The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-05-19
THE RAILROADS.
Still Occupy the Attention Of tho
Legislature.
Apparent Deadlock between the
House and isions of
the Graham Game Law-Other
Lansing Gossip.
Especial Correspondence

ed by the house. The bill, az originally
passed by the senate, increased the
taxes upon railroad earnings by about
$1S0.000. The house amended il so as to
raise these taxes to upward of 500, 900.
and then passed the bill. Friday by
vote of nineteen to five the senate re-
fused to concur in the house amend
ments. The author of the bill says that
the bill as amended distributes the tax
too unevcnly TO be equitable.
The senate has hung up the bills re-
pealing the Michigan Central's special
charter and increasing the specific
taxes of railroad companies nearly two
fold, the former having been sent to the
railroad committee, which is hostile TO
it to a man, and the latter being tabled.
The increase made in the specific tax
rate by the house is so much more than
that fixed by the senate that there is
grave danger of the bill dying between
the houses.
The house defeated the Atkinson two
cent fare bill. If there is any excuse
for the defeat of the bill it is that the
Pingreeites refused to accept an amend
ment to make the fare three cents in
the upper peninsula, which caused the
upped peninsula members to vote
against the bill.
Gov. Pingree has come to the aid of
the house amendments increasing the
raise made by the senate in railroad
taxes by announcing that special APP
preparation bills for the relief of the
Ontonagon fire sufferers and for inn
provements at Mackinaw island state
park, which will reach him early this
week, will be held up pending the settle
ment of the differences between the two
houses.
Gov. Pingrce is mailing hundreds of
copies of his message on railroad taxa
ton all over the state with request
that the person receiving it shall re-
turn his opinion upon it.
Telegraph companies came in for at
tention in the house Thursday, favor
able report being made on the bill re-
Quiring them to exchange business in
Michigan. The companies have made a
stiff fight against this BILL but it will
probably pass.
The house agreed to them and tabled
the insolvency bill. 1t provides for vol
untary and involuntary assignments
for the benefit of creditors without
preferences, and has bankruptcy
clause releasing the debtor when he
turns over his assets without fraud.
The senate passed the Mason tax lien
bill. as perfected by Senator Hadsall.
1t provides that tax purchasers must
give notice by registered letter to all
persons having an interest in the lands
on which they have purchased tax titles,
and give the owner six months time
after the serving of such notice in which
to redeem his property. In case the
owner lives in the same county where
the tax title was purchased, he must
be given personal notice by the tax
buyer.
The senate committee of the whole
struck out all after the enacting clause
of the holster bill providing for the
stamping of shoes made of shoddy
leather. The house failed to concur
in the action of the committee but the
bill was defeated upon third reading
by vote of 16 to II.
The senate committee on education
has reported the Graham uniform text
book bill with an amendment providing
that cities or villages that adopt free
textbook system during 1897 or 1898
shall not be brought under the terms
of the bill.
w. Il. Dickinson, of Detroit, is here to
urge the passage of two bills desired
by horseshoers. One gives the horse
I, ..thn
have not paid for their shoeing. The
other provides for board of examiners
of horseshoers for cities. The employees
and bosses favor both bills. According
to Dickinson, there are many deadbeats
among horse owners, and it IS said the
horscshoers of the state lost 100000 an
nually in this way.
The house in committee of the whole
killed Senator Bostwick's bill to pro-
hibit pugilistic encounters and football
games, by striking out all after the en-
acting clause.
A resolution was adopted in the
house to have night sessions Monday.
Wednesday and Thursday nights of
each week until adjournment.
The house has agreed to a bill making
the legal rate of interest six per cent.
and the contract rate seven per cent.
1t has killed the bill TO compel express
companies TO charge no more for carry
ing a package over two lines than for
the same distance over single line.
The scheme of the state far society
to settle with it's Lansing creditors for
nine cents OH the dollar has fallen
through. and there is n strong proba-
bility that another state fair will never
bc held. At least that is what some of
the state fair officers seem to think.
The board of control of the school
for the blind has elected L. w. Crissey.
of Midland, president; f. ii. Rankin.
Jr., of Flint, secretary; G.. w. Bement,
of Lansing, treasurer. Jacob Stahl, of
Lansing, has been elected treasurer of
the board of control of the industrial
school for boys.
The senate passed the Graham game
bill The bill needs now only Gov. Pin
gree's signature TO make il law. The
measure covers the entire hunting field.