The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-03-05
LETTER FROM LANSING
News Gathered from Among the
State Lawmakers.
AMENDMENTS TO THE TAX LAW.

Causes Fear and Trembling in Omcial
Quarters-To Reduce Oficials' Pay.
Lansing. Mich. Feb. 23.-In his report
to the joint prison boards at their meet
ing here last week, Warden Van Evera
a the Marquette prison gave very
amusing account of his first years ex-
perience as farmer at the prison. Not
being a practical farmer himself, the
warden placed the garden in the hands
az farmer from the southern part Of
the state. who had been unfortunate
enough to be convicted of the crime
Of setting fire to another mans barn
The convict was an intelligent fellow,
and SO the warden employed no super
dntendent OF farming that year. His
experience was extremely unfortunate.
He could not, understand why the cab
bages did not grow nor why the other
garden truck did not prosper. and the
most thorough investigation failed to
reveal the reason until about the time
the farmer was discharged at the ex-
pfration of his sentence. Then it was
that Warden Van Evera learned that
his farmer convict entertained the idea
that the state was perpetrating some
sort of an injustice upon him, and in
order to square the account to the salts
faction of his conscience he had pinched
the tender cabbage plant just below the
surface OF the ground, and had prac-
uced upon other portions OF the crop
other tricks known only to the practical
farmer. OF course 1t took all summer
to realize the results Of this kind of
farming and the effect was extremely
depressing upon the warden, who frank
ly admits that farming at the prison
that season may justly be put down as
a failure.
Financial Result Unsatisfactory.
The next year PANIED out little bet
ter, fairly good crop being harvested.
The crop, however, consisted mostly Of
potatoes, and as they were worth but
10 cents per bushel that fall the finan-
cfal results, after the practical farmer
On charge of the farm was paid, were
not all that could be desired. Indeed
the produce raised could have been
bought that fall from the farmers for
about one-half what the prison farm
er's salary amounted to. Last year the
net results were much better, the aver
age earnings OF the convicts employed
on the farm being IL cents per day. but
the warden does not think that agri-
culture at the Marquette prison is either
a practicable or desirable outlet for con-
vict labor.
No bill thus far introduced has Gre
ated more discussion than that of Rep
resentative Adams, of Kent which pro-
poses most radical reform with refer
ence to real estate offered at sheriff's
sale to satisfy mortgage. 1t is de-
signed to save the mortgagor from los
ing his entire property, which may be
mortgaged for only a small portion of
Its value. because Of his inability to
overbid the mortgage who, of course,
limits his bid to the amount Of his claim.
The measure provides that in all cases
of mortgage sales, ETC., the circuit court
shall appoint three disinterested persons
. to appraise the property to be sold, and
that in no instance shall it be sold at
less than two-thirds of it's appraised
value. The objection to this bill is that
the money loaner has some rights which
cannot, it is contended, be thus legis-
lated away. Tt will be readily seen that
should his claim not amount to two
thirds Of the appraised value and should
no one see fit to bid that sum for the
real estate, he would have no way Of
collecting the money due him and to
which he is legally and morally entitled.
Here would be a case of the state WHIP
ing out ones possessions with a ven
geance.
Attempt to Pass n Single-Tax Bill.
Four attempts have been made to Sc
cure the passage of single tax bill,
but none of them has been successful.
The first proposition to exempt the prod
ucts of human labor from taxation was
made by Representative Judson Grenell,
Of Detroit, in 1887, but the bill never left
the hands of the judiciary committee
OF the house, although 1t was argued be-
fore that body. Two years later Rep
resentative Wettlaufer, of Detroit, in
troduced similar bill, the application
Of which, however, was confined to the
city of Detroit. This measure was re-
ported out without recommendation,
and in committee of the whole the in
PRODUCER advocated it in speech which
attracted much attention. Four years
ago a committee endeavored, without
success, to induce the commission which
drafted the blanket charter bills to in
corporate in them local option single
tax provision. This year q bill drafted
by the Detroit single tax club has been
introduced by Representatives toneman,
OF Wayne, but it is not believed that it
will make much progress.
The general committee on taxation is
fairly swamped with bills proposing an
amendment TO the tax laws. They pro-
pose all sorts of schemes, and most of
them viii never see the outside Of the
committee room. The state tax statis-
tician truthfully says that whether taxes
are high or low depends upon the people
themselves. He Furthermore says that
while much complaint is made of the
excessive state tax, yet 1t is exceedingly
small when compared with what the
people vote on themselves in the shape
of county taxes. He believes in an in
heritance tax and salaries tax law, cit
ing numerous instances of state en-
p1oyes who draw comfortable salaries
from the public treasury, but who do
not pay one cent of taxes. They do not
own dollars worth of real estate, and
although they share in the benefits of
taxation to the extent Of their entire in
come, yet they pay nothing towards
such benefits.
xVouId Tox Tho profcas;ons