The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-02-03
CONTEST
That OF the Pingree and Anti.
Pingree Factions.
LATTER SEEM TO HAVE BEST OF 1T.

Halt And Attend to Business Present
Status OF the Railway Taxation Question
The Long Vacation.
Lansing. Mich, Jan. 24.-The ups and
downs OF the so-called Pingree and anti
Pingree factions in the lower house dur
ing the past week have been enough
10 give the person who attempted to
keep track Of them nervous prostration.
Regard Tor the exact truth forces the
assertion that at the close of HOSTILE
Ties the ants had the best of the sit
uatlon, having secured the delay UNI
I'll Feb. OF the report on the Cheever-
Atkinson railroad tax bill. after hav-
ing been defeated few days before in
their EFFORTS to gain this same point
py providing that the special commit
tee In charge Of the bill should make an
exhaustive investigation Of the entire
subject or taxation. Then, too. the at
tempt to enlarge the elections COM
mittee was defeated, revived, and again
defeated. all within a few hours. leav-
Ing the ants once more on top Of the
heap.
Concluded to Call Halt.
1t wiz be gratifying news for the peo-
| pie OF the state generally that both fac
| lions nave come to the conclusion that
| there 10 nothing particularly dignified
nor valuable about all this sparring
over political points. and have, there
iore' concluded to call a halt in this
regard and devote their energies to the
CONSIDERATION OF the merits of the bills
SO far introduced, as well as those to be
introduced during the remainder of the
hrst fifty days of the session. No doubt
Will ha -
ally, but. If the agreement is kept, these
petty issues Will not occupy practically
all the time of the legislature as it has
up to date.
Inasmdch as the legislature will ad-
1ourn this week for the long vacation,
and as nothing will be done with rail-
road and other tax legislation until ii
reconvenes Feb. Z, 1t may be we'll to
state the present status of this question
In which all the people of the state are
greatly interested, probably to great
er extent than in any other question
that will demand the attention of the
legislature this year Thus far several
bills bearing on this subject have been
either introduced or noticed in each
house. First came the Cheever-Atkin-
son bill, which is the original Atkin-
the recent opinion Of the supreme court
in which the charter of the Michigan
Central Railroad company was declared
to be valid.
Two Other Bills.
Then there is the bill introduced by
Chairman Fleischauer of the house
committee ION railroads, which Is the
Atkinson bill just as it was passed by
the house at the special session. The
third bill in the hands of the house COM
mittees was introduced by Mr.. Sculley
Of Ionia, and provides for the repeal Of
the special charter of the Michigan Cen
trail, which is, by the terms of the bill,
empowered to commence action in the
circuit court of Ingham county to recov-
er from the state for any damage that 1t
may sustain by reason Of such repeal.
In the senate notices have been Civ
en- Of two railroad bills. One of these
notices was given by Senator Lyon of
Hillsdale, who admits that the bill Is
designed to take the place of the Chew
er-Atkinson bill. The senator says his
bill will deal with exactly the same class
of property, but will change the board
Of assessors provided for in the admin
istration bill by dropping the governor.
auditor general and secretary of state,
as we'll as two assessors to be appoint
ed by the governor. and provide for the
election of three assessors by the peo-
pie. The state treasurer, in view of the
fact that he will collect the tax, will
be made an ex-officio member Of the
board. The salary Of the other men,
bers In fixed at $4,000 instead Of $4,000
as in the administration bill. Another
important change is that the franchise
Of a company is not to be considered
separately in valuing the property, but
shall be taken in connection with all
other assets in fixing such valuation.
May support the Lyon Bill.
1t is believed by many persons who
are well informed on the situation that
the. Lyon bill is the one the opponents
Of the Cheever-Atkinson bill will sup
port, although Senator Graham has a
bill which not only includes corporate
property, but all other classes of prop
erty in the state, and many legislators
who have declared that the Cheever-At-
kinson bill does not go far enough, may
rally to the support of this measure.
4.plSsynIaLlSS Lneever, Tue auIiinlo-
traton leader in the house, says that
he has an understanding with Chair
man Fleischauer that the railrDad COM
mittee will not report the original At
kinson bill, thus leaving the administra-
ton measure the only one to be sent
to the house. The agreement with the
special committee is that the admins
tration bill is to be reported without
amendment and without Recommended
ton the day after the legislators re-
turn from the long vacation. Feb. 8,
and it's friends believe the house will
DISPOSE Of it during that week.
Notwithstanding all these factional
ouarrels and the introduction of sever
al different bills covering the taxation
of the property of corporations. care
full review Of the situation warrants the
prediction that in all probability the
legislature will pass a measure en-
bodying the principles Of the Atkinson
bill" which were Endorsed by the Re-
publican state convention.
VIII Redeem the Pledges.
The fight is not so much against the
passage Of any bill on this subject, as
It is over the question whether the adj