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INVESTIGATIONS-EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMISSION.

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 40.)

WHEREAS, The joint committee established by Senate Joint Resolution No. 22 of the Forty-eighth General Assembly, in the report of the investigation of the departments, boards, bureaus and commissions of the State Government, has shown the need for further study of all branches of State and local government, for the purpose of securing greater efficiency and economy; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Senate of the State of Illinois, the House of Representatives concurring therein, That an Efficiency and Economy Commission be established to consist of four Senators, be appointed by the executive committee of the Senate; four Representatives, one of whom shall be the Speaker of the House of Representatives and three others to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; which shall have full power and authority to prepare a comprehensive survey of all public offices and authorities, established by and under the authority of the State of Illinois, to investigate the efficiency of their organization and administration, and to make recommendations and prepare plans for the consolidation, co-ordination and reorganization of such public bodies, such as will promote greater simplicity, efficiency and economy in the management of public affairs.

Resolved, That the Commission shall have full power and authority to subpoena witnesses and to examine and compel the production of books, papers and documents.

Resolved. That the Commission shall have power to employ agents, attorneys, accountants and other experts and assistants necessary to carry on such investigation and make its report.

Resolved, That the expenses of such commission and its agents and employees shall be paid out of any appropriation made therefor by the General Assembly, upon vouchers properly drawn upon the Auditor of Public Accounts, and properly itemized and signed and approved by the chairman and secretary of the commission; and

Resolved, That the Commission is authorized to make recommendation for changes in administrative methods and regulations to the several public officers and authorities concerned; and shall report its findings and recommendations, with drafts of bills and proposed constitutional provisions, to the General Assembly of the State of Illinois.

Adopted by the Senate June 17, 1915.
Concurred in by the House June 18, 1915.

INVESTIGATIONS-FOOT AND MOUTH EPIDEMIC.

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 35.)

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has found it necessary to appropriate $1,079.183.64 to reimburse farmers and stock men for the stock killed for the recent so-called epidemic of foot and mouth disease; and,

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Agriculture reported that the epidemic of foot and mouth disease of 1909 in this country was "started from some calves used to propagate vaccine virus" for smallpox; and,

WHEREAS, The same Department of Agriculture reported that "the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 1902-3 probably had a similar origin;” and,

WHEREAS Practically one-half (%) of all the foot and mouth disease in the nation was confined within the borders of the State of Illinois, and believing that it is better to prevent than to cure, and cheaper and more far-sighted to take such steps toward precautionary and educational measures than to suffer injurious losses in the future; and

WHEREAS, A difference of opinion seems to prevail as to cause of the outbreak of the so-called foot and mouth disease epidemic of 1915; therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Senate of the State of Illinois, the House of Representatives concurring therein, That a committee of five Senators to be appointed by the Senate and five Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker, be appointed to investigate and inquire into the causes of the recent epidemic of the foot and mouth disease and all and any matters in connection therewith with a view of taking such steps are are necessary to prevent and avoid further outbreak or repetition thereof; and, be it further Resolved, That said committee be and hereby is specially authorized and empowered to summons before said committee, as witnesses, any and all persons who may, in the judgment of the committee be possessed of any information deemed valuable by said committee, this to include the power to summon by subpoena duces tecum all books, documents and papers desired as evidence by said committee; and said committee shall have and it hereby has the same power or powers possessed by the General Assembly to enforce its orders and to compel attendance of witnesses and the production of books, documents and papers; and, be it further

Resolved, That the said committee shall have the power to employ assistants; and, be it further

Resolved, That the said committee shall continue its inquiry and investigation and report its recommendation together with any bill or bills to the Fiftieth General Assembly, and that the said committee shall receive no compensation but shall be paid its actual expenses, and that an appropriation be made for the sum of ten thousand [dollars] ($10,000.00) to meet the actual expenses of the said committee, as well as such assistants as may be necessarily employed by it, and that an appropriation in said sum be made by the General Assembly, and that all expenses necessarily incurred shall be paid on vouchers certified to by the chairman of the said committee. Adopted by the Senate June 14, 1915. Concurred in by the House June 18, 1915.

INVESTIGATIONS-HOME-FINDING INSTITUTIONS.

(House Joint Resolution No. 21.)

