Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-15
ones that tod has committed 60 his care the
principal sufferers by his crime.

lf"aN ny tut Cthtt. numerous complaints
have been received from all parts of the State
IN regard 10 the exofbitant ana illegal fees
charged Tor such services. Bills have been
regularly presented and paid claim ny more
mileage than by the usual route An extra
day, not moment OF which was spent In con-
veying the prisoner or returning, Is charged,
over night by the iufroScto os am ances rtra
day-inciuding supper, lodging and breakfast
are charged to the Stato-making IN some
cases nearly double the legal fees. Such
count OF services rendered the State. Tho
Wardens OF tho prisons have also called my
Of guards and trps sberPM w
invite his acquantances 20 a number equal
TO the number of prisoners TO be con-
expense OF the State. An officer will convey
three mock tralnps, anxious TO winter at Ionia,
at three trips when they might just as well
have been taken at one time. The sum drawn
from the State Treasury by these rcprehensl.
bic and dishonest practices is considerable. /
am disposed, however, TO regard its democrat
izing effect on officers TO whom are intrusted
the execution of the laws as the most serious
result. 1t might seem harsh to call it ''robbing
the State by perjury" and yet when false nc.
from the State, l do not know how IL can well
be designated I'm milder terms. Several plans
have been proposed TO remedy the evils COM
plained OF i think the best plan will be to
make the conveying of prisoners under sem
tence To the prisons of the State a charge
against the counties from which they are sent.
The boards OF supervisors will scrutinize more
carefully and intclligen;ly such bills than can
a State officer who knows but little of the
facts, and will, i think put a stop to the
abuses complained of.
MINERAL STATISTICS.
Tho Office OF Commissioner of Mineral Sta
tstics is, think, of little practical use TO the
State He publishes annually a book of near
ly three hundred pages, giving the history
and workings OF each mine for the previous
year; "A work of much labor but, as believe,
of little interest except 70 those operating the
mines, or dealing in mining stocks. After
sending to the several mining companies such
copies as were recommended by the Commits
sioner, believing that the remainder should be
got before the public somehow, ordered a
quantity 10 the executive office at Flint. My
persistent efforts TO give these books away
have not been crowned with any remarkable
degree OF success.
| recommend that the Office OF commissioner
of mineral statistics be abolished, and a COM
missioner of mines appointed, whose duty IL
shall be to exercise supervision on behalf of
the state OF all mining operations; TO see that
the safety of tho miners is secured, and that
every precautiOn Is used to prevent avoidable
accidents-indecd, with summary powers TO
Interfere whore human life might possibly be
imperiled; with authority 10 compel tho clos
ing OF mines whore they can not safely be
worked, the rejection of unsafe machinery,
and the use of such machinery and apparatus
as may seem necessary to protect the miners
from all aVoidablc danger. Besides reporting
such brief statistical summary, of mining
operations as would be of general interest IL
should be his duty TO report all casualties
among the operatives and their causes.
commend the matter to your thoughtful con-
sideration.
TAX LAWS.
The tax law of 1882 fails 10 provide for the
sale of lands for delinquent drainage taxes.
Sales siiaiif be fitiG fat' fn ltif lilet shaeb
and manner as lands are advertised Ia, and sold
age act of 1881 and the tax law OF 1892 do not
and il is, l believe, generally con-
ccdcd that there is now no legal method OF
oil HnIfupnpnt 1rufnnOp nv sale
of lands. This is an important matter, and
should receive carly consideration.
The tax law of leS2 seems To have been care
fully planned TO give purchasers at tax sales
good title. | can not but think that the rights
of landowners who, through poverty, igno-
rance, or care!essnoss have allowed taxes 10
go unpaid, should have received more consid-
Grafton. BY a single act of carclcssness on
the part of the poor man, or from lack OF
knowledge, a SPECTATOR may, at the cost OF
single years tax, obtain Il good title To the
family homestead. think the privilege of
redemption for u series OF years by paying tho
taxes and penalty, amply sufficient to com
pcnsate the Spectator Tor his Investment
should be provided for.
