The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1897-05-21
MICHiOAN's LEGISLATORS.

"a
them in session all summer If they did
not take some action 10 increase rail
road taxation il is certain that they
Immediately tumbled into his band
wagon and kept time to Col. Atkinsons
music. The railroad people when they
saw everything going against them
decided 1t would be better to swallow
the dose of increased specific taxes
rather than have local taxation forced
down their throats and to that
end the committee, as soon as the
House session opened. reported the
Merriam bill favorably and had il
taken up at once. The Pingreeites
had evidently come To the conclusion
that ii would be easier To get this bill
through than the local taxation meas
ure so they surprised the railroad peo-
pie by turning in and working for it
like Trojans. Col. Atkinson, the gov
ernor's first lieutenant in the House,
carried the day with his vigorous
speeches and when the committee of
the whole had completed the bill IL in
creased the specific taxes as follows:
Railroads with gross earnings of So. 900
or less per mile, increased from . per
cent to ~ per cent; between 50, 900
and 81 900, from 2]S to per cent: be-
tween 1000 and $4,000, from to 6
per cent; over Sc, 900 from 81 To 10 per
cent The bill was then amended to
apply to all railroads notwithstanding
special charters. When the committee
of the whole arose Col. Atkinson Sc
cured a suspension OF the rules and the
bill passed. 90 to- 81. The Pingree
strength had increased on every vote
from the first amendment to- the final
vote. 1t is estimated that the bill as
passed will increase the taxes OF the
railroads from $3.50. 900. to over 81 500
600. During the day the House also
passed the bill to repeal the special
charter of the Michigan Central rail
road. The fiat two-cent passenger
fare bill failed to pass. however. Col
Atkinson had the local taxation bill re-
ferred to the judiciary committee to be
perfected in details. Rep Edgars bill
providing for the emascula ton of third
term convicts and inmates of the home
for feeble minded was agreed 20 in the
House committee of the whole. The
House passed the following bills:
Appropriating $1,000 for the improve
ment of the Mackinac island state park;
appropriating S25, 900 for the Ontona-
gon fire sufferers; permitting railroad
directors To hold their annual lettings
anywhere within the state;. appropri-
ating 1000 to enable the state board
of agriculture to hold farmers insti-
tutes; raising the limit of taxation for
school purposes in fourthclass cities
from / a to . per cent of assessed val
uation. The Senate passed the Mason
tax lien bill which provides that tax
purchasers must give notice by regis
tered letter to all persons having an
interest in the lands on which they
have purchased tax titles, and gives
the owner six months in which to re-
deem his property. In ease the owner
lives in the county where the tax title
was purchased, he must be given per-
sonal notice by the tax buyer Other
bills passed by the Senate; For the
payment of accounts of state Institu-
tions throu III the state treasury; for
the formation of corporations for the
purpose of improving and owning lands
for summer resorts; abolishing days of
grace; reducing the number of legisla-
tive employees: for the punishment of
persons fraudulently using water,
electric or gas service.
the bill increasing the specific taxes
on Michigan railroads was promptly
tabled in the Senate when it came over
from the House, and the general im-
preston was that when it is taken up
the House amendments will not be
concurred in and the Senate will de-
mand big concessions from the House
conference. The Pingree people saw
this possibility and i'm the House had
the fiat two-cent passenger fare bill
reconsidered and tabled, to be passed
in case the schedule OF the specific tax
bill is materially cut down. The local
taxation bill is also being held as
club to keep the Senate in check.
As the time for final adjournment
draws near there is "A crystahzation of
sentiment and effort on bills that are
of most important. The bill to repeal
the mortgage tax law will be allowed
to die in the House COMMITTEES. Bus
kinks local option bill is now deemed
rather faulty and will not be pushed,
but an effort will be made to. restrict
the sale of liquor by druggists. In the
committee OF the House defeated Bost-
wick's anti-prize fight bill, but the
House refused TO concur and tabled it
for future action. The House has
agreed to- the Senate amendment tothe
Graham game bill permitting the use
of dogs in hunting quail. Cleuk Lew
NJ. Miller is relieved of a great deal of
labor in his compilation of the stat
utes of the state by the passing OF
bill to repeal a large number of OBJ
solete and imperative statutes, Clpte's
bill making only four road districts IN
each township and for the election of
pathmasteHs was killed. The fight be-
tween DIR. Edgar and the State Medical
league has resulted in the abandon
ment of all medical legislation.
DIR. Edgar's emasculation bill, which
was supposed to be sure of passage in
the House, was knocked out, but was
recousidered and will gel another trial