Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-03-08

Hon. y. ~. IurnDull, as legislator,
is success. At the present session of
the Legislature, during the discussion
of the tax bill, Mr.. Turnbull made an
effort to save the people Of Michigan al
least $4,000 per year. He offered an
amendment to the tax bill, providing
for the delinquent tax list to be award
ed to the lowest bidder, the same, as
other State printing. He showed that
if such law had been passed ten years
ago, at least $4,000 less would have
been paid by the people of this State
for printing the delinquent tax lists.
He stated to the Republican members,
that if they were asked to vote q direct
sum of $4,000 per year to Republican
newspapers, they would refuse, but UNI
der the present law they were, in an in
direct manner, taking from the people
of Michigan, the sum of $4,000 per
year, and giving it to Republican news
papers and he asked for fair vote
upon his proposition, of letting the
printing to the lowest bidder, as mat
ter of business. The Republican men,
bers Of the Legislature, with but four
exceptions, refused to vote upon the
question as business matter, and de-
cided that the people of Michigan
should pay at least $4,000 per year
to support Republican papers. This is
the position of the Republican party of
the State of Michigan at present. Mr..
Turnbull deserves thanks for his en-
deavors to lessen the burdens of the
people and he has made bad rupture
in one of the Republican schemes Of
plumber. Voters will remember that
when the Republican party of this
State was given an opportunity to save
the people the sum of S20,000 per year,
they refused, and decided, by an almost
unanimous vote, to steal that amount
every year from the people, in order
that they might be able to pay bonuses
to Republican papers. 1t is the bust
ness of the Legislature to make the
public expenses as light as possible, and
in the matter of printing the tax lists,
the Republicans, who form very large
majority of the Legislature, refused to
do so, and the consequence is, that the
extra $4,000 bonus to Republican pa
pers will have to be paid by the peo-
pie.
On this subject the Detroit Free Press
has the following to say;
Representative Turnbull's amend
ment to the tax bill, giving the publ
cation Of tax sales to the lowest re-
sponsible bidder. ought to pass.
Under the present system the publ
cation of the list is gross abuse and
gigantic fraud upon the taxpayers.
A majority Of the newspapers which
ostensibly do the publishing get their
lists from Lansing, where they are
printed at a 1.-THE of the charge made
by the ostensible publisher, and added
to the sum that the land owner has to
pay on redemption. Throw the publ
cation open to competition. and the,
taxpayers would be relieved of con-
siderable portion of the burden to
which thew are subjected
Why should not this publication be
thrown open to competition, rs other
public work is? Can any Of the gen.
tlemen who voted against it in the com.
mittee of the whole give decent rea-
SOM Has there ever been, or is there
now, any argument in favor of the ex-
listing system save that it gives the par
ty in power the means of supporting
party organs in places where no news
paper could be supported on its merits ?
Every intelligent member of the
Legislature knows that this is the only
argument. There are scores of Re-
publican newspapers, so called, in the
State that could not live II year but for
the pap" the tax sales furnish them.
The profit that they make from pub
fishing those sales-having their print
ing cheaply done, as we have pointed
out, in Lansing-enables them to run
the rest of the year and support the
administration to which they are in.
debted for pap. And the money comes
from the taxpayers whose interests the
members Of the Legislature are supposed
to represent.
The time is ripe for abolishing this
abuse, and the Legislature should abol
ish it, 1t is an outrage upon every
taxpayer in the State to perpetuate it.
1t will probably wipe out some scores
Of petty, partisan organs that have no
reasonable excuse for existence, but
that of itself will be blessing to the
State and the people. And while it is
doing this it will at the same time
tighten the burden Of the taxpayer, and
give the work to deserving publishers
who are conducting newspapers that
really fila public want. We trust
Representative Turnhull will continue
his good work, and not permit himself
to be discouraged by the adverse ac-
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