Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-02-12

Give the Railroads q -Up-A
Measure for the support at the Soldiers
Home for the Wives and Widows Of
Veterans.
Especial correspondence
LANSING, Feb. 2.
Last week was very unsatisfac-
tory one In legislative circles. When
the Legislature convened at 9:15 on
Wednesday evening after the long ad-
journment, the Senate was destitute OF
a quorum, only ten members answering
to roll call The number was increased
to fourteen on Thursday, but still three
less than quorum, and not until
Friday afternoon did IL succeed in hav-
ing a sufficient number to proceed with
the regular business. The House had a
bare quorum on Wednesday oven
ing, and continued through the
Der to give any measure immediate
effect. The proceedings were enlivened
on Wednesday by the introduction Of
some very startling railroad legislation
by Representative jackson, of Wayne,
who presented bills repeating the char
ters Of the old Grand River Valley Road,
operated by the Michigan Central, and
the Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad, oper-
Southern, and followed this up by joint
resolution to submit to. vote of the
people next spring proposed amend
ment to the Constitution which will en-
able the State to buy railroads outright
under certain conditions.
All this was followed by a bill an
nouncing that under provisions Of act AZ,
session laws of 1916, the State elects to
purchase from the Michigan Central
Company its railroad, and all its proper
ty and effects The bill makes the Gov
ernor the purchasing agent, and provides
that In case the company and the State
cannot agree upon the market value OF
the stocks OF the company the Supreme
Court shall fix the valuation, and within
two years thereafter the State Treasurer
shall pay the company the amount
due 1t.
The bill conflicts with the constitution
as the latter stands at present, and
therefore will not be pushed until the
proposed amendment is voted upon in
the spring. The real intent of the bill
is to force the Michigan Central people
to give up the special privileges and Inn
munities they enjoy under their charter,
and II this can be accomplished no
serious effort will be made to force the
State into the railroad-buying business.
This was followed by the introduction
of a bill by Richardson, OF Ottawa, to
amend the charter OF the Michigan Gen.
tral Railroad Company. 1t amends
section 33, which provides the rate OF
taxation to be paid by said company, by
bringing the company under the general
railroad tax law. A section of the
charter provides that, by a two-thirds
vote of each branch of the Legislature,
the charter may be amended, al
tered or repealed, and that tho
State shall compensate the company
for any damage that IL may sustain
by reason of such change. Mr.. Rich
ardson feels satisfied that the question
of damage does not contemplate tho
question of taxation and that the courts
will so hold. At any rate it should be
tried, as the damage TO the company
would not be more than the increased
tax the company would be required to
pay. Consequently the State could lose
| nothing and might gain much by the
passage of his bill
Taking it all in all, the railroads are
receiving a very uncomfortable shak-
ing up.
Representative Hayward's bill to pro-
vide cottages and support at the Sol-
diers' Home for the widows and wives Of
veterans provides tax OF one-tenth Of a
mill on the dollar, or about 500, 900 a
year, for this purpose
Representative Richardson's bill for
regulating the tolls Of the telegraph
lines between points In Michigan pro-
vides that not over cent word shall
be charged for messages to Michigan
points, although the telegraph COM
panies may be allowed to fix minimum
charge of Is cents for a dispatch of ten
words or less, The companies have beer
laborlng to convince the author that the
actual cost for transmission of ten-word
messages is in excess OF fifteen cents,
but without avail.
There are doubts in regard to the con-
stitutionality of tho measure, as it is as
| serted that the courts have held that the
| telegraph lines come under the regula-
tions OF the interstate commerce law.
Attorney General Ellis is preparing
| for the submission OF constitutional
amendment at the spring election in
creasing his salary to 5000 per annun,
| and is ayerse to coupling with it any
proposition increasing the salary of any
other State officer. This will rob the
proposition Of some of its popularity.
Representative Richardson has intro
duced bill making the upper peninsula
hawking and peddling act of 1889 apply
to the whole State, and the granting Of
license and the fee therefor to be deter
mined by the township board. Rag ped
dlers are exempt.
The Senate took advantage Of its
quorum on Friday to adjourn until
"a 81 Il
not able to do this, but upon assembling
Saturday morning found itself without
quorum, aud after fruitIess search
for absentees under call of the House,
adjourned until Monday.
Gro A. DyrR