The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-10-13

next week. The other committees still
to report are those on Counties, Cit
lies and Towns, Agriculture, Educa-
ton, and the Committee on Congress
sional, Judicial, Senatorial and Rep.
resentative Districts. The last named
has given notice that it will have lit
tie to report. But it is difficult to de-
termine how much time will be re-
CURED to pass on the various reports.
Matters that it was not expected
would take any time have provoked
lengthy discussion and in some cases
important amendments before being
approved. The members are anxious
to get through as soon as possible,
but concede the right Of everyone to
be heard on any point that is not en-
tirely satisfactory or clear. With ov-
er eighty active minds in the conven-
ton It Is not possible for everyone to
be satisfied with every proposition
without some consideration. Every
one feels the need of perfecting an in
strument which will stand the test
/ for years to come and while the time
consumed has been longer than any
one estimated at the start, it is agreed
that it is the duty of all to finish the
job even if it takes another three
months. 1t is believed that some Of
the reports will take much less time
than has been consumed on the four
that have been considered in part or
as a whole.
The most important action of the
convention the past week was the dis
position of the report of the Commit
tee on Executive and Ministerial De-
partnlents. The budget system pro-
vided for IN the report, which was ex-
planned in last weeks letter, was ap-
proved with only minor changes.
Part three of the report which pro-
vides for limitation Of the civil de-
partments of the state government to
twelve received long consideration
and was amended to meet the views of
a majority of the members, being
finally agreed to in the committee of
the whole, as amended, and the whole
report was returned to the convention.
After it has gone to the Committee on
Phraseology and Arrangement it
will be again before the convention
for amendment and final passage.
This part of the report provides
that there shall be not more than
twelve civil departments of which
the first four will be state, law, audit
and accounts, and treasury, to be
headed respectively by the secretary
of state, Encouragement, state au-
ditor and state treasurer. The other
departments are left for the general
assembly to name, as it is to create
them. One substitute offered pro-
vided for the naming Of all the de-
partments, as state, law, audit and
accounts, finance, taxation and reve-
nue., commerce and industry, public
utilities, education, agriculture, high
ways and public works, public well
fare, and military affairs. The prin-
cipal difference from the committee
report was in naming all the de-
partments and providing for the du-
ties and powers of each. Special eX
ception was taken to making the pub
lie service commission and the tax
commission constitutional bodies and
they were voted out Of the substitute
before it was itself defeated. Vari-
Gus other substitutes were offered and
defeated, some aiming to leave the
constitution as it is and others pro-
viding changes which it was believed
would have rendered the system inef-
fective.
After naming the four departments
the committee report as amended
provides that the general assembly
shall provide by law for the organi-
cation of all civil functions of the
state government in the departments
named in the preceding section or
which shall hereafter be created, in
one of which every function, power
and duty of the civil department of
the state government shall be exer-
cised and performed. Such depart
ments are to be under such super
vision and regulation as the general
assembly may from time to time pre-
scribe by law. Subject to the limita-
tons of the constitution, the general
assembly may from time to time as
sign by law new powers and func-
tions to the departments created un-
der the constitution; and increase,
modify or diminish their powers and
functions as created by law: Provid-
ed, that in assigning such civil func-
tons to any of the departments pro-
vided for in. the last preceding sec
ton, all boards, bureaus and commits
sions, whose duties can be performed
by any of those departments, shall be
abolished and no renewed or other
board, bureau or commission shall be
authorized or created to do or perform
any act or service that may be done
or performed by either of such de-
partments.
From it's investigation the COM
mittee found upwards of seventy
boards or commissions operating in
the state and it believes that by the
adoption of the provisions in it's re-
port many of these may be done away
with and their duties, such as are
deemed necessary, may be carried on
under one of the twelve civil depart
mcnts, which it believes will result in
the saving of thousands Of dollars to
the people of the state.
Mrs. Henrietta O'Hern, appointed
by Governor Hyde to represent the
Thirteenth Congressional. district in
place of w. A. Rhinehart. resigned,
was sworn in as a member of the con-
yention Thursday. She is Republi-