Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-02-03
LEGISLATORS DOWN
TO REAL BUSINESS
SOME OF THE BIGGER PROPOSE
TIONS PRESENTED-APP
PRIATIONS TOO BIG.

"a steady grind and promise of
considerable accomplishment marks
the legislative session, now -four
weeks old. Each house has receiv-
ed a hundred bills or more, and the
committees all have something to
do. Many bills and resolutions have
been passed in each house, but few
in both, and Governor Kendall will
soon have occasion to write his 0. X.
on good many new measures OF
give them his veto. 1t is said, too,
that he has some vetos right handy
in his vest pocket to attach TO any
measures that look like unnecessary
or extravagant expenditure at this
time.
1t has been some surprise to a
good many of the new members 10
find how much work and time they
can put in on legislative measures
also how difficult il is TO get mea-
sure started right, then on its way
through the committees, back to the
floor OF the house and really passed
as an act of the General Assembly.
How Bill is Handled
A bill for an act has to be drawn
up just so-three copies of tin a
certain size and style of arrange
ment, with a cover indicating the
title completely. When introduced
by the honorable member the bill is
handed to page, carried to the desk
of the chief clerk, identified by a
number, then opened and the title
read a first and second time, which
is called the first and second reading
of the bill. Then it is referred by
the presiding officer to the commit
tee having to deal with the subject
affected by the bill, Perhaps in a
day or two the committee meets, its
chairman presents the bill, explains
its object and refers II to sub
committee of three or four members
who are then responsible for the Gus
tody, investigation and report on the
bill II the subcommittee decides to
favor the bill, they report it back to
the whole committee with a recon-
mendation that 1t do pass. The
whole committee then considers the
matter, picks It to pieces or amends
Il to suit, and votes to recommend
the measure for passage by the
House or Senate as reported back.
II the committees are unfavorable
to bill they report it back with a
recommendation that it be 'indef-
inately postponed" That is a gem
teel way of scrapping the whole bill.
Then If the House or Senate accepts
the report of the committee, the bill
has met its fate. Very often, as was
done last Wednesday, a bill is re-
ported back by the committee with
a recommendation that 1t be in
definitely postponed" when some
member interested may protest
against such report and ask for a roll
call on the question Of accepting the
report, and thus beat the committee.
This was done in the Senate Wednes-
day on the bill providing for an in
crease in the pay of assessors. The
increase provided for in the bill was
from $500 per day to $3.50 per day,
and the committee on county and
township affairs had reported adj
versely on the bill. A roll call re-
jected the committees report and on
Thursday when the bill came up as
special order of the day it was adopt
ed by the Senate and the chances are
that all the assessors in Iowa will for
the next two years get S1.50 more
per day than they have been getting.
Proposed increase of the pay OF
Miss Elwood, the efficient enrolling
clerk in the House, from seven dol
lars to nine dollars per day during
the session caused another outbreak
of bad feeling in the Senate last
Tuesday that has been the talk OF the
solons and spectators ever since. II
was such piffle. 1t contemplated
more taking a slap at some or the
controlling influences in the House
and Senate than it did saving the
dear taxpayers" any money, because
while the Senate wasted s312.5O
worth of its valuable time in the
flood Of oratory started by Senator
Pitt in opposition to the resolution,
lit possibly saved the taxpayers S4OO
of salary that the young lady might
have gotten. Charges were made by
Senator Pitt and others that the
raise proposed by the House resolu-
tion was only to carry out the prom
| ises of some parties TO the presses
sion contest for chief clerk in the
House whereby il Miss Elwood
would withdraw from the race for
clerk she could have the enrolling
clerkship and they would get her pay
raised. This statement had it's ef-
feet and prejudiced the case against
| the House resolution. Twice had the
| resolution been voted for unanimous
| ly in the House and twice had the
| Senate defeated it, and this fight
came up on a motion to reconsider
the last vote in the Senate. House
members declare they have right to
run their side of the General Assem-
bly, and do not thank the senators
who refused 20 allow them to pay
lady who is now doing the work or
two former clerks in the House the
salary thew think she is entitled TO.
They say they will now see how some
of these senators vote when 1t comes
TO allowing another million dollars
for temple of Justice on the new
capitol extension grounds, and on al
lowing IS district judges in the state
$4,000 more pay year.
Back of this legislative turmon
there is said TO be some political
| jealousies left over from two years
ago when certain senators wished to
become candidates for lieutenant
governor, and others wanted to be-
come attorney general, and other
things. 1t will be remembered that
Senator Pitt at that. time dropped
slow-fuse bomb Inv the senatorial
camp by threatening to become a
Jim Pearce candidate for governor.