The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-02-16
LEGISLATIVE LORE
Interesting Bills Noticed by the
State Lawmakers.
Representative Cook Would Have
Nom Resident Land Owners OF
UP. Pay Highway T axes.

(hctelfca TOO lhte lot pubntAlloA iA~t VIVA
LANSING, Mich, Feb. Special Cor
rcspondcnce-As the liity-day limit for
the introduction Of bills draws near, the
results already attained by the present
legislature show that as much il not
more legislation viii have been accom-
plishcd by the present body than 10y It's
immediate predecessor AT the present
time the record is better than that oithe
session 81 1898, over three hundred bills
having been introduced in the house at
this writing. In this number are in-
cluded some Of The most important
measures that have occupied the atten-
iion of Michigan legislators in recent
years. Both branches Of the legislature
are straining every nerve TO comply
with the popular demand Tor short
session md evening sessions are now
projected for the House TO accomplish
this end With the amount of work
already before them at this time, how
ever, the most veteran and conservative
Judges among the membership of the
lower house, give il as their opinion that
one-hundrcd day limit, fixed At hcopen-
ing will bc very wide of iaccuracy.
Supt. Pattengills educational meas
urc came up as n spccinl order in the
House for Tuesday morning, bat failed
TO stand the crucial test Of the farmer
statesmen. As hns been previously not
cd in these letters Mr.. Paitengll's, or
nominally, Mr. Rcdlern's bill, woul0 i'm
pose no little hardship upon rural teach
ers and rural commissioners, who, al
though not OF the highest degree oi quail
ification have succeeded FOR years by
"pursulng the even tenor OF their way
TO extract a livlihood from the vocation
OF teaching the young idea how 10 shoot,
either directly or indirectly. While this
condition OF affairs has been n matter
OF no little convenience to those so em-
ploycd, and, undoubtedly, quite satis-
fled the staid members OF sc decstrck
skulc board, it il the very condition
that Supt pattengill has endeayord to-
remove and place in lieu thereof u pro-
vision that must ol Necessity forge the
school system Of Michigan, regardless Of
surroundings, ~ II unit, TO n higher
standard OF excellence His bill has en-
joyed the support OF the professional
men Of the House geno'ally, but has met
a fate at the hands oI the farmers that
promises 20 be unyielding.
Rep. Cook, OF Dickinson, has noticed a
bill whereby he proposes TO force a large
number Of nonresident landowners OF
the upper peninsula into paying some.
thing toward tile maintenance of the
highways OF the upper peninsula, which
enhance the value Of the possessions
from which the landowners earn large
profits without contributing cent oi
tax 10 pny for the benefits thus derived.
As the law now stands, ho highway tax
can be levied except for use in the dis
trict wherein IL is raised Consequently
n public highway touching very close 10
a tract of land just without the district
in which the highway Is contained, may
make those lands very easy OF access
and enhance their value many fold, while
the owner OF the lands cannot be charged
u cent for the construction or maintcn.
anco oi the rond. To remedy this, Mr.
Cook will introduce bill amending the
present law so that money raised foI
highway purposes in township may b,
expended for highway purposes any
where in that township. Mr.. Cook be
lieves that the nonresident landowners
who have earned immense profits iron
their possessions in the upper peninsula
, and have been allowed to pay only d
minimum OF the tax raised for the sup
. port of the township institutions, il, in
deed, any tax at all is paid 10y them
should be attended TO and brought
shoulder to shoulder with the man VIII,
has his home among our people ant
spends his money with our merchants
The idea is certainly n good one an,
we'll worthy of success.
Rep. Cooks bill providing for the cleo
ton OF nm assessor for the city OF lrol
Mountain, ard prescribing hls power
, and duties, has been iavorably reporte,
by the committee on city corporation
and will come up in the general order j
n day or two. Mr. Cook has also not
iced bill authorizing the township {
Sagola, Dickinson county, TO provid
and maintain fire protection.
Z Rep. Chamberlain, OF Gogebic, who, b
the way. h one OF the busiest member
Of the present legislative body, is yer
deeply interested at the present time
a scheme 10 secure for the upper peniI
: sula n state normal school Under a
cooor,l ,,,lcr az flioys fho ttntcr ,,ont,