The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-23

itot DelHS iedrtcu lof tWenty-1Our hours
after the polls closed. This complaint
led an upper peninsula legislator who
heard IL to remark that Buchanan was
inaugurated president of the United
States before the result of the election
was known in the Lake Superior coun-
try.
The house will hold an important ses-
sion Thursday evening of this week, the
outcome of which will be of much in
terest to every member of a fraternal
benefit organization in Michigan. At
that time there will come up on special
order bill to permit an appeal to be
taken to the courts from the decision Of
these associations relative to the pay
ment of death claims. Under the pres
ent law the decision of the arbitrators
or committee chosen by the members
of the association Is final
United in Opposition.
The various benefit associations are
united in their opposition to the bill, and
1t is understood that during the consid-
GRAFTON of the special order, a recess
Will be taken to permit addresses to be
made on the subject by members Of the
several orders. 1t Is claimed that II &C.
ours but once or twice In the history of
these associations that they refuse to
make payment, 1t being necessary that
the circumstances which call for such
refusal must be most conclusive. mas
much as refusal to pay, except for the
most potent reason, would be the death
Of the order. 1t Is alleged that one of
the members who Is pushing the bill
very hard has an interest in the certif-
cate issued by the Maccabees on the life
of DR.. H. H. Pope of Detroit, who was
murdered by his wife, who was his ben
eficiary under the certificate. The or
der held that as inasmuch as Mrs. Pope
was convicted Of numbering her hus-
band for the purpose of obtaining the
insurance on his life, the amount Of the
certificate should not be paid. Mrs.
Pope, who is now serving a life sem
tence for this crime, has, it is under
stood, assigned this certificate to her at
torneys for their services in defending
her at her trial. 1t is rather a signifi-
cant fact that most of the lawyers in
the house favor the BILL possibly be-
cause 1T may turn out some time that
they may acquire an interest in a certi-
ficate in similar manner.
There is a disposition among many
legislators to make brewers pay a
heavier tax Under the present law the
man who manufactures beer is required
to pay q tax of but $65, while the in
dividual who sells it by the glass Is as
sessed $500.
Say 1t Is Unfair.
Those who favor a change insist that
this arrangement is decidedly unfair,
and it is not improbable that when the
legislature turns its attention to the
various liquor bills on the files of both
houses, the brewers will be asked toputup
a larger amount Of the coin of the realm
for the privilege of doing business in
Michigan. 1t looks more and more every
day as If the liquor laws will be made
more exacting both as to the amount of
the license fee and the restrictions
placed about the business.
The indications are that, now that
Governor Pingree has been relieved Of
his municipal responsibilities, he will
spend much more time in Lansing than
One of the indications is
the removal from Detroit to this city of
his scrap book industry. The governor |
not only has all the newspapers fMich- |
igan carefully scanned for references to |
him, but he is a subscriber to several OF |
the leading newspaper clipping agencies. |
The result is that he secures daily |
enough clippings to keep one man busy
much of the time arranging and FASTING
them. Governor Pingree already has
between 800 and 600 volumes of clip
pings, and he is piling them up at
great rate daily. He has a most care
full system of arranging the clippings, |
and whatever he wants can be found at |
a moments notice. He makes no dis |
tinction between the complimentary and |
notices of his sayings
and doings, references of every name |
and nature being carefully preserved |
and indexed.
From the manner in which applica- |
tons for sugar beet seed are pouring in |
upon Land Commissioner French it is
evident that vast amount Of Michigan |
farmers are intending to experiment in |
the way of raising sugar beets during |
the coming season. Unfortunately, |
Commissioner French has no seed for |
but the impression that he |
has or is to have has gone out, and |
much of his correspondence these days |
relates to this subject.
Portrait of Ex-Governor Rich.
A number of intimate friends Of ex- |
Governor Rich have quietly arranged |
to pay him a pleasing and fitting COM |
pliment by arranging to have painted |
his portrait for presentation to the state, \
the object being to have 1t placed in the /
executive parlors where pictures of the /
other eX-governors of Michigan are /
hung. Arrangements have been made |
with Percy Ives, the Detroit artist, to |
paint Il life-size portrait in oil to cost |
Il, 900. Friends of Ex-Governor WI |
mans did a similar act, the presentation /
speech being made by the Hon. William |
G. Maybury, mayor of Detroit, while |
Governor Rich accepted 1t in behalf of |
the people Of the state. 1t will be
number of months before the Rich por-
trait will be completed
The senate suddenly changed front |
asst Friday on three bills comforting up
on numerous township and village |
boards i'm Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac |
ST. Clair and Bay counties the right to |
permit the construction Of electric rail-
roads through their jurisdictions The |
projectors of the scheme contemplate |
he building of an electric line from Bay |
City to Port Huron and northward The 1