The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-04-26
The Attorney General Determined to
Enforce a Long-Ignored Statute
Against Corporations.
WOULD ENRICH TREASURY BY s5OO,OOO.
Discovery Made That the Detroit
Municipal Ownership Measure Was
Tempered with After Its Passage
Active Work Marks Closing Days
of the Legislature.
Especial correspondence

Lansing, April ga large nuihper
of citizens OF Michigan have made them
selves liable to heavy fines and penalties
which the attorney general will short
ly proceed to collect unless long-ignored
provisions of the statutes are complied
with during the next GO days. Such en-
forcement will bring into the state
treasury no less than 100000. The sit
uation is of interest to officers and di-
rectors of all the mercantile and manu-
featuring corporations OF the state,
many of whom reside in Chicago and
other places outside of this state. The
statute in question requires all manu-
featuring and mercantile corporations
to file with the secretary OF state an
nually, in the months of February and
March, report for the fiscal year of
such corporation, showing the amount
of its capital stock, the amount invested
in real estate, personal property, debts,
credits, etc. 1t is provided that if any
of the directors shall willfully neglect
or refuse to make such report within
the time specified each of them shall be
liable for all the debts of the corpora
ton and subject to a penalty of $25,
and in addition thereto the sum of
five dollars for each secular day after
the first day of March such neglect or
refusal continues.
The statute further declares that
neglect or refusal to file reports shall,
as to the managing officers and direct
ors, be deemed TO be willful when the
report is not filed within the time linn
tied. There are about 200 of these cor
porations on the books of the secretary
of state which have no report for 1898.
Last December a circular calling atten-
ton to the above statute, together with
a blank for reports, was sent TO each of
these companies, and during the past
30 days letter notifying each company
of its failure to file its report, with
additional blanks, has been mailed
them. 1t has been made the duty of
the secretary of state to report the
names of each nonreporting corpora
ton to the attorney general, who is di-
rected to forthwith begin proceedings
in court to enforce the penalties pre-
scribed. Secretary of State Stearns
will shortly make this report.
1t has been discovered that some one
altered the Detroit municipal street car
ownership bill after it had passed both
houses by striking out the provision
that the measure should not affect the
power given the common council under
other laws to grant or extend fran
ehises. This amendment, of course, is
in the interest of the city, but the Off
Gals are none the less determined to
ascertain who made it.
The senate has passed the bill provid
ing for the Torrens system of register
ing land titles. The bill makes the adop
ton of the system optional in all coun
ties except Lenawee and Ingham. In
these counties the senators asked to
have the adoption of the system made
mandatory.
The senate has vacated the plat of the
former chrome village of Meredith. It's
real existence was as a lumber town,
but Cincinnati tobacco firm plated
land there after the lumber was gone
and gave a deed to lot as chrome with
a box of tobacco.
Latest election returns indicate that
both the state printing Office and in
feated The probable defeat of the
court amendment has precipitated
movement in favor of increasing the
number of justices of the supreme court
to seven, and in this way giving the
court needed relief. This can be done
by statute, and an available bill is in
the hands of a senate committee.
The labor organizations of the state
met defeat in the house, the Eikhoff
joint resolution proposing an amend
TO the constitution abolishing contract
labor in prisons being killed. 1t re-
ceived only AS votes.
Unless Gov. Pingree interposes a veto
the Graham bill imposing a tax of five
per cent. on inheritances, except in
cases where direct descendants are
beneficiaries, will become a law. The
house passed the bill, 50 votes being
forthcoming. The bill is free from the
constitutional objection made by the
supreme court to the inheritance tax
law of 1895, provision being made for
putting the revenue into the primary
school fund.
Both houses have passed the bills
providing for the taxation of inherit
ances and for placing women on the
medical staff of each state institution
having female inmates.
The senate advanced TO third reading
a bill increasing the standing appro-
priation for the university from one
sixth to one-quarter of n mill on the
equalized valuation of the state. The
present tax yields S1s6,OOO annually.
Gov. Pingree has signed the bill re-
pealing the law prohibiting the spring
shooting of migratory ducks.
The governor has nominated Charles
Euth, of Detroit. for judge of the state
court of arbitration, and G.. Willis Be
ment, of Lansing, for manager of the
state school for the blind.
JASON.
The Strike mt Calumet.
Calumet, April 24.-The product of
the Tamarack. Kearsarpe. Osceola and