Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-05-27

In committee OF the WnOle Monday the
House agreed to the Widoe bill requiring
all railroad companies operating In the
State to sell 50O-mile books for $40, good
|, for use by any member of firm or Coz
partnership. The bill was amended so
as TO fix the maximum rate of passenger
fare on Upper Peninsula roads mt 3 in
stead Of cents per mile. The Dono-
van interchangeable mileage book bill
was agreed to after cutting IL from 1000
to 500 miles and prohibiting scalpers
from handling II. A similar bill was We
toed by Gov. Rich two years ago for con-
stitutional reasons. Another important
bill agreed to permits saloons TO be kept
open on New Years Day. Fourth of July
and Labor Day, and authorizes township
boards TO permit them to be kept open
until IL o'clock at night the hour under
the present law being o o'clock. f
There was scene in the House Tues
day evening when an attempt was made
to instruct the conference committees of
the two houses to make final report on
the Merriam bill increasing railroad taxa
ton within twenty-four hours. This
was defeated on the ground that it was
a reflection on the committees. The
same fate befell resolution to instruct
amendments made by the House, which
provided far greater increase than was
made by the Senate. The House passed
the Widoe bill providing for the sale of
oO0-mile books at 2 cents per mile, and
the Donovan interchangeable mileage
hook bill. The House also passed an
insolvency bill, which renders invalid the
preferring of creditors. bill reducing
m ba 90 int
that may be contracted; and the bill pro-
viding that where the violation of a con-
dition of fire insurance policy does not
prejudice the company it shall not work
a forfeiture of the policy. A strong anti
liquor sentiment manifested itself in the
House. that body defeating the bill elm
mating New Years Day, Labor Day
and Fourth of July from the holidays on
which saloons are required to be kept
closed. The commercial fishermen won
a decisive victory over the State Fish
Commission in the Senate, securing the
adoption of amendments to the fish bill
so as to increase the size of the mesh Of
nets.
The Bell Telephone Company won
victory Wednesday, when the House de-
feated the maximum rate bill, which pro-
vided that where rates were reduced to
shut out competition the lowest rate
should govern in all cities of like popula-
ton. Several railroad bills passed the
House. including those repeating the spe-
cial Michigan Central charter and the
one requiring companies to sell inter-
changeable mileage. All railroad legis-
lation is at a standstll in the Senate be-
cause of the uncertainty surrounding the
specific railroad tax. That body refused
by decisive vote to take from the table
the bill making the maximum passenger
rate on Upper Peninsula roads 3 cents.
The House, however, proceeds to kill rail-
road bills as fast as they appear. The
latest to be slaughtered was the Dudley
bill, permitting steam and electric roads
TO lease each others franchise, etc.. The
bill providing that twelve days shall in
tervene between race meetings was de-
feated in the House. This body slashed
$4,000 from the appropriation for the
Michigan college of mines at Houghton.
This action foreshadows the fate that
awaits all appropriation bills.
The Senate, in committee of the whole
Thursday, agreed to an appropriation Of
$500 for improvements at the Marquette
branch Of the State prison and $134 800
for the State Normal School, Senator
Blakeslee's bill for a fire marshal in each
Of the counties of the State, the Weier-
Williams measure for the payment of mu-
nicipal taxes in cities of the fourth class
n July instead of December when the
common councils of such cities so elect,
and the bill Of +. Shepherd providing that
newspaper shall have been established
in county at least one year before it
hn artyAr fha Stat.. INV 10 init
Donovan's bill fixing salaries of Bay
County officials was passed in the House.
The salaries as named in the bill are:
Probate judge. $1,000; probate register,
5000; county clerk, $500: deputy clerk,
$1,000; county treasurer, 1900; deputy
treasurer, $1,000; register of deeds, ST.
300; deputy register, 5000 The bill is not
to affect the salary of the present judge Of
probate. The House also passed, with
scarcely any discussion. the Moore bill
to do away with the system of writing
out bills passed by the Legislature. The
appropriation bills agreed to by the Sen
ate in committee of the whole during the
afternoon were passed on the order of
third reading at the evening session.
At every session of the Legislature since
1879 IA bill to provide for uniform sys-
TEN of text books has been introduced,
but the book publishers have always been
able to defeat it until Friday, when the
Senate passed bill, which the House
passed fortnight ago. The bill is not all
the friends of the system desired, as 1t
exempts all districts adopting the free
text, book system prior to Jan. /, 1899,
and also permits districts to vote them
selves from under its provisions if they see
fit to do so. The House will soon consider
the conference committees report on the
railroad tax question, which has been
adopted by the Senate. A bill agreed TO
by the House in committee of the whole |
provides a tax of 1 cent per gallon on all
beer sold in the State, and both houses
have passed bill prohibiting the employ
ment of barmaids.