The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-12-29

legislature is through and in some
cases having to borrow money to take
care of its needs pending the pass
age of appropriation bills.
The Committee on Executive and
Ministerial departments has provided
for an executive budget, which it is
believed will serve as check on state
expenditures and save the state mil
lions of dollars. It provides that all
departments and institutions shall
file their budgets of estimated needs
for each biennial period with the gov
! ernor. He is to go over them care.
fully, providing for hearings where
items need explaining and he is 60 sub
nit his recommendations to the gen
eral assembly. 1t can make reduc-
tons but cannot add to any items
submitted and is directed not to act on
any other appropriations until the
executive budget has been passed.
With the budget the governor is to
submit an estimate of the revenues
available for the biennial period and
the general assembly is not to pass
appropriations in excess of those es-
Inmates. The legislative and judicial
budgets are to be submitted to the
governor, but he is not to amend or
reduce the amount.
The same committee provides for a
maximum of twelve departments of
state government in addition to the
governor and acknowledgement. 1t
! names four, to be headed by the Sec
rotary of state, state auditor, state
treasurer and attorney general. The
others are left to the legislative body
to create and name, as we'll as to pro-
vide for the duties of each. Under
this system the numerous boards and
bureaus now existent will be abolished
and such necessary duties as they now
perform will be transferred to the
limited number of departments.
Provision is made that the govern
or SIS conservator Of the peace
throughout the state may call to his
assistance the local peace officers of
the state. His only recourse now is to
call out the militia to quell disturb
ances. This would seldom be neces-
sary under the terms of the provision
which has SO far been approved.
One or two Of these provisions
made IN the report of the Committee
on Suffrage and Elections have been
anticipated by the adoption at the
polls in November of Proposal No. 2.
One provides that only citizens of the
United States will be eligible to vote
after one years residence in the
state. Under the old law a resident
of the state could vote after taking
out his first papers. The other pro-
vides for extending the absent voting
privileges to persons absent from the
state as well as within the state.
This report also authorizes the
opening the ballot boxes and COM
parison Of ballots with the poll lists
in the investigation of fraud and the
use of the ballots before grand iuries
and the courts in the investigation or
prosecution Of criminal cases. A
modification of the primary has been
tentatively approved which would
leave to party committees the option
of nominating officials for state and
district offices by direct primary or
| by delegate conventions, the delegates
being named at primaries. 1t is pro-
posed by the committee to offer sub
stitute for this which may be submit
ted to the voters as an alternative
proposition. Registration of voters
is provided for in all cities of 10000
or more.
Public health service is recognized
in the report of the Committee on
Public Health and Welfare which has
been approved by the convention. II
provides that 'the general assembly
shall provide by law for the safe
guarding and promotion of the public
health"
The initiative and referendum have
been amended slightly to meet OBJ
H jections to the measure which makes
it 90 easy to secure the referring OF
laws. The percentage for referring
laws is raised to 10 per cent and while
the percentage for initiating laws re-
mains at per cent it will require IL
1 per cent for initiating amendments to
the constitution, ii the section is final
~ approved. Voters who cannot write
their names are to make their mark
in the presence of two witnesses, and
in districts where registration is re-