The times., 1897-01-15
READY FOR BUSINESS.
Michigan SoIons Can Now Per-
form Their Duties.
OBSOLETE LAWS TO BE DROPPED.

They Can BE Readily Understood-Other
Work Which the Committee Will Per-
form - Proposed Amendments to the
State Game Laws-Biow to Lobbyists.
Lansing, Mich. Jan. 1.-THE legis-
lature Is now squared away and ready
for business The messages Of the re-
firing and incoming governors have
been read and digested, the committees
have all been appointed, and nothing
now stands in the way of the transac-
tion of the business which the lawmak-
ers are here to perform.
One of the most important departures
made by the house, and one which 1t
Is generally expected will be productive
of excellent results, Is the appointment
of standing committee of ten whose
duty 1t is to provide for the general
wedding out Of obsolete laws and so
arrange those still in force so that they
will be readily understood. AS Speaker
Gordon we'll said in his timely address
upon taking the chair. many Of the ex-
listing laws have been so loaded down
with amendments that even accom-
plished lawyers have the utmost diff
c,1lty to understand just what the law
is, while the layman Is utterly at sea
on the subject. This new committee
will, however, have other and fully as
important duties to perform. for the
resolution under which 1t was appoint
ed imposes upon 1t the task of practi-
caliy passing upon the advisability Of
enacting into laws the bills which will
be introduced during the first fifty days
Of the session. While the members of
the house may not generally under
stand 1t to be the case, yet the resolu-
tion contemplates that every bill intro
duced shall be carefully scanned by this
committee whose judgment will have
much to do with it's fate. The commit
tee is, in fact, a steering" committee,
the principal business Of which will be
to steer to the front such proposed leg
islation as in its judgment should be-
come laws, and steer to the rear all 9TH
er bills.
These are the days when much Is
read and heard of what legislation the
various members are going to propose.
It has always been so, but the fact re-
mains that most of this information Is
unreliable. w hen the average new legis-
lator reaches Lansing he brings with
him lot Of startling ideas in the way
of desired legislation Of which he rids
himself very soon after being here a
short time and exposing his plans to
the criticism of some of his more ex-
perienced colleagues. There is no doubt
that the schemes embodied in Governor
Pingree's legislative programme, such
as 2-cent railroad passenger fares, the
Of hn la n
steam or street car companies, the pre-
vention of stock watering, laws against
trusts and combines, the abolition of
political primaries, ETC., will all soon
appear in the shape of bills, but none
Of the latter have yet been drafted, so
that their exact provisions cannot be
stated. Whatever might be said Of
them at this time in other than a most
general way would be mere speculation.
The fact is becoming more evident as
the attitude of the various legislators
developes that the oft heard of Pingree
and anti-Pingree feeling will be no
more prominent than the Rich and anti
Rich or the Luce and anti-Luce feeling
has been in previous legislatures. In
other words, there is every reason for
believing that the relations between the
present governor and the legislature
will be In every way similar to those
which have always existed between the
governors and legislatures of this state.
1t is confidently predicted that there
will be no considerable opposition to
any measure because 1t may be cham
pioned by the governor. Neither Is 1t
believed that the governor will be hos
tile to any measure simply because
some one whom he may not love very
well introduced 1t. 1t Is becoming more
apparent every day that each bill will
be disposed of on it's merits, and that
the legislative and executive depart
ments Of the state government will
work together with fully as much har-
mony as in previous years.
The conference of the state commit
tees Of the several parties constituting
the Democratic-People's-U Silver
party of Michigan. which was held here
last week, paved the way for the intro
duction of one Of the most interesting
bits Of legislation that is likely to be
considered this winter. That confer
ence was attended by many silverites,
aside from the members Of the three
state committees, fully $50 persons from
various section of the state being pres
ent. The proposed legislation referred
to will result from the adoption by the
conference of a resolution favoring the
enactment Of q law providing for a spe-
cific state tax on incomes. the proceeds
to be used, as provided by the consti-
tuition in the case Of all income taxes,
in paying the expense of maintaining
the primary school system. The unan-
unity and enthusiasm with which the
resolution, which was proposed by
Chairman Fred A. Baker OF the Demo-
cratic state committee. was adopted,
leaves no doubt that the proposition will
be embodied into a bill and vigorously
pushed before the legislature. 1t is
proposed to levy 2-per cent. tax on in
comes of $l,500 and over. 1t may be
more or less significant that the resolu-
tion introduced by ex-State Senator
Samuel w. Hor ,Sins of Mt. Pleasant,
commencing the message of Governor
Pingree and the stand taken by him
FOR the rights of the people, was voted
down.
The representatives of the State
Sportsmen's association are early in the
field with several amendments to the
existing game laws, which they will