Texas. Legislature. Joint Legislative Investigating Committee.

On July 26, 1921, during the First Called Session of the 37th Legislature, Representative Satterwhite offered House Concurrent Resolution 10, proposing the creation of a joint committee composed of three House and two Senate members to investigate Governor Neff's charges of mismanagement and misuse of monies by certain state departments. The committee was to be vested with the powers and authority of a district court. An amendment to the resolution changed the committee composition to five House members and three Senate members. The amended resolution was approved on July 26, sent to the Senate, and approved by the Senate; Senators Edgar E. Witt, Paul D. Page and T.W. Davidson were appointed to the committee. On July 27, Representatives Lackey, J.W. Hall, H.S. Bonham, J.E. Quaid, and Ben L. Cox were appointed to the committee.

The Joint Legislative Investigating Committee first met on July 28 and selected Representative Cox as Chair, Senator Witt as Vice-chair, and Representative Quaid as Secretary. Committee hearings occurred on July 29 and August 3, 5, and 8. The hearings focused on Governor Neff's particular concerns about graft and irregularities in the penitentiary system, the Treasurer's Office, the scholastic census, the Health Department, and the Fire Insurance Department. On August 12 the Committee's report to the Legislature was printed in the House Journal. The report noted the existence of some irregularities, most of which were in the process of being resolved, but found other charges to be cases of misunderstanding in which no wrongdoing was involved. The Committee's report was adopted on August 16, 1921.