Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1921-03-10

\, THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1!
for the vote, click the keys in the
locks, show the red ana blue lights
on the board and hear the result of
the vote announced by the Speaker.
1t has taken only thirty seconds
more for the electricians up above
behind the board to take the picture
of the recorded vote, deveIop It and
send it down to the cler-.
Has magic ever done anything
more wonderful than this device of
electrical genius?
What the Machine Means
Costing thirty thousand dollars to
install, some of the members of both
houses at the session two years ago
were skeptical as to the wisdom of
spending so much money ror vot-
ing machine. Now they all approve
of ii. In the later days or the session
the 108 members of the House are
called upon to vote often. some
times twenty, thirty, fifty votes in a
day may be required. Under the old
system each members name had to
be called by the clerk, another clerk
recording each vote on paper, then
taking time to add them all up and
which occurred often-compiyin
with some members request that
the vote be verified before an
nouncement was made. In this pro-
cess an average of fifteen minutes OF
time might be consumed, and the
business of the House practically
suspended until the vote on GER
tain measure was thus laboriously
completed.
Now the los members can vote in
thirty seconds, or take minute to
ii IL necessary, wait another minute
and be voting again. Recently we
timed them taking votes and pass
ing six bills in eighteen minutes
and discussing each bill to some, ex-
tent before its passage. More than
the work of an hour accomplished in
quarter of the time, and less tire
some, less monotony, less chance for
dispute.
Iii is needless to say the voting ma
chine in the Iowa House of Repre-
sentatives has come to stay. Sena-
tors canot have such convenience.
There are only fifty of them, and 1t
would be unnecessary senatorial
haste to grind out their work in
such fashion.
Pushing the Probe
While the evidence so far submit
ted to the COMMITTEE on departmental
affairs has not been found suf-
ficient to hang any official or suf-
| ficient to impeach, the committee is
| determined to leave no stone I'M
turned to get at the bottom of the
ugly charges made during the weeks
preceding the converting of the gem
eral assembly. The committee will
undoubtedly call in the Hon. Clyde
Herring and the Rev. DR.. J. e. Kir-
by who stumped the state on the
doctrine that the state house was
rotten in crookedness and insisted
that the rascals should be turned
out. Members of the committee have
declared that the work put on them
by the general assembly cannot be
completed until the Hon. Mr.. Herring
and the Rev. DR.. Kirby have been
| given an opportunity TO place their
cards ad hymn books on the table
with an insistance on the part of the
committee that they divulge the
source of their information of the
state house rottenness which they
proclaimed over the state. Mr.. Her.
ring declared that il ne was elected
governor he would turn out of office
the men who were guilty of high
crimes and misdemeanors. He had
no hesitancy in saying that criminal
practices were followed AS the COM
| mittee has not been able to unearth
evidence sufficient TO turn ay Off
GER out Mr.. Herring is to be asked
for the evidence he has had up his
sleeve to make good his promise
that il elected the officers he had in
mind would be discharged. An Off
GER of the state cannot be fired on
mere hearsay evidence any more
than an ordinary human being in
America can be sent to Jail on hear
say or irrelevant testimony. The
hearings before the committee have
been absolutely non-partisan. The
democratic members and certain re-
publican members would be pleased
to find something crooked. They
are depending on Mr.. Herring and
DR.. Kirby to come across with proof
the material on which the former
expected to work when he started In
on a general housekeeping under
the big gold dome.
Many Bills Before Legislators
When legislators returned to their
duties today they faced 524 bills
which have not been acted on. These
are on the calendar or in commit
tees. The call was sounded today
for Intensive work during the M xt
few weeks of the session. $50 bills
have been disposed OF. 80 bills have
passed both houses and have been
approved or remain in the. hands of
the gnYernnr for his signak1lra