Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-03-04
MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE

Tho latest freak bill to find its way be-
fore the Legislature was introduced Tues-
dny night by Representative Donovan
Ii provides that when a man reaches the
age Of 35 and has not taken unto himself
u wife. he shall pay tax Of so. and ~
additional for each year after that IL
the bachelor victim can stand this cumu-
lnsive system Of taxation until 10. he VIII
pay $40 for that year, and then. he VIII
be permitted TO go on In his bachelorhood
free from further taxation. A bill Tor tho
purpose of wiping out department stores
WAS introduced. Ii classifies the OF
business which may be carried on in one
establishment and groups certain classfi-
cations which may be included in depart
ment stores. These are TO pay n license
fee of $500 n year, and heavy penalty
IN provided for. violations of the law rea-
tive TO the lines of goods that may he
handled. A proposition has been made
10 amend the constitution so as to make
the regents of the university subject to
Legislative direction. At present the board
cannot be coerced to act in any matter
against its judgment
The last hour fixed by the constitutions
for the introduction Of bills expired We'd
nesday night. The latest measure in which
tue OONtTnOr IL lnIeresteu Iepuhcs
reports to be made by transportation COM
panies of all kinds, and gas and electric
lighting companies. These reports are to
be made to the State Bureau of Statistics,
which the bill creates. 1t is proposed to
stop the practice of private individuals
engaging In the banking business under
corporate title, and also to require all pri-
vate bankers to submit to inspection and
supervision by the State Banking Com
missioner. A bill to increase the reye-
nues of the State increases by i per cent
the rate of taxation assessed against the
gross Michigan earnings of all life ana
fire insurance companies transacting bust
ness in the State. This will increase the
total revenue from this source 80 per cent.
A reform bill prohibits the employment OF
females as barkeepers or as dancers or
musicians in any place where Intoxicating
liquors are sold. Several bills to reduce
official salaries were among the 400 bills
introduced. The total number now on the
files is in excess of that of two years ago.
when the record of the State was broken.
In the Senate Thursday a number of
bills affecting only localities were passed
The most important were: To authorize
the Midland County Agricultural Society
TO issue bonds in the sum of 81 800 to pay
Indebtedness to amend the law for the
incorporation Of mutual benefit societies
by providing that they shall have 200 pol
icy holders at $1,000 each before conf
mencing business. The House passed
bills authorizing Midland County Agricul-
tural Society to issue 81 400 in bonds; au-
thorizing Delhi, Ingham, to settle with
Simon Diehl, ex-treasurer for Delhi, for
moneys deposited in broken Lansing
4 4...
to prohibit the use Of cigarettes, for pris-
ons for women and lnatrons in police sta
tons, and protested against the bill to
lower the legal age for marriage. The
House adopted EikhofI-s resolution calling
upon the Auditor General to furnish the
Labor Committee with figures showing
the amount of money paid for the board
of prisoners in the various State prisons
and Detroit House of Correction.
The manufacture of oleomargarne and
other substitutes for butter We're given n
hard blow Friday when the Senate passed
the Jibb bill prohibiting the coloring of
those products to resemble butter The
bill is now sure to become a law. The
Senate refused to concur i'm the action of
the House in appropriating 81, 800 for the
Michigan exhibit at the Tennessee CEN
teuhiui cApoSition. "A phi IuicS
for the use of the Abbott voting machine
and permitting it's use st Michigan cleo
tons was also passed by the Senate. The
most important measure thus far passed
by either body was favorably acted upon
in the House on Friday. This is the
bill Offering bounty of l cent per pound
for beet sugar of Michigan production.
An effort made to amend the bill so as to
make $4,000 the limit of bounty to be
paid in any one year was unsuccessful.
The bill requires that such bounty shall
be paid for seven years from the time the
act takes effect.