The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-03-16

legislature, resides, and gave the ut
most satisfaction. IL worked with al
solute accuracy, and the result i'm the
entire city was known within fifteen
minutes after tl,s polls closed.
The holster bill abolshing convict
labor and providing for farming our
convicts in blocks Of twenty TO the va.
rious counties for work on the high
ways, has been favorahly reported bv
the house committee on labor interests.
There Is nc, much reason for heisv-
ing that it will pass however. the pros
pect being that the present system OF
employing the oonvicts will not be dis
turbed. President Barter and Secre-
tary Crewe Of the State Federation OF
Labor have been here constantly since
the beginning Of the session working
for the adjustment OF the contract sys-
tenn. While they have made some con-
verts. IL is not believed that a sufil-
cient number have been secured TO pass
the bill.
viii Rain Eishcrmen's Business.
A hearing will be given by the house
| committee on fisheries towcrrow night
| on the bill requiring the usa Of n Is
with larger meshes than those now In
use by commercial fishermen 1, Is
| proposed to increase the size of the
! mesh from 2ia to inches. The fisher
men say that II this is done their bust
ness will be ruined. as a mesh Of the
size proposed Will permit the passage
Of almost every food fish found in the
waters of the great lakes. This same
fight has been waged every session for
the past ten or fifteen years. the con-
testants being the commercial fisher
men on the one side. and the state fish
commission on the other. Thus far the
former have invariably scored vic
tory, and II is not improbable that they
will do so again. A memorial recently
read in the house against the passage
Of this bill shows that the annual catch
Of fish in the great lakes averages as
follows: Lake herring. 35.740, $50
pounds; other white fish, 1922, 09S
pounds; pike and pike perch. 1884 ,94S
pounds; yellow perch. S,642,S11 pounds;
lake trout. 16,27s,973 pounds; catfish,
1,063,134 pounds: sturgeon. 1,426,5Si
pounds; total, 96,619.671 pounds. 1t will
be seen from these figures that the
commercial fishing industry Is one OF
much Importance and is entitled to due
consideration at the hands Of the legis-
lature. The value Of the annual catch
exceeds $1,000, 900. the capital invested
In the industry equals that figure. and
the industry gives employment to about
5000 men.
The members Of the house committee
on towns and counties are In Lake
county this week looking over the stu
alton SO that they may act intelligently
on Representative Fleschauer's bill
providing for the disorganization OF tha
county, and the annexation Of the ter
ritory to the county of Osceola. INT
claim Is made that about six township:
in the eastern part OF Lake county bea
substantially the entire burden of taxa
ton, the pine having been removed
from the other townships which haV'
thus been rendered practically value
I. less.
Money for State Prisons.
II appears from a report made b.
Auditor General Dix, in response to
, resolution Of the house, that. sine
Michigan became a state just sixt
years ago, there has been appropriate
"a total of s.. 296, SS4.99 for the supper
of the prisons Of the state. This tots
; has been divided as follows: stat
prison at Jackson, 1,454, 65i.oS; sta'
house Of correction at lonia, $l'SSo
!. 969.53; branch prison at Marquet''
$4S9. O57. 90; Detroit house OF correctio
:. for caring for female prisoners $io
:, SO0.S5.
Senator Mason has liquor Ia
u which is considered most uras.
measure by saloonkeepers. III proViu'
that licenses shall be issued by u
y circuit court instead Of by the count
n treasurer, and then only AFTER u
y would be saloonkeeper has hled MS al
=. plication therefor setting forth his pres
Is ent and past occupation, and the Ia
It that he is not the proprietor OF an
II other saloon in the same county, IL
.e application is to be published, so as
,e afford the general public an opportu'
J. itv to offer whatever objection th'
Is NAV have to his being given hcehs
IL The bill Is designed to break up u
IN practice some men have OF running
e. series of saloons in the same city
g county.
p Another job for Clerk Miller
lie Chief Clerk Miller of the lower nous
ST who. during the past two years IL
g made a new compilation OF the statu.
ne 90 michigan. has been given another j
at by the present legislature. rms Is
~ include in the compilation the laws
OF 1897. Mr.. Miller will receive $500
x his work under this bill, his compehs
On ton under the first bill having u.
90 noo those who have examined I
e. ',sor,nt saw that the work has be
On avcentionally well done, and the col
a niIer has been highly complimented
Us The commissioners appointed by 20
he arnor Rich to examine the complain
ap on behalf Of the state. 1t has been
IL most laborious and responsible tai s
he The legislature has also made provisi
VS. for printing. binding and distribute ~
es The new compilation. Inc WORN 90
d be done by the state prih.el' an IN, ~ =,
he volumes will be printed. the to,ai g
an of the work is estimated at Soo'ooo'
n To Expedite Work.
ch Tho necessity for doing something
u .,,o the work in order to rea