The true northerner., 1899-05-24
The Governor Urges the Legislature
to Adopt an Amendment to
the Constitution.
TO PROVIDE FOR ASYSTEM OF TAXATION
Minority Report of Committee on
War Expenditures Criticises the
Goyernor-Uniform TeNi-Book Bill
brings Out Some Very Grave
Charges Against Lobbyists.
Especial Correspondence.l ]

advised by Judges Cahill and Speed
that, in their opinion, a valid bill tax
ing railroads and other interpretations
on the cash value of their property can
not be drawn under the present consti-
tuition. He recommends the submis-
sion of an amendment under which this
system of taxation can he provided; the
holding of special election to decide
on a general revision of the constitu-
ton; the creation of permanent state
board TO review assessments and advise
the legislature as 10 the value of rail
road property, etc, and the passage of
an emergency bill increasing the spe-
cific tax rates so that the railroads will
pay an additional tax of S1,000,000 an
nually, this law TO stand until the con-
stitution is amended. In view of the
increased appropriations the governor
renews his recommendation that an in
come tax law be enacted.
In the house Thursday the reports of
the majority and minority of the COM
mittee which investigated the eXpendi-
ture of the war fund were read, leading
10 vigorous debates. The majority re-
port admitted that prices paid for meat,
groceries, blankets, clothing, ETC., were
higher than those paid by other states,
and that no bids were asked for, but it
excused this on the ground of hurry and
excitement incident to equipping the
troops.
The minority report was much more
severe, finding no excuse for these
shortcomings, and severely criticising
the governor for purchasing needless
lothing for the Thirty-fifth regiment
and selling Pingree d Smith shoes to
the military department. Both reports
recommend the appointment of a COM
missary-general TO look after the sub
sistence of troops in camp. and the
minority recommended that state Off
cials be barred from dealing with any
state department.. The Pingree men
made a stubborn but unsuccessful ef-
fort to prevent the reading and print
ing of the minority report and TO secure
the adoption of the majority report
The motion TO adopt was tabled, and the
reports will be acted upon later
The labor committee has favorably
reported bill requiring railroad com
paniGs to have fortnightly instead of
monthly pay days, and the ways and
means committee has recommended
bin providing for the payment of As
cents a day additional TO Michigan sol
diers in the recent war. This applies to
every soldier mustered in from Michi-
gan and covers the entire period of his
service.
n, r. a III,
likely to adjourn before June Is.
There are 65 appropriation bills, all but
four of the entire number introduced
yet to be considered, while only one
fourth of the whole number of bills in
troduced has been considered. The
state will profit from the slaughter that
will necessarily be made, but even then
il is scarcely probable that the session
can be brought TO a close before the
date mentioned. This will make it the
longest session, with one exception, in
the history of the state, and it is no sure
thing that it will not outrival that one
The governor has officially declared
that he will call special session imme-
diately this one ends, so that it will not
be surprising if the saloons are here
after July 1.
The past week has been altogether
the most exciting and significant since
the commencement of the legislative
session. The very hottest time that the
oldest employe can recall, and some of
the present employees have been identi-
fled with Legislative sessions since 1871,
followed the attempt of Mr.. Hall, of
lngham, to have his uniform textbook
bill taken away from the committee on
education, which has decided to smoth-
er the measure in the committee ROOM
Although a wave of the hottest indigna-
tion had swept over the house but few
days before when newspaper corre-
spondent published some insinuations
of doodle" and n committee was
promptly appointed TO make an inves-
tigation, on this occasion the members
themselves not only freely exchanged
much more than insinuations in this re-
gard, but right on the floor of the house
made the charge direct, even naming
the lobbyists who were doing the work.
Mr.. Hall had no sooner made the mo-
tion to take the bill from the com
mittee than Mr.. Whitney, of Muskegon.
a member of the committee, asserted
in n very loud voice that there was only
one person asking for the passage OF
the bill and that was lobbyist who
even then was i'm the adjoining cloak
room watching the action Of the house.
Hall retorted with the charge that be-
side that ! dual sat another no.
torious lobiE who alone was re-
sponsible for q holding up of the bill
by the committee. Messrs. Water
bury, Of Oakland. and Nevins, of Al
Logan, took a hand on either side of
the question, each asserting that un-
due influence had been brought to
bear by lobbyists, but, of course, on the
other side than the one he advocated.
1t remained, however, for Mr. Scully,
of Ionia, to talk from the shoulder.
He declared that his Investigations as
q member of the committco on educa-
tion had proved conclus. !, that it