The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-05-07
OUR LANSING LETTER.
Legislative News Which Is OF
General interest.
MATTER OF FINAL ADJOURNMENT.

Was Last Week-Vete on the Robinson
Bill a surprise-Senate to Act on One of
the Most Important of the Railway Bills
This Week-New Scheme to Pay Ac-
| counts.
Lansing, Mich, May 4.-The matter
of final adjournment is no nearer set
| Element now than 1t was last week.
| The house finally passed a resolution
calling for cessation of business, other
| than the engrossing of bills, etc., on
Saturday, May 20, and for final adj
journment at noon on the 31st inst. The
senate, however, sent this resolution to
| the table, some of the senators being of
the opinion that it was yet too early to
set date with any degree of accuracy
| OF definiteness, while others do not be-
lieve that there will be time between the
29th and 31st for the engrossing clerks
to dispose of the great number of bills
| that are always passed during the last
hours of the session. 1t is probable that
the two houses will get together on this
question during the present week.
| The vote last Thursday on the Rob-
| inson bill reducing the passenger rate
| en- upper peninsula railroads from 4
| tc cents per mile, was somewhat
| Of a surprise to both the friends and
| opponents OF the measure. neither be-
| lieving that it would receive the num-
| Der of votes that were recorded in it's
| favor. 1t received IA votes, while Is
were cast against 1t and three senator's
were not present when the roll was
called. An attempt to bury the bill be-
yond resurrection by moving to table
| O motion to reconsider the vote by
| which the bill failed to pass, was not
carried, and another attempt will be
made to pass the bill.
Speculation INDUCED In.
Much speculation is now being in
dulged in as to whether this vote is an
index of the probable action of the sem
ate on other railroad and corporation
bills now pending. If it is, this class Of
bills will come much nearer passing
than has been expected by any one
previous to the vote on the Robinson
bill 1t is evident that the railroad peo-
pie are much more nervous just at pres
ent than at any time since the session
commenced.
This week the senate will take action
on one of the most important of the
pending railroad bills This is the Mer-
Ram bill providing for an increase of
1 per cent. in the specific tax paid by
railroad companies, which has been
made the special order for tomorrow.
There has been a feeling for some time
that this bill might pass, thereby in
creasing the revenue of the state from
this source by some 100000 annually.
The passage of this bill might have the
effect of defeating other so-called anti
railroad bills, the argument being that
this would be all the increased burden
that should be heaped upon the COM
panies at this time. Taking this view
of the matter 1t would not be surprising
IL the companies turned in and advo-
Gated the passage of the Merriam bill
in the hope of ending the matter there.
Two anti-express bills have been re-
ported out favorably by the house COM
mittee on private corporations, but have
not yet been acted upon by the house.
One of these prohibits companies from
making any extra charge for delivering
packages anywhere within the limits Of
city or village; and the other pro-
hibits charging a greater rate for car
rying packages which have to go over
two lines than is charged for carrying
a like package the same distance over
a single line.
The farmers of the house scored a
point the other day when the Graham
game bill was under consideration.
They succeeded in having it amended
so as to prohibit the hunting of quail
with dogs. 1t was conceded that the
tendency of this provision would be to
decrease the number of hunters and
thus reduce the amount Of trespassing
on farm lands which has been the trial
of the farmers for years.
New Scheme to Pay Accounts.
new scheme forpaying accounts con-
tracted by state institutions has been
advanced by State Treasurer Steel 1t
cropped out in the report of the commit
| tee on the Soldiers home a few daysago
and may be made to apply to all other
state institutions. Under the system
| which has been in vogue for years the
| resident Of each board of control of a
state institution has been the treasurer
Of the board. These treasurers draw
from the state treasury such sums as
| they see fit, place the money in local
| bank and check against it as the occa-
sion requires. 1t is now proposed to do
away with this plan so far as the Sol
diers' home is concerned at least, the re-
port referred to recommending that
ueTedIttT the OI COntTOl the
accounts as usual, but, after they are
| audited send them to the auditor gen.
eral for payment by the state treasurer
on the formers warrant. This plan will
keep the money in the state treasury or
its designated repositories, assuring to
| the state much more interest than is
| now received on daily balances, nothing
being realized on the large sums Of
money which are lying around in banks
selected by the treasurers of the several
boards. 1t is not improbable that the
change will be made to apply to all state
institutions.
| Case of n Monroe Man.
Much interest centers in the forthcom-
ing decision of the supreme court in the
case of Monroe man who was convict
ed of violation of the pure food law.
His defense was, and the fact was con-
| ceded by the prosecution, that he sup
posed that the goods were pure when he
purchased them and that he sold them
In good faith. The trial Judge was not
disposed to find him guilty under these
circumstances but did so under protest
In order that a case might be got before