The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-01

workings The labor men who urged
It's passage hope that II will. I'm meas
ure, solve the convict labor problem by
Keeping the convicts at work, as far as
may be possible. on products that will
DC used at other state institutions, and
TO this extent do away with their labor
competing with free labor in the mar
kets.
Legislation Put To Death.
Considerable important legislation af-
iectirg the manufacture and sale Of
malt and sprltuous liquors, which
looked hopeiul during the early days Of
the session, was put TO death during
the closing hours. One Of these bills
was the Colman bill, which, as its
author stated, was designed to make
druggists go out of the saloon bust
ness. 1t aimed to accomplish this by
hedging about i'm every way possible
the sale of liquors by druggists. An
other was the bill providing for stamp
tax OF l cent per gallon. or 80 cents
per barrel, on all beer manufactured or
sold in Michigan. Senator Flood. who
introduced this bill, figured that it
would yield the state an annual revenue
Of between 100000 and $4OO, 900, while
1t would increase the price of beer but
one-sixteenth of cent per glass. He
made vigorous fight for the bill, but
ii was lost in the senate by a close vote
The third bill of this class which suf-
fered defeat was one asked for by the
saloonkeepers. AS introduced it amend
ed the present law so as to permit sa-
looms to be kept open on New Years
Day, Fourth OF July and Labor Day
After two trials had demonstrated the
fact that the bill could not be passed
as introduced, its friends cut out two
OF the days and sought to have 1t APP
ply TO the nations birthday only. They
came very near scoring a point here,
for as thus amended. ii came within
single vote Of passing the house, fifty
votes being recorded in its favor The
result Of the legislative labors on this
subject is that the liquor laws remain
just as they were before the legisla-
ture convened.
Pingreas Final Message.
Governor Pingree has always been ia
nous for his fighting qualities, and he
lost none of his reputation thus gained
by his controversy over the specific
railroad tax matter. His final COM
munication to the legislature was on
this subject. IL was sent to- both
houses late Friday night. after all the
members had packed all their desk eff
fects in big pine boxes, nailed down
the covers, and were prepared to depart
for their homes.
The message again suggested the adj
visibility Of extending the session, al
though the Merriman bill was the only
matter Of legislation mentioned. Ac-
companying the message, Governor
Pingree transmitted a statement pre-
pared by Railroad Commissioner Wes-
selins, in which it was declared that the
annual increase in railroad taxes based
on last years earnings, which the Mer-
riman bill would yield, was only $780,
600, instead Of 205,O00, as has been COM
puted by the friends CT the bill. There
was also transmitted an exhaustive
brief prepared by Commissioner Wes-
selins on the question Of the validity
Of the scheme of taxation provided by
the Merriman bill. The commissioner
maintained that the bill was in direct
contravention of the interstate COM
merce law, and hence unconstitutional
and void. Governor Pingree stated that
he had submitted this opinion to sew
eral lawyers eminent in their profession,
and they Endorsed the commissioners
contention as to the unconstitutional
ity of the law.
Senator Merriman made a long
speech and cited numerous authorities
in opposition to Wesselin's claim, and
OF his motion the message was ordered
printed in the journal. This was all
the attention it received in the senate,
no one making any motion to act on
the suggestion that the session be ex-
tended.
showing of Economy.
Notwithstanding all of its shortcom-
ings the present legislature prdes itself
on the showing of economy it can make
as compared with the record of two
years ago. 1t points to the fact that
the bill providing for the general ex-
penses of the state government two
years ago called for levy of $3,071 900,
while the special appropriations aggre-
gated $2,50S,941. This year the amount
included in the general purpose bill is
81, oil, 457, a decrease Of $685., 059, while
the special appropriations aggregate
81, S6S, 457, a decrease of $4,000 The to-
tai decrease in these two items is $685.
O59, to which must be added the increase
of $9O5, 900 made in railroad taxes, thus
making a total saving to the taxpayers
of S910,059. The state tax rate for 1895
and 1896 was Az mills on the dollar of
valuation, or a rate per year Of 2h mills.
On the basis of the above appropria-
tions il will be for ensuing two years
9-10th mills on the dollar, or trifie
less than mills per year.
If the Perry bill reducing the number
of state reports and other documents to
be printed and distributed is not vetoed
by the governor further saving OF
$40. OOO a year will be effected. The gov
ernor is inclined to veto this bill for the
reason that it arbitrarily says how
many pages certain state officials may
ircIude in their reports, and deprives
the chief executive Of the privilege of
having thousands Of messages printed
and sent broadcast at the expense of the
people, bearing his compliments in bold
type. He thinks that the men who pre-
pare the reports are the best judges OF
nj a o.