Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-02-04
MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE

There will soon be introduced in the
Legislature a bill which aims to increase
the revenue of the State Mt the expense
Of the brewers. The purpose is TO levy
n stamp tax of 30 cents per barrel on all
lager beer brewed in the State. The Uni
ted States now levics a tax of 92 cents
per barrel and it's Michigan revenues last
year aggregated about xS50,OO0. 1t will
be. seen, therefore, that the proposed tax
would yield the State more than $4O0,0O
annually. The internal Office records show
that Notwithstanding the continued busi-
ness depression the sale of beer stamps
in Michigan has steadily increased during
the past four years, and the friends of the
bill urge that its enactment would furnish
the State with n constantly increasing
revenue. Another bill to be introduced
will require every taxpayer to furnish the
Assessor statement on oath covering
every item of taxable property owned by
him, and also the fact that he has put
none of his property out of his hands or
covered it up for the purpose Of avoiding
taxation. A term in State prison will be
the penalty for classifying as to any detail
of the statement. 1t is proposed to amend
the banking law by making directors Of
insolvent banks liable to the full amount
VI IuDiuties III uuy event anu uibO buDJecI
to punishment for felony unless they can
convince a jury that the insolvency was
due to no fault of theirs. The purpose is
to stop the practice of having directors
give the affairs Of banks no attention.
At a special session Tuesday evening
the House by a unanimous vote adopted
resolutions favoripg the recognition of
Cuba, Speeches supporting the resolu-
tons were made by several prominent
members. Among the important bills
was one by Representative January to
amend the banking laws so that State
banks can make no regulation that will
place savings depositors on different
footing from commercial depositors. At
present IL the name of a commercial de-
positor is forged to check and the money
obtained thereon the bank loses, but If the
book of a savings depositor Is stolen and
the thief by presenting it and forging the
owners name receives the deposit the lat
ter is the loser. The bill also provides
that interest shall be paid on savings de-
posits from the date of the deposit, thus
doing away with the rule that deposits
made after the 9th day of any month shall
not commence to draw interest until the
Srst day of the month following. Fins'y,
stockholders are made liable for all ihe
Indebtedness the same as copartners.
New bills noticed Wednesday provide
a tax of l per cent on the net income of
corporations and on personal incomes in
excess of $75O; an Inheritance tax of,
per cent; n special tax on the refined pro-
ducts Of mines of every description; for
the examination and supervision of pri-
vate banks by the State banking depart
md L. Al &c
jurors sufficient to decide civil cases.
For several days there was no quorum
In the Senate, many of the members be-
ing off OH n junketing expedition. Thurs
day was no exception. The House met,
but could transact no business because of
matters being held up in the Senate.
The anti-convict contract labor bill
which has been prepared by the State Fed
grafton of Labor has made it's appearance.
1t prohibits all contracts, prevents the
use of any machinery except that propell-
ed by foot or hand, provides that the num-
Der of convicts at any trade shall not ex-
ceed One-twentieth the number of free
citizens of the State employed in the same
trade, unless it be making supplies for
State institutions, and provides that the
convicts may be delivered in gangs of
twenty to counties for work on the high
way. The labor men were particularly
active Friday, noticing bills requiring that
all convict made goods offered for sale be
branded, that employees be paid in cash
only, the object being to do away with
store orders, etc, and making legal holt
days of all general election days for the
purpose of rendering it impossible for
employers to keep their men at work on
penalty of losing their employment in or
der to disfranchise them. Graveyard and
Juvenile insurance is given a blow in a
bill prohibiting the insuring of lives of
persons under IL and over 60 years of age.
Bills providing for the payment of boun-
ty of $50 for wolves, So for lynx and $3
for wildcats, requiring adulterated baking
powder to be so branded, and providing
severe penalty for school officers who
refuse to comply with the law requiring
that each school in the State be supplied
with an American flag have been offered