Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-02-23
DOING OF OUR
iowa S0LONS
Spring Recess Will Commence Next
Friday and Members Expect to
Spend Some Time at Home
Conferring with Con-
stituents.
STATE SCANDALS
SEEM TO FLICKER
Bill for Two Sets of Election Judges
Passed House and it Looks
Favorably as if Senate Will
Pass ID Also

| iaNoidoiS as IL SENATE WIN
Pass il Also
Senator Thurston, of Clarke coun-
ty would extend the legislative in
quiry so as to include every nook
and corner of the state where the tax
payers money is expended. After
making an I investigation Senator
Thurston declares that while ineffi-
cient methods of handling public
property are followed at the seat of
government officials in local offices
in cities, towns, townships, counties
and districts can give the state Off
cials cards and spades and then
show record of wastefullness that
will make state officials look like
ameatures in delinquency and petty
graft. Senator Thurston, like other
veterans of the world war who have
been schooled in efficient methods of
handling and accounting for govern
ment properties is amazed that Off
cials in Iowa from the state house
to the humblest road supervisor in
! Iowa gives no account of properties
in his possession. When he retires
| from office he turns over to his sue
cessor what he has left and no re-
cord is made of its condition, VIII ther
| it has deteoriated because of usage
or because of unnecessarily exposed
to the weather when not in use. Pub
lie officials in Iowa do not prepare
inventories of public property, do
not give bonds for the return of the
same in as good condition as when
received except for necessary usage.
In the government service all Off
GERS are required to keep up to the
minute inventories of all properties
in their charge so that they may be
| checked out at a moments notice
and Senator Thurston proposes in a
bill that state property, regardless
of where found shall have the same
watchful attention. According to his
estimate hundreds of thousands of
dollars are lost to the state because
of the slip shod manner in which
officials care for properties in their
custody.
State Scandals Flicker.
If people in Iowa have been ex-
|
partmental affairs would uncover a
large amount of graft and rottenness
they are doomed to disappointment.
There are cases where some extra
vagances have been found and where
money was expended or received by
officials which were not warranted
by law, but these appear, so far, to
have been matters of unwise practice
established by predecessors and sub
Iject to Legislative inquiry and cor
Irection but they do not reach the
magnitude of impeachment proceed
lings belonging rather to the exe-
cutive council or justice of the
peace court. However, it seems i'm
possible to bring about correction of
even small Irregularities in state af-
fairs without making big noise.
There will be the same kind s~of
noise locally when Senator Thurs
toms biN becomes a law and inquiry
is made concerning the disposition
of wheel barrows and spades, brooms
; and school seats, city carts and hor-
ses and the many properties suppos-
ed to be in the hands of public Off
cials. Charges made against state
= officials so far have not materializeu
, according to advance notice dope
There may be uncovered state oi
rottenness or graft which has no
been brought to light, but so fal
there is nothing in the testimony be
fore the committee which would in
dicate Impeachment proceedings.
Spring Recess. s
The two houses will take a reces!
commencing Friday, February % t.
reconvene March 7. Members ex
pect to spend the time at their homes
taking care of March / business an,
in conferring with their constituent
regarding pending legislation. Whil
the program made early in the ses
sion indicated that only such meas
ures as would not interfere witt
code revision would be considers
the files are filled with bills pro
posing new legislation concerning
practically every subject treated II
the code. Even though passed at thi
session all measures will have to b
gone over again when code revision
starts. Many of these bills are so i'm
portant that members feel the nee'
of counsel from the home folks be
fore voting.
Late Election Returns.
From twenty four to thirty-Si:
hours of agony are to be choppe'
out of the lives of politicians if tn
senate acts favorably on Represen
tatives Bradley and Francis bill II
F. 331 providing for two sets of eie
ction judges. According to the bill a
ii passed the house it is made pos
sible for voting precincts to provid
for another set of Judges to appea
on the scene to commence countini
the ballots at a specified hour an
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