The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-04-19
The Opposition to the Measure Is
Growing, and the Bill May
Not Be Signed.
PROFITS LARGE WITHOUT STATE AID.
Trust Measure Strikes sn"gs-Ex-
penses of Candidates In the Re-
cent Campnisn-Druggis Enter a
Protest Against the Proposed Lii
ceuse Law.
Especial Correspondence

confirmed rumoY running about that
Gov. Pingree will veto the beet-sugar
bill which passed the house carrying
$400, 900 and an unlimited deficiency
clause. There is a strong sentiment in
the senate in favor of amending the
bill by limiting the amount company
shall be paid in a single year. In its
present form the appropriation is un-
limited and the growing feeling is that
this will be more of burden than the
taxpayers can bear. AS passed the bill
appropriates 100000 for each of the
years 1899 and 1900, but permits an un-
limited raid on the treasury by provid-
ing that any sum earned in excess of
the amount named shