The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-05-21

favor or concurrence. whIre nineteen
were cast against the motion. This de-
cisive vote renders it practically certain
that the senate will never agree TO the
increase made by the house. 1t is posi-
BILE that compromise figure may be
| agreed to, but the indications are that
1t must hover very close to the raise
made by the senate If this is done. When
the non-concurrence of the senate was
officially announced in the house, Rep
resentative Chamberlain moved that a.
conference committee of five ON,
the part of the house be
appointed to concur with like
committee from the senate with a view
to settling the differences between the
two houses. This committee was author
lied ana both houses will appoint them
today. The result of their deliberations
VIII be awaited with interest.
WINE the Pingree leaders were
doubtless sincere in their advocacy
or the local taxation and 2-cent fare
pilis' the fact that they did not hone
10 pass them and merely used
them as club with which to force
up the specific tax rates became
apparent as soon as the Merriam bill
passed the house. Colonel Atkinson at
once mad the local taxation bill sent 70
the committee on judiciary, although
there was nothing 10 send ii there for
Later in the day the 2-cent fare bill came
up on third reading and was defeated
by vote Of 81 to SO. No attempt was
made at that time to reconsider the hill,
and save it for another trial. but after
the senate tabled the Merriam bill this
was done, so that there will still be pleN
ty or material with which to make trou-
BILE for the railroads should the senate
prove to be block in the way of the in
crease of taxes.
The Vote Was Forthcoming.
The house did another stroke Of rail-
road business when it passed the bill re-
pealing the special charter under which
the Michigan Central railroad has been
doing business for the past forty or
more years. 1t required a two-thirds
vote 10 pass this bill, but 1t was forth
coming, seventy votes being cast in its
FAVOR. The senate sat on this bill also as
soon as 1t got its hands on it. It was
promptly sent to the railroad commit
tee, every member of which Is bitterly
opposed to It's passage. An OK team will
De necessary to get it away from the
committee, or to be more exact, it will
not to he yielded up unless a majority
OF the senate so orders,
Governor Pingreesstand ready to sign
the Merriam bill as it passed the house,
but can be depended upon to veto it if
the increase in taxes is made any less
than fixed by that body. In speaking OF
the matter he said: "Of course these
companies ought to pay $4,000, 900 or $4,-
100000 in taxes annually, but these are
pretty hard times and $500, 900 would go
a good ways. We might accept the bill
and then go in two years from now and
make the companies pay what they
ought to pay. l would not approve the
bill, though, If l felt that it would be
bar to our getting more tax legislation
at the next session." When apprised Of
the action Of the senate in refusing to
concur In the house amendments, Gov
ernor Pingree remarked that no special
appropriation bills would be approved
just at present. He proposes to hold
these bills up as means of forcing
votes for the Merriam bill. These special
appropriations include $4,000 for the
Ontonagon fire sufferers, and $4,000 for
Improvements at Macknac Ilsand park,
with some to follow for improvements
az various state institutions.
Merriam's Objection.
Senator Merriams objection to the
house amendments is that they are in
equitable. He says that they make the
main line of the Michigan Central pay
an increase of $751; 200 while the increase
for all the other roads operating in the
state would be but $292,6S5. With a
deadlock between the two houses, and
the governor threatening to hold up 9TH
er important legislation until he gets
what he wants in the way of increased
railroad taxation, the prospects for an
interesting and exciting week are the
most promising, while those for the
adjournment on May 81, as agreed upon,
are just the reverse.
Another of Governor Pingree's ap-
pointees has been turned down by the
senate. This time the victim Is ex-May-
or Thaddeus G. Brooks of Jaskson,
whom the governor nominated for a
place on the board of control of the
state prison to succeed Albert Stiles,
also of Jackson. Just what the objec-
ton to Brooks was is not clear. Some
think ii was desire on the part of the
senators to block the scheme credited to
the governor to remove Warden Cham
bcrlain and give his place to Sheriff
Judson of Ann Arbor. Then, again, it
is asserted that Brooks penchant for
kicking on pretty much everything in
sight comprised his defeat Be that as
it may, his chances for getting place
on the board while the present senate Is
in session are dead beyond resurrection
Governor Pingree has already filed
three vetoes, and promises another this
week. The bill to which he objects this
time Is the Holmes lien law. He says
that 1t is clever scheme to prevent me-
chanics from getting a lien for their
wages on new buildings. His other We
toes were Of the Flint charter, curfew
and anti-cigarette bills. The first named
was passed over his veto, and anattempt
may be made to pass the cigarette BILL
The curfew bill Is dead, its introducer
making no attempt to secure its passage
over the veto.
The Michigan Manual
The Michigan Manual, that much
sought after publication, which mas usu-
ally been ready for distribution along In
h,r;I will N NJ No cop,pleted until August