Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1923-01-17
MANY new LAWS
ARE PROPOSED
Iowa General Assembly is Getting
Under Way. Tax Law Reform
Will be Big Issue.
INTEND TO GRAPPLE
WITH PROBLEM EARLY
A New Set Of Teeth for the Statute
Governing Assessment of Moneys
and Credits Will be Up.
Continued from first page

and to recommend how IT might b.
| changed.
you bet there will!' Harnmill re-
piled earnestly. There will be such
a committee, and it>won't be a smell
ing committee either. It will be Civ,
en- to understand that its Job thi;
year Is to work out a comprehensive
program of state department con.
solicitations. The time is here when
something must be done to cut on,
some of the lost motion in state
government"
Here is the key to two things: The
lieutenant governors attitude, in
general, toward the governors re-
commentator for government re-
form; and an indication of the pro-
bable attitude of majority of the
departmental affairs committee nam
ed by him.
That group last session was sup
posed to consider government re-
form. But, like the unframed bird
dog that Pushes a rabbit, it got
started on another chase. Practi-
cally all Of the committees time was
taken up with an Investigation or
charges brought by persons and
newspapers, against various state Of
ficers. There seems to be no such
thing in the wind this winter
Ii cannot be said that a majority
of the assembly at this time seems
disposed to favor all of the COVER
nor'S program of consultations, as
outlined in his message. Many mem
bers will find il quite impossible to
swallow the plan to group numerous
bureaus now independent under a
state board of agriculture constituted
as is the present state fair board.
There will be emphatic opposition to
consolidation of the board of control
and parole. There is now no discer-
nible group opinion as TO just what
should be done in the way of depart
mental consultations; there is only
the very generally-held opinion tina;
something should be done.
Senator Smith Brookhart stood be-
fore a joint session ffthe house and
senate last Thursday, and threw the
challenge TO his enemies on the
state primary law. He declared the
belief that the clause requiring 80
per cent of the vote to nominate
should be stricken from the law,
which otherwise should be left as it
is.
The utterance evoked no applause
from the house floor, but neither did
it evoke any threats afterward. Mr..
Brookhart was warmly and respects
fully received. He talked easily and
calmly, with a friendly smile always
on his lips, and an engaging between
US folks manner. II seems apparent,
from the spirit of that occasion, that
the legislature is not going TO pick
any fights with Mr.. Brookhart.
His recommendation as to the 80
per cent clause probably will not
be needed, but it produced no re-
sentiment, such as move TO repeal
the primary law might be built on.
The primary law is pretty likely to
be left just as it is.
Late last week the choice of two
things was put squarely up 10 Gov
ernor Kendall. He could either pro-
mise to'call a special session TO COM
plete code revision, or the legislature
would turn an indifferent shoulder
TO his plea that the job be attempted
in this regular session. The COVER
nor backed up. He promised the
special session. Thus trouble that
had been brewing on the code re-
vision question was avoided.
Code revision, therefore, probably
will be pending business in the hands
of standing committees thruout the
sesSion-it will be something 10 take
up when there is nothing else to
work on. But Il will be no more
than that. The joint COM
mittee on code revision, in its report
70 the assembly, made it entirely
that general Legislation was to come
first, and code revision only II there
was time left over. And the gov
ernor agreed that this was the way
TO do it. How much of the work can
be done within the regular session of
100 days is a disputed question. The
governor thinks it can be completed,
many legislators think it can hardly
be more than begun.
As usual, it is being found much
easier this year to talk OF reduc-
ing state appropriations, than 1T Is
TO reduce them. In their estimates
Of expense for TIE ensuing two
years, the various state departments
and bureaus ask for 81 ,056,664 more
than the sum of what wa, spent and
now on hand during the biennial
period just ending. These offices IN
the two years just past, spent $780,
1872, 1O6. For the next two years
they ask $30,248,770.
These totals, moreover, do not
include aSkings to be made by the
state board of education, for funds
with which to build new buildings
At the state colleges. They do NOT
include the $450,000, year which !
Iowa must appropriate for buildings
At Iowa City, if the quarter million
iollar gift by the Rockefeller found
1tion is TO become available.
Quite a number of gifts are being
offered TO Iowa this year, all con-
,ingent upon matching state APP
preparation. Besides the Rockefeller
fund, there is federal road
aid, federal aid for vocational edu-
,ation, and federal aid for work UNI
Ter the Shepard-Tqwner maternity
welfare law. Exact figures are not
ayaiIable, but they will run into SIX