The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-03-20

of this substitution, lining up the
friends Of the primary suffrage bill
Submission plan for full suffrage.
Many women lobbyists were present,
and they were filled with consterna-
ton at this surprise gas attack. The
gallant friends Of the suffraGists
stayed by them, however, and went
down to defeat when the resuDmls,
then passed by vote of 81 to II.
Politicians say there was state
politics of clever kind in the wo-
man suffrage fight thus staged and
that the attorney-generals friends
among the women were the fearsome
proposition they defeated.
Pardon Case Investigation
The much-discussed matter of the
pardon of Ernest Rathbun of Ida
Grove is now officially before the
judiciary committee of the house for
investigations, and start was made
toward the proceedings. Monday at
ternoon when the judiciary commit.
procedure and the purpose of the
investigation. A motion by Weaver
of Polk county that a committee OF
five members be named by Chairman
| Harrington to choose a list of. five
lawyers, one of whom could be chos-
sci to help conduct the case, prevail
ed after some strong statements by
members that they wanted full and
| fair investigation of. the matter ii
there proves to be anything to in
vestigate, and that they want this
| investigation to cover not only the
granting of the pardon but the pro-
;,,ne x,y1,i oh thn no.
set aside and young Rathbun sent to
and the investigation started right
then to take in both the governors
and Attorney-General Havner's con-
nection with the whole deal.
The investigating committee has
power to summon any and all wit
job of it, and they say they will do
SO if at the outset it appears there
is anything at all to investigate more
than the merits of a political con-
spiracy or attack. There is no dis
position in the committee to be I'M
fair with any. official involved, nor
to whitewash ANYBODY. The people
ment in the case, whatever 1t NAV be.
Changing Automobile Department.
The lid blew off with a crash in
the senate Thursday just before
noon, when bill offered by the com
mittee on departmental affairs was
sppqng by Sen Senator Holdoeg Ea the the
business then. before the senate be
deferred so that the bill could be
acted upon Immediately. Senator
Holdoegel then explained that the
; committee had found such lncOm-
potency and inefficiency, in the auto
h: - ,,,{, ntrav
Of State Allen that it ives deemed
expedient to order the. removal of
that department from the secretary
Of states office to the office of the
state treasurer where real business
man is in charge and where the au-
tomobile business will be conducted
efficiently. The bill was then read,
Senator Arney, than whom none
stands higher in the states service,
bluntly stated that the committee
had made careful investigation and
FOUND the state automobile depart
ment affairs were absolutely rot.
ten" that an incompetent head of
the department had placed the office
in the hands of an inefficient son,
and that the committee had been OBJ
structed by the secretary's office in
ascertaining the facts
A third crash followed Immediate
ly when Senator Whitmore stated
the matter was one of the utmost
found such conditions that the
states business in the auto depart
ment was losing more money than
is required to pay the salaries of
the department, and this should be
corrected without delay. He said
that checks by tens and hundreds OF
thousands of dollars had been left
- Ia f0, hi nj
three months without being casherr,
or giving credit to the senders; that
the funds were not properly banked
and that the deposit balances due
the state were not accurately kept
SO that the state was losing money
on the two per cent interest on this
deposit due. =.
off 'a anotRer n one BY saying that two
clerks in the office had been dis
charged for testifying before this
committee. and that all had been
called in the office and asked as to
what they had testified ana that
they were threatened with discharge
if they told anything Other sem
the question was voted on and the
bill passeHa as an emergency measure
TO it's third reading and sent over to
the house by unanimous vote.
The house took the matter up as
an emergency measure Friday morn
ing with the same demand that the
automobile department be taken
away from the secretary of state and
be attached to the state treasurers
Office. The measure passed by a
large vote.
1t is explained that the matter has
been brewing ever since the session,
two years ago when senator's and
had the affairs of the
office called to their attention but
had not then the committee or facil-
tiles for handling it.
Most OF the members of both
house and senate, with some few
newspaper men and other guests
went BY special train to Sioux City
Friday night on invitation of the
Sioux City Chamber of Commerce to
inspect the system of paved streets
and roads so proudly boasted of by
that enterprising city. Representa-
tive Griffin and Lake of Woodbury.
county and Senator Stoddard of
Sloan, representing the Sioux City
boosters in getting upsand handling
this big excursion. secured the
nromise of over 100 to make the