Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-11-19

planting time in the spring.
THE first step. of course, is for
every member to begin at once sur
vey of the work to be done. Much
depends on this action. Then when
the legislature -convenes on Jan.
10. 1921. definite program should
be adopted without moments delay
after election of the officers and TINS
should include reorganization of COM
mittees. revision of the rules. adop-
ton of special rules for revision ana
the immediate reference en- bloc OF
all the 253 code commission bills now
printed and in the hands or the
members.
Old System Cumbersome.
Committee revision at the hands
Of this general assembly would mark
a long step forward. There We're
some fifty senate committees ana
sixty or more house committees at
the last session. Each member was
on from six to ten committees. Some
committees were practically without
work while others had great bur
den of bills. Much time was con-
sumed in planning for committee
meetings so as not to overlap on
time. The whole system is cumher-
some and out Of date.
Now for code revision purposes
and perhaps as permanent thing
each house should be organized with
from eight to ten committees. with
no member on more than two COM
mittees. This refers. of course, to the
actual working committees. There
would be fewer chairmanships and a
members Importance as displayed on
his letter heads would be reduced to
a minimum and committee clerks
would be scarcer and have to re-
arrange their dates.
The general assembly could adopt
a rule that as soon as the two houses
are organized all the code bills would
go at once to the proper committees
with fairly even distribution of all
the bills among all the committees
so that every man would have some
real work to do.
Overlooking Judiciary Committee.
There is no sense. whatever in
giving Judiciary committee more
than half of the entire work to do
and leaving score Of committees
with almost nothing To do Don't
divide the committees up as to sub
jects, but group the work differently.
Give each committee from twenty TO
thirty bills more or less related. Be
gin hearings within week after
and advertise the dates
for hearings with notice to all con-
cerned that consideration of certain
bills would be continued from day to
day until finished. That's the way
a court gets to finish with case.
That's the way business man
reaches a conclusion.
This plan would involve no dan
gerous haste. 1t would give every
person. every interest. every group
Of citizens chance to present
special views or to urge change in
the code. Some Of the code COM
bills would likely be adopted
without any material chagan e. Much
Of the code would be re-enacted sec
ton by section unamended. Many Of
the code bills are simply a rewriting
III simply SdaSS VI SIlS iIedS GULL
tanned now in the code. There is
little new material. Rules could be
adopted for ending committee con-
sideration Of certain bills and rules
for closure In the two houses so as to
expediate matters.
: II is certain that by following
this plan it would be possible to get
down to real work-the passing or /
actual code bills-within less than
thirty days after the session con-
venes.
Admission Of Faulty Ways.
1.-The common experience is that
most of the legislation in every SEES
sion is done on the last few days of
the session. The last general as
sembly at it's close left more than 1870
bills on the desk Of the governor all
passed at the close Of the session.
That was a wholly inexcusable con-
fession Of inability to do legislative
business in a busness-like way The
pin suggested would avoid this last
day congestion and above all else it
should be avoided
AS for the appropriations and
special legislation which inevitably
confronts every session it can all be
reduced to a minimum. 1t can be
and ought to be disposed OF with
very little delay. Either fix a day
for closing all this matter early or
turn 1t over to committees to be con-
sidered from time to time. All of the
appropriations could be gotten out
Of the way in three weeks. Then
after short recess the revision work
could be given the right of way.
Every bill to amend or add to the
code would automatically go to the
having that subject in
hand. The bills might he printed
early and go along with the code
bills. This thing of waiting until the
session is half over before even
bill is nonsense. A bill that
is not ready within ten days after the
opening of the session is not worthy
of place on the calendar.
There should be somebody or
some commission available for put
ting legislation into good English and
getting the commas and the dasbes
in the right places. The code &C"
should be put on a sol
and required to remain In session