WHEREAS, The Forty-eighth General Assembly of the State of Illinois. pursuant to the request of the Governor of the State of Illinois, adopted House Joint Resolution No. 36; and,

WHEREAS, The committee appointed under said resolution entered upon the discharge of their duties and have made an elaborate report of their acts and doings; and,

WHEREAS, The committee believe that it is essential and expedient in the interests of the public and in the furtherance of the good government of this State to continue a most researching, scrutinizing and careful examination and investigation; therefore, be it

Resolved, That a joint committee of five Representatives and five Senators be appointed respectively by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Executive Committee of the Senate to continue the investigation and inquiry into the methods and actions of charitable institutions and organizations and of all persons, societies, institutions and corporations handling, caring for or disposing of children in any manner, whether licensed or chartered, or unlicensed or unchartered so to do, and to investigate their accounts, receipts and expenditures and to investigate all charitable organizations to ascertain if they are engaged in the name of charity to traffic for gain; and, be it further

Resolved, That the said committee be, and it hereby is, empowered and fully authorized, to take any and all steps that may be necessary to make full and complete investigation of the above specified matters; and in the doing of this, said committee is specially authorized and empowered, to summons before said committee as witnesses any and all persons who may. in the judgment of the committee be possessed of any information deemed valuable by said committee, this to include the power of summons by subpoena duces tecum all persons possessed of, or in any way in charge of books, documents and papers desired as evidence by said committee; and

said committee shall have, and it hereby is given and has the same power or powers possessed by the General Assembly, to enforce its orders, and to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, documents and papers; and, be it further

Resolved, That the said committee shall have the power to employ any assistants, a stenographer and clerks; and be it further

Resolved, That the said committee shall continue its inquiry and investigation and report to the Fiftieth General Assembly, and that said committee shall receive no compensation but shall be paid its actual expenses and that an appropriation be made for the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to meet the actual expense of the said committee as well as such assistants as may be necessarily employed by them and that an appropriation in said sum be made by the General Assembly and that all expenses necessarily incurred shall be paid on voucher certified to by the chairman of the said committee and approved by either the Speaker of the House or the Lieutenant Governor.

Adopted by the House May 13, 1915.
Concurred in by the Senate June 19, 1915.

INVESTIGATIONS-OPERATION OF STATE PENSION LAWS.

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 17.)

WHEREAS, For almost a quarter of a century at every session of the General Assembly bills have been introduced and passed providing for or relating to the payment of pensions to superannuated, retired or injured public employees and in many cases to their widows and children at an expense to the public now aggregating millions of dollars annually; and,

WHEREAS, The Legislature has heretofore provided for the contribution of public revenue for this purpose without making or causing to be made any investigation of the present and future cost or value of such pensions, of any plan or procedure by which economics might be affected in the administration of the various pension funds, or of consolidating, revising and making permanent the many unscientific "make-shift" laws now in force relating thereto; and,

WHEREAS, There are now pending in the Legislature several pension bills affecting various classes of public employees in the city of Chicago, each designed either to extend the benefits of the present laws or to secure the contribution of further public revenue to such funds; and,

WHEREAS, It is desirable in order that the Legislature may act intelligently upon these matters to obtain further information upon the operation of these laws, and upon the present and future cost of the administration thereof; therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring herein, That the Governor is hereby authorized and requested to appoint a commission of four members, one of whom shall be a representative of said pension funds, the other three of whom shall be persons not interested in any of said pension funds and one of whom shall be a person versed in financial affairs, one of whom shall be a person of actuarial experience, and another of whom shall be a person of legal attainments, who shall be chairman of the commission, to investigate the operation of all pension laws heretofore enacted in this State, together with the present and future cost thereof, and to collect information as far as possible in regard to the operation of similar laws in other states and countries, and to make recommendation upon this subject to the next General Assembly.

The commission shall have power to call upon the insurance department and other departments of the State Government for such assistance as it may require, to employ one or more actuaries, a clerk, a stenographer and counsel, and such other assistants as may be necessary.

The expense of said commission, including a reasonable per diem to the members thereof, not to exceed ten dollars per day, for time actually spent in such investigation, shall be paid out of funds to be appropriated therefor upon vouchers drawn upon the Auditor of Public Accounts properly

itemized and certified to by the chairman of the commission and approved by the Governor.

The commission shall report its findings, together with any recommendations it may see fit to make, to the Governor not later than December 1st, 1916, for transmission to the Fiftieth General Assembly.

Adopted by the Senate April 7, 1915.
Concurred in by the House April 22, 1915.

INVESTIGATIONS-UNEMPLOYMENT OF STATE.

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 12.)

