The Yale expositor., 1897-04-23
MicAloAN's LEGISLATORS.


Flint charter bill by vote of 72 to 10.
The House also passed the bill abolish
ing the fee system for all county Off
GERS. except sheriffs, Wayne and Kent
counties alone exempted. IL provides
that all fees received by county officers
shall he turned into the county treas
urics and the boards of supervisors of
the various counties affected shall fix
the salaries of the officers at the last
meeting of the board preceding an
election. The Senate has killed the
joint resolution which provided that
constitutional amendment be submit
ted to a vote of the people, whereby
the regents of the u. of Nj. would be
subjected to the authority of the leg
islature. The House committee on pri
vate corporations is having time with
the independent and the Bell telephone
companies. The representatives of in
dependent companies of various cities
areurging the passage of bill to pre-
vent the Bell company from making
ruinous rates for the purpose of driv-
ing out competitors.
Railroad bills have had another in
ming in the House and this time the
peoples welfare induced little more
favorable consideration. Three bills
were passed one step nearer completion
by being agreed to in committee of the
whole, but they have yet to receive
the formal vote of approval before
passing on TO the Senate. The most
important of the bills agreed to was the
an nti-discrimination bill which in its
latest form provides that every shipper
shall be entitled to the lowest rate for
the transportation of freight that such
railroad gives to any other shipper on
the same class of freight providing, in
case of violation of this provision,
that the shipper Disseminated against
may recover from the road before any
justice of the peace in the city or town
ship where such overcharges are made
an amount equal to double the amount
charged for the transportation of his
freight and $50 additional. The bill
originally provided penalty for dis
elimination in passenger rates also.
but this was killed. The other two
bills provide that each railroad passen-
ger shall be entitled TO have one bicy-
Gle carried free as ordinary baggage,
and compelling the railroad company
20 equip its ears with hooks, racks or
appliances for storing wheels so as not
10 mar or scratch them, the company
not to be responsible for the wheels
except by the carelessness or negli-
gence of its employees: also requiring
L. l..
can be heard a distance of 20 rods
away. upon the approach of train,
such signals TO be established upon the
order of the railroad commissioner,
who is obliged 10 investigate any cross
ing and determine as to the necessity
for such signal whenever five freehold
crs, who use such crossing, petition
for it, The fight over these bills. par.
ticularly the one against discrimina-
tions, was so long that all other busi-
ness was crowded out for the day.
The Senate when il recently passed the
bill to prohibit the coloring of butter
substitutes to initiate butter (known
as the oleomargarine bill in some way
left off the enacting clause. This was
not discovered until the bill reached
Gov. Pingree. 1t was then recalled
and has again been passed, enacting
clause and all The Senate backed up
the House in its jab at the governor
and also passed the Flint charter bill
over the governors veto
To adjourn May 81 was the purport
/ of resolution introduced by Senator
| Coleman. but after considerable talk it
was defeated. Ontonagon county will
| not be cut in two to make a new
county, which it was proposed to name
Lincoln county, as the Senate killed
the bill by a vote of 81 to s. The Dom
ovan curfcw bill was passed by the
! Senate. The Senate debated the uni
| form text book bill at length and the
| bill was referred to the committee ON
appropriations. The House has got its
hand in the killing business and is
butchering right and left in great
| shape. The Lusk-Gordon home rule
bill got in the way and was laid low
! 1t is said. however, that an attempt
will be made to reconsider il. April
q has been decided upon as special
railroad day when railroad bills will
be considered. Atkinson's. bill for a
uniform law for negotiable instruments
failed to pass the House. The Eilh0ff
blower bill and two railroad bills, the
bicycle and danger signal bills. passed
the House without debates One of the
most interesting sessions of the House
was three and half hourde bate ON
the Bates bill permitting the members
of auv fraternal and beneficial society
the right of appeal to'the courts OF the
state in case of disputed insurance
claims. No action. was talscn upon the
measure.
The railroad committee Of the
House is apparently working hand
in glove with the railroads, The com.
mittee decided 10, report unfavor-
ably bills providing for the repeal oi
the Michigan Central special charter
to prevent special chartered railroad:
from making low rates between poin is
even on communication tickets which
they do not grant all other points on
their lines. The comEnittee reported
out favorably the bill permitting rail