The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-05-07

Coz Is one of the most popular men In
the state, a fact that was fully demon
strated when the senate confirmed the
nomination by a unanimous vote the
moment 1t was received, while all other
nominations were sent to a committee.
Bill 20 Curtail State Reports.
Two years ago Representative Perry
or Manistee, was member of the Lin
derman committee which framed bill
designed to materially curtail the num-
Der and variety of state reports and
documents issued. The committee put
great amount of work into the inves-
tigation which preceded the preparation
OF the bill, but 1t sought to accomplish
too much and the measure was killed.
This year Mr.. Perry is at the head of a
similar committee which has prepared a
bill on this subject. The bill he has
drawn is In the main meritorious, but
he has embodied in ii one provision
which should be eliminated. This seeks
TO limit the number of pages which GER
tain reports shall contain. For instance,
IL is provided that the report of the
state board Of health shall not exceed
300 pages In the very nature of things
this committee can have no adequate
idea of what subjects should be treated
of in report of this kind or Of how ex-
tensively they should be handled. The
reports of the Michigan state board of
health on the causation of sickness and
other subjects are authority throughout
the world, and will be just as valuable
fifty years hence as they are now The
subject which the board proposes to
treat in its next report relates to con-
ctI MT np 70
ment
Statistics Gathered for Years.
Statistics and other material for this
report have been gathered for a long
series of years in order that the de-
auctions and results announced may be
accurate and of value in the treatment
Of this disease, which causes far more
deaths in Michigan annually than any
other. If the Perry bill passes all this
work will be rendered absolutely value
less and the board will be compelled
to put out a report which will be worse
than useless and a disgrace to the state.
The folly Of committee of laymen say
ing what and how much or how little
persons engaged to make special in
vestigation shall publish in their re-
ports is apparent. Not being informed
on the subject it is impossible for them
to intelligently deal with this branch Of
the subject, so whatever they might
provide would be clearly arbitrary.
Another noticeable provision of the
bill IS one requiring that the proceed
ings Of the numerous farmers institutes
held throughout the state shall be
printed in sufficient quantities so that
each member Of eachlocal institute shall
have copy. This would require the
printing Of q great many thousand
copies, and while it would be clearly
class legislation, farmers alone profiting
by it, there can be no question as to its
value. The inconsistency of the COM
mittee, however, is shown by it's re-
fusal to provide for the publication of
but 1000 copies of the proceedings of
state sanitary conventions, which have to
do with the lives and health of the peo-
pie, and are of vital concern to all the
people Of the state.
If it is desired to do the greatest good
to the greatest number of citizens of
Michigan this bill will be radically
amended before 1t becomes law.
Scale Appropriation Bills,
1t Is doubtful if the senate committee
on appropriations and finance will hear
any ODJSCllOHS 10 us announcement tnaI
1t will be able to so scale the appropria-
ton bills as to reduce the state tax levy
for the years 1897 and 1898 at least $780,
600 from that of the two years last past.
The levy for the past two years was So
0S2,45S14, and the committee proposes
to keep that for the ensuing biennial
period down to 81, 100000, and there in a
chance Of its going slightly below that
figure. All appropriation bills have been
carefully scrutinized and every dollar
that could possibly be pruned from them
was eliminated. Every institution has