffrage amendment as
adopted by the Thirty-seventh gen
eraI assembly.
That delay in registration OF motor
vehicles has lost the state money II
interest which might have been OBJ
tanned.
That the secretary failed to give
careful personal attention to the de-
tails of his office.
It is specifically stated in the report
that the committee found nothing 10
indicate that Mr.. Allen has been guilty
OF any corruption in the management
of his office or of any intentionsf mis-
appropriation of state funds.
The committee report and Mr.. AL
| lens resignation follow closely on the
passage of a bill three weeks ago
| transferring the automobile department
from the office of the secretary Of
state to that Of the treasurer of state.
This action was taken when the COM
mittee had gone far enough into the
investigation to find that the state was
losing thousands of dollars under Mr..
Aliens management Of the auto de-
partment, of which his son, Ray Al
len, was at that time the head.
Tho Committee Report.
The full committee report is as fol-
| lows:
THE Undersigned constituting the
| subcommittee charged by your COM
rlittee with tho duty Of inquiring into
| the affairs oe the business of the adj
rninistration of the office Of the Sec
rotary of state, beg leave to submit
this. their first and final report:
The subcommittee Immediately fol-
| lowing their assignment to such du-
ties on March I. 1919, organized and
Immediately proceeded to call before IT
| all persons whom it was suggested or
| the sommitteu had reason to believe
could give information on the subject
The subcommittee caused the various
witnesses to be sworn and their testi-
mony preserved N shorthand, and full
true and complete transcript thereof
made, which transcript in two volumes
| and tile exhibits identified therein are
hereby made part of this report and
transmitted to you herewith accom-
panying.
The subcommittee conducted this
hearing fairly. fully and impartially tc
the best of their ability, and gave the
secretary of state an opportunity &c
appear before it and discuss the mat
i 1T II, ,.St