Resolved, by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein, That a commission of nine members be and is hereby established to be known as the Commission on Unemployment of the State of Illinois. The members of said commission shall be appointed by the Governor as soon as practicable after the taking effect of this resolution and shall consist of three representatives of labor, three representatives of employers of labor, and three representatives of the public who are not identified with either the employing or employed classes. Each member of said commission shall have equal authority, power and voting strength in considering any action upon all matters considered by the commission.

The said commission shall have power and authority to investigate the subject of unemployment in Illinois, together with the causes leading thereto, and the effect of such idleness upon the commonwealth and its citizenship.

Said commission shall meet at the State Capitol building in Springfield, on the third Tuesday after notice of their appointment, and shall immediately elect a chairman and secretary from among their number, one of whom shall be an employer and the other a representative of the employees.

Six members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business, but a fewer number than a quorum may adjourn the meeting of the commission from time to time.

The meetings of said commission shall be held at such times and places within the State of Illinois as may be fixed by the said commission.

Said commission shall report to the Governor and to the General Assembly at its next regular session, submitting, so far as they have agreed. a bill or bills, or other means destined to meet the purpose announced in this resolution.

The commission may employ such necessary assistance as it deems wise and expedient in pursuit of its investigation and shall fix their salaries. The commission shall be allowed its necessary and actual expenses incurred in pursuit of its investigations and $10.00 per diem for each member for services actually rendered out of any moneys appropriated for the purpose upon presentation of proper vouchers certified to by the chairman and secretary of said commission and approved by the Governor. Adopted by the Senate April 27, 1915. Concurred in by the House June 11, 1915.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL EXHIBIT-PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION.

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 2.)

WHEREAS, The Illinois State Commission to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, to be held in San Francisco, during the present year (1915), has decided to place in the Illinois State Building at the said Panama-Pacific International Exposition an exhibit of material, such as letters, portraits and relics portraying a history of the life of Abraham Lincoln, the most illustrious son of Illinois, this exhibit to be known as the Lincoln Memorial Exhibit, for which a room has been especially pre pared by the Illinois Commission to the Exposition.

The commission has requested the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library to lend to it certain articles, pictures, relics and

documents now in the custody of said Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library to be used as a part of said Lincoln Memorial Exhibit; and,

WHEREAS, It seems desirable that the request be granted; therefore, Resolved, by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring. therein, That the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library be and are hereby authorized to loan to the Illinois State Commission to the Panama-Pacific International exposition for the Exhibit at said Exposition, such historical relics, documents, etc., under its control as said commission may deem necessary for said exhibit, provided that said commission shall return at the conclusion of said Exposition, to the custody of the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library all such articles, relics, documents, etc., in as good condition as when taken away, and without expense to the Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library;

Resolved, That such additional historical matter collected by the Illinois State Commission to the Panama-Pacific International Exposition for making said exhibit, shall, at the close of the Exposition, be the prop erty of the State of Illinois, and shall be placed in the Illinois State Historical Library, at Springfield, Illinois.

Adopted by the Senate March 2, 1915.

Concurred in by the House March 31, 1915.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOODS-PREVENTION.

(Senate Joint Resolution No. 4.)

WHEREAS, The frequent floods of the Mississippi River, caused by waters from thirty-one states, embracing more than 41 per cent of the total area of the United States, result in great loss of human lives in portions of the State of Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana, and large money losses, not only in such afflicted territory, but in other portions of the nation; and,

WHEREAS, All political parties have declared in their campaign platforms that flood control of the Mississippi River is a national duty; therefore, be it

Resolved, by the Senate of the State of Illinois, the House concurring, That the Congress of the United States be and is hereby requested to fulfill this national duty at its next session and to enact such legislation as shall provide a separate and comprehensive plan for the prevention of such floods without delay; be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the President of the Senate of the Congress of the United States.

Adopted by the Senate April 22, 1915.
Concurred in by the House May 5, 1915.

PORTRAIT OF ORVILLE H. BROWNING-ACCEPTANCE.

(House Joint Resolution No. 10.)

WHEREAS, The Hon. Orville H. Browning, for many years and at the time of his death a member of the Adams County Bar, residing at Quincy; a member of the Illinois Legislature from 1836 to 1843, serving in both Houses; United States Senator from Illinois from 1861 to 1863, by appoint ment of Governor Yates, to succeed the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas; Secretary of the Interior of the United States, also discharging for a time the duties of Attorney General, under President Johnson; and a member of the Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1869-70; was a most distinguished citizen, eminent lawyer and honored public servant of Illinois; and,

WHEREAS, A Portrait in oil of Mr. Browning has been presented to the State of Illinois by his niece, Mrs. Eliza Price Miller, of New Berlin, Illinois; be it

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