SALARIES.
The salaries paid to our State officers and
Judges of the supreme Court arc n disgrace
TO the State The salary of every state ofhcer
should be sufficient to compensate him for the
work performed and the responsibility as
sumed. and for all the expenses incident to
his Official position. with our present salaries
no man of moderate means can afford To hold
u state office No Is'ttsr how S~ost'Sssss conn
pctent such II man may be, nc is rs really de-
barred from accepting u State Office as II
Constitutional provision against poor men
holding Office was in force. The salaries OF
the Judges of tho supreme Court should at
least be equal the income of II frSt-claSs law.
yer i'm one of our large CT cs, sufficient to per
init them to devote thor entire time and
thought to the duties of their Office,
| recommend that you submit to the people
a Constitutional Amendment increasing the
salaries of State officers and Judges of the
Supreme Court and trust the people viii at
the polls vote for salaries that VIII place the
poorest man, If competent and worthy, in a
position to accept the highest Office in the
State.
The recent election has called special atten-
ton TO the laws of the several Suites govern
ing the holding of elections. 1t seems TO be
generally conceded that the law OF New York
which provides that the three judges of cleo
ton for each voting precinct shall not Delong
TO the same political party, and that the two
clerks OF elect on must belong 10 dlnerent po'
litcal orgauizat ons, is admirably adapted to
secure Justice, and to give TO the public con-
fidence IN a far count The New York meth
cd of destroying the ballots as soon as the
count is made seems 20 prevent another temp
tation to fraud b. tampering with the ballot
box, as was done in the same election at Chi
eag9 , Would ree S 1 HAT 1Hr law n t rs
votes cast be made IT, correspond with that OF
New York. The pcrpctuity of our free insti-
tutions depends upon the sacredness OF the
ballot-boX and the fairness of the count, and
every precautiOn should be taken, not only 70
secure this result, but also To emove the
slightest degree of suspicion that the rights OF
voters could be tempered with.
SOLDIERS BOUNTIEs.
There are TO day in Michigan over two thou
sand veterans OF the war OF the Union, en-
titled by law to State bountics, who claim that
they have received nothing from the state
The records OF the Quartcrmastcr Depart
ment show that these bounties have been pait
to the assignees and those entitled to receive
| them, in very many instances the assignee
| being persons connected with the quarter
! masters Department. ! have been assuret
| by veterans i'm whom / have the fullest con
| fidencc, that the date OF what purpCrtS TO b'
| their assignment ard Acknowledgement be
fore "A Michigan notary they were IN dlstan
| States and Territories
The State can rot afford that charges o
| wholesale dishonesty against its officials
pass unnoticed. Rigid investigation shoul,
i be made, and IL wrong has been done to tn
| soldier, his widow, or children, tho Stat
| should at once right the wrong, and use ever.
means TO discover and punish the guilty pan
| ties.
i weuld therefore recommend that thre
! commissioners, differing in hC!rpoltical rela
| tions be appointed, with authority TO sem
| for persons and papers, and thoroughly In
vcstigate such charges as may be made in rt
| gard to soldiers bountics. Only some sue
| action can forever put to rest the accusation
| OF wrong now so freely made against the stat
and individuals.
CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.
In the latter part of May, 1883, during tn
| session of the Lcgsliturc, Mr.. Friend Palmer
of Detroit, visited me nt Lansing, and II
formed me that tho United states was II
debtcd to the state of Michigan on clair
which had accrued about the beginning Q
the civil war, and that the time during whic
the claim could be presented was about I
expire An act of Congress approved JAM
arg IA, 1878, had limited the time during whic
claims could be received by the Departmer
at Washington to Ave years. He did nc
know, he said, how much could be COLLECTED
but claimed exclusive knowledge as TO III
nature of the claim, and this | found TO
correct, as no official at lansing could g1y
| mo my information tho snhloCi. III Oh