The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-24
liter FROM LANSING
Gathered from Among the
W. state Lawmakers.
TO THE TAX LAW.

swamp Has a Bill Before the Leg
e i' ,x,ected streak of Economy
r..r and Trembling I'm ohiciai
'"'' To Reduce Onicials' Pay.
Mich. Feb. 2S.-In his report
Aa' ,oint prison boards at their meet
lns w. ,st week. Warden Van Evera
ne Marquette prison gave a very
' a account of his first years ex-
uSi"o 90 a farmer at the prison. Not
ns"' TACTICAL farmer himself, the
n s.n placed the garden in the hands
,srmer from the southern part OIL
.,ote who had been unfortunate
20 he convicted of the crime
' ss,tIug fire to another mans barn
.v,ct was an intelligent fellow.
,he warden employed no super
Ian, Of farming that year. His
.r,snee was extremely unfortunate.
.ould not understand why the cab
d,d not grow nor why the other
-, truck did not prosper, and the
!, tborough investigation failed to
Tho reason until about the time
farmer was discharged at the ex-
.,an Of his sentence. Then 1t was
warden Van Evera learned that
i'' ...r,ar convict entertained the idea
-, the state was perpetrating some
y, n an injustice upon him, and In
~. % snuare the account to the salts
'.,on of his conscience he had pinched
,onder cabbage plant just below the
's,ace Of the ground, and had prac-
Ia unon other portions Of the crop
.Sor tricks known only to the practical
.rmer. OF course it took all summer
realize the results of this kind OF
srminp and the effect was extremely
snressing upon the warden, who frank
admits that farming at the prison
hat season may justly be put down as
failure.
Financial Result Unsatisfactory.
The next year PANIED out a little bet
ar fairly good crop being harvested.
Ebe crop. however, consisted mostly Of
boatoes. and as they were worth but
IA cents per bushel that fall the finan-
Rial results, after the practical farmer
N charge of the farm was paid, were
hot all that coSld be desired. Indeed
khe produce raised could have been
bought that fall from the farmers for
kbout one-half what the prison farm
IRIS salary amounted to. Last year the
et results were much better, the aver
hge earnings Of the convicts employed
bn the farm being IL cents per day. but
HE warden does not think that agri-
culture at the Marquette prison is either
practicable or desirable outlet for con-
Eict labor.
No bill thus far introduced has Gre
bted more discussion than that of Rep
fesentative Adams, of Kent, which pro-
poses most radical reform with refer.
ence to res estate, offered at sheriff:
Pale to y - the mSSftsFgsgs Il u de
ur 'fRu ms = entiro property, which fhHs 'cs
mortgaged for only a small portion o
rs value because of his inability u
oyerbid the mortgagee who. OF course
limits his bid to the amount of his claim
The measure provides that in all case
Of mortgage sales, ETC., the circuit cour
shall appoint three disinterested person
10 appraise the property to be sold an
that in no instance shall Ii be soid 2
less than two-thirds of its appraase
value. The objection to this bill Is tbs
ne money ieaner has some rights whic
cannot II is contended, be thus legi:
lated away. 1t will be readily seen ths
should his claim not amount to TIVE
thirds of the appraised value and shou
no one see fit to bid that sum for II
real estate. he would have no way
Collecting the money due him and
which he is legally and morally entiti.
Here would be a case of the state WI
ING ont ones possessions with q We
geance.
Attempt to Pass n Single-T"x 1'ih'
Four attempts have been made TO
cure the passage of a single TAX .
but none of . has ,e hs the nrl
Inc hrst llSo.ySTr from taxation "
Tas l'eprs sentative Judson Gren,
ALL tue IN 1851. but the bill meyer !,
ss hand OF the judiciary comrn--,
x.ne Mouse although 1t wasAysr Il
Is mat body Twp. .ysess la re
sentative werrfatifeE .nf petrqt, !
foduced a similar bill. tl1e 9Dfiicati
which, however. was confin6o tot
r'y OF Detroit. This measure was :
pOned out without recommendatio
anu In committee Of the whole the |
aOcucer advocated 1t IN speech viii
suracted much attention. Four yea
ago committee endeavored. witho
success, to induce the commission viii
uraited the blanket charter bills to
orporate in them a local option sins
TAX provision. This year a bill draft
'ne Detroit single tax club has be
I'roduced by Representative Stonems
wayne, but IL is not believed that
vii make much progress.
Inc general committee on taxation
AIRY swamped with bills proposing
,~enument to the tax laws. They pl
~ all sorts OF schemes, and most
~e'n VIII never see the outside of
s. an''littee room. The state tax stat
wan truthfully says that whether Ia,
msmgh or low depends upon the peol
Ss s,uselves. He furthermore says II
,~ a''e much complaint Is made of
,rsS Ss've state tax, yet II Is exceeding
0so a,, when compared with what
'pe vote on themselves in the shs
hs. svuh'y taxes. He believes In an
hs lance tax and salaries tax law, c
nl'rI numerous instances of state e
i,os who draw comfortable salar
M. 'ne public treasury. but who
sv pay one cent of taxes. They do
,lh. collars worth OF real estate. a
sSs,,sn they share In the benefits