The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-02


the scope OF the law creating 1t. That
law provided for a mining school pure
and simple. but its managers. 1t APP
pears, have branched off in various d.
rections with view, apparently. to es-
tablishing u great university. The COM
mittee favors no further appropriations
for other purposes than the teaching of
mining engineering and protests en-
phatically against any further attempt
to make the institution anything more
than a school of mines 1t is In favor of
an appropriation for an assay building
detached from the main building,
and advocates the charging of tuition
fee to be graded so that the least amount
shall be paid by pupils from this state.
the next greater by pupils from other
states, and the greatest amount by
pupils from foreign countries. The
board of managers have been somewhat
harshly criticised for educating resi-
dents from other states and countries
at the expense of the taxpayers of Mich
igan. There is no doubt that there will
be a change In this regard.
The Kimmis county salary bill is still
on the hooks, and from the fight that Is
being put UP against it by county Of
ficials and their friends, ii is evident
that 1t is going to have harder Shedding
than was anticipated
More Tasks for Maynard.
Two very important tasks have
been put upon Attorney General Maynard
during the past few days. He has been or
dered to make thorough investigation of
the affairs of the defunct Whitehall
State Savings bank, of Whitehall. and
the Peoples Savings bank, of Lansing.
In the former case the depositors
charged that the bank had been looted
by its officials, who. 1t was alleged,
loaned themselves on worthless securi-
ties or no security at all, practically all
the funds of the bank. They also de-
manded that some one be punished for
this wrongdoing, and the investigation
Is preliminary to the commencement
of criminal proceedings against some of
the officials. No such petition was made
in the case of the Lansing bank, but
Banking Commissioner Anger was OF
the opinion that ii was so much worse
than the other, that he could not con-
sistently recommend an investigation
in one and not in the other. 1t is not
believed that the depostors of either
institution will realize to exceed 10 cents
on the dollar of their claims, and Com
missioner Anger says that 1t is time
that that the remaining bank officials
of the state were given an object lesson
that will impress upon them the fact
that the laws on this subject were en-
acted with the intention that they
should be obeyed, and that they cannot
rob the people with impunity. 1t is al
legged that, in both instances, the short
comings included the making of false
reports to the commissioner.
Amendments to Banking Law.
Commissioner Anger has had intro
duced several bills amending the bank
ing law in important particulars with
a view to making the supervision of
banks more thorough, thus insuring
greater safety to depositors. Three OF
these measures have already passed
one branch of the legislature, and both
will become laws. One places all pri-
vate banks or places where deposits
are received under the supervision Of
the department. Another requires d.
rectors to make sworn statement an
nually setting forth the face and actual
value Of every piece of paper or other
asset of the bank. This will enable the
commissioner to judge OF the shrinkage
of the value of the assets from time
to time. A third amendment will per-
nit the commissioner to examine q
bank as many times each year as he
sees fit. The present law calls for an
annual examination. This will be
amended so that these examinations
shall be made at least once each year.
Special examinations can now be made
at any time, but as the law provides
for but one regular examination, the
suspicious of the public are always
aroused when more than one is made,
and this sometimes works injury to a
perfectly sound bank The amendment
will obviate this difficulty.
Commissioner Just, who will take his
office Thursday, will increase the num-
Der of state bank examiners and make
much more frequent examinations than
heretofore. General Anger has been at
the head of the department but four
months but he has made a most en-
viable record.
Public Health Legislation.
None of the bills affecting public
health legislation have yet been acted
upon by either house. The public health
committee of the lower branch held a
meeting a night or two ago for the pur-
pose of considering bills of this nature
in its possession, but no reports have
yet been formulated. One bill agreed
to, however, will define what shall be
deemed communicable diseases danger
Gus to the public health, concerning which
there has been considerable controversy
between physicians and health authori-
ties. Tt is proposed to have this ques-
ton definitely settled so that all cases
of these diseases may be reported and
isolated.
Representative Anderson's bill is sim
liar to one introduced in the senate two
years ago. 1t provides that the secre-
tary shall not be member of the state
board OF health as has been the case
since the board was established quar-
ter of century ago. The bill was in
troduced by request, and having no in
terest in 1t Representative Anderson had
its consideration postponed. Unless
some one who is interested appears soonto
urge its passage it will probably not be
heard Of again.
Wants More Money.
The state board has asked for an IT.