The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-30
MICHIGAN'S TAX Law.
It Causes professional. Delin.
quents to Hunt Cover.
WHAT AUDITOR GENERAL DIX SAYS

II the Present Legislature Does Not In.
terfere with the Delinquent Tax Feature
of the Law the State VIII he the Gamer
by 81 100000 Thomas X. smith the
Busiest Man In Michigan-Troiley Line
Bills Disposed of by the Legislature.
Lansing, Mich. April PIT have no
doubt" said Auditor General Dix a day
>or two ago, that If 1t could be assured
that this legislature will not interfere
with the delinquent tax feature of the
present general tax law, there would
at once be set in motion oper-
atoms which would insure to the
state the receipt, within the
next year or two, of fully $1,5OO,OO0 of
taxes which now stand delinquent upon
our books. We now have the best tax
law that was ever upon the books Of this
state, and coupled with the decisions Of
the supreme court to the effect that it
behooves man to pay his taxes if he
does not want some one else to get his
property by virtue of a state deed, this
law has had the effect to cause the pro-
fessional delinquents to run to cover
and pay their taxes They had been
waiting for the legislature to enact q
clearance sale law so that they might
buy the states interests in these lands,
which they had been permitted
to become delinquent for this
very purpose, for an aver
age of one-twentieth of what their taxes
amounted TO. One effect of the strict
Interpretation Of the law made by the
supreme court has been to increase the
correspondence OF this office to such an
extent that we have already this year
received many more letters than came
to us during the entire year 1896, and all
our correspondents desire to pay taxes.
Connor's Clearance Bill.
eff the so-called Connor's clearance bill
is not passed, syndcates, which are now
forming, will purchase from the state
its entire interests in most of these de-
linquent lands, some of them standing
ready to purchase entire counties, TAX
ing the good with the bad. They will,
Of course, pay the state the entire tax
due as well as all interest and costs, and
the sum mentioned by me will be poured
into the state treasury before the next
session of the legislature convenes. Our
present law provides that lands deln-
quent for taxes for three successive
years SHALL upon petition of the town
ship boards in which they are located,
be subject to homestead entry, the home
steader to pay 10 cents per acre for
them, and have five years in which to
settle with the state. The plan contem-
plated by the COnnor's bill to transfer
to the land office all lands on our books
which have been delinquent for three
years subsequent to 1890 would take two
years time and involve an added ex-
pense to the state of $4,000. After all
this were DONE the professional delin-
quents could purchase back such de-
scription as they desired, leaving the
worthless ones for the state to carry, for
mere 1.-THE of the taxes assessed
against them.
"If the legislature desires to advance
the interests of the state" concluded
the auditor general, "it will not pass the
Connor's bill, but will leave the present
law undisturbed."
Thomas X. Smith Busy Man.
The busiest man in Michigan at the
present writing is Thomas r.. Smith of
who will succeed State Oil In
spector Neal Mcmillan of Rockford July
1. Mr.. Smith has a force of twenty-five
deputy inspectors to appoint and he is
finding the task both difficult ard un-
pleasant. He spent couple of days
here last week in consultation with
Governor Pingree, whose wishes will, of
course, be potent in this connection.
There are an average of no less than
thirty candidates for each place at Mr..
Smiths disposal, and he was well-nigh
distracted when he left for home after
looking over the heap of applications
and Endorsements which he and the
governor had received. This office, with
it's long list of deputies, furnishes an
excellent opportunity for building up a
powerful machine. and great care is al
ways taken to the end that il may be made |
to insure the best possible results of a |
political nature. In this case, as in all |
others, it has been found that in not a
few instances ante-convention promises |
sadly conflict, and how to straighten out |
these knots without leaving sore spots |
that will assert themselves hereafter is |
q problem that is giving both the gov
ernor and Mr. Smith no little concern.
Trolley Line Bills.
The so-called trolley line bil'G, which |
were hung up in the senate for num- |
Der of days, have finally been disposed |
Of and are now in the hands of the |
governor awaiting his approval. |
Those permitting townships in st. |
Clair, Sanilac, Tuscola, Huron and Bay |
to grant the right of way for |
the construction and maintenance of |
these roads, were amended so as to |
eliminate steam as a motive power and |
bring the roads under the supervision
Of the commissioner of railroads. The
plan to require them to pay a specific |
tax was abandoned and they will be |
taxed locally. The Lusk bill providing |
that all suburban electric roads may
carry farm produce and other light
freights has also been passed by both |
houses, after being amended so as to
give the railroad commissioner super
vision over all of this class of roads 1t Is
believed that this provision will prove
great boon to farmers and gardeners
along the line, as Ii will enable them to
get their produce to market i'm the
larger cities in time for the early morn
ing shoppers and get back home with
out the loss of much time.
House InauguratPs "a Change.
Until last week the house and senate