Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1920-04-17
To HAVE VOTERS
STUDY ITS WORK
Con.Con Decides to Place Re-
sumo in Hands Of People.
MAY PRINT COMPLETE TEXT
Basic Law Makers Desire All to I'm.
derstand Changes Provided
Gompers Unable to Attend La
Dor Hearing.

definftely, altnOugn informally, to give
every voter In the state an opportunity
not only to study the full text of the
new constitution, but to read the rea-
sons for each section, before Il Is sub.
mitted to referendum.
To facilitate this, Chairman Wal.
ter II. Wheeler of the committee on
expenditures sent to each county clerk
Of Illinois request for suggestions.
At Ill early meeting of the committee
State Superintendent of Public In
struction Blair will be called In to get
his Judgment of having the school chill
idren of the state do the distributing
and correspondence has been started
with the federal government to ascer.
tain whether any unusual cooperation
can be obtained from the postal de.
'partment. Furthermore, Chairman
Woodward has called meeting of
all chairmen and the committee on
rules to discuss this and subordinate
subjects.
Delegate Wilson desires that the full
text of the present and the new con-
stitutions be printed. He would have
the old constitution printed In text
type, the parts omitted from the new
constitution placed in brackets and
the substitute and new matter Of the
new constitution In black-faced italics.
In addition. he would print for each
changed section statement Of the
conventions purpose, what the sec.
ton will permit and prohibit, and what
the anticipated general effect will be.
That Is practically the system used
In New York In 1915. It Is not up to
the committee of expenditures to de.
eide these questions, but they must be
considered TO prudently handle the
convention. To distribute by mail
such a document to every voter the
committee estimates Il will cost $50.
600 for each 100000 voters, and they
reckon that 100000 copies would be
necessary.
Following the 1870 Illinois conven.
ton 5000 copies Of the present con.
stitution were printed, 10000 in Eng.
lish, 5000 in German, 5000 in French
and 5000 in Scandinavian languages
These were supposed to be distributed
by the delegates themselves. In add
ton the convention agreed to pay S3C
to each weekly newspaper which would
print the constitution u fuN
OF the recent state conventions
Michigan, in 1908, set the modern
pace. 1t attempted through the post
| masters to get copy to every voter
| Through a federal government ar
rangement enough copies were sent t.
each post Office to supply one copy t.
| each person who obtained mail at tina
Office. This pamphlet called atten
ton to every change, the reason ant
purpose for 1t, and gave limited aux
iliary information.
The Ohio convention In 1912 at
tempted to improve this system. /
printed the same information In les
convenient form and attempted wild
distribution. In addition, 1t spent $63,
600 for newspaper publication of tn,
same material. Two newspapers II
each county We're assigned the tasl
OF such publication.
The committee on expenditures 1
now getting information from Massa
chusetts, which held Its convention
In 1913, and additional data from New
York.
! The only constitutional convention
| committee which has not been M
pointed is that on address and submis
sion to the voters. President Wood
ward Is expected to announce the pei
sonnet of 1t this week. that the pla
may be decided upon.
| President Frank Harrington of til
United Mine Workers Of Illinois vii
discuss labor problems before tn
constitutional convention Wednesda
evening. Announcement was mad
that President Samuel Gompers of tn
American Federation of Labor will
unable to be present. Representative
of the Illinois Manufacturers associi
lens were discussed at some lengt
last week, but representatives of tn
manufacturers who were present di
not participate In the discussion.
The labor hearing will mark tn
close of public hearings, after whic
all discussions of proposals which ar
pending will be had before the var
Gus committees.
The BOndsmen club Of Chicago seek
to obtain the widest market for Ill
nois municipal bonds,
Would Encourage Forestry.
The constitutional convention con
mittee on agriculture stirred up col
troversy concerning classification {
property for purposes of taxation
This committee recommends this SCI
} tence be inserted in the new cOnstit,
ton: ''The general assembly sha
pass laws for the encouragement {
forestry and shall have power to PR
scribe such methods for the taxatio
of acres devoted exclusively to TO
! ests and forest culture as will develO
and conserve the forest resources {
the state"
w. F. Cummings. tho we'll know
engineer and contractor, has made
fine record. His work Is praised a
over the country.
~
Robert M. Sweitzer is one of tn
few officials in public life without
| blemish on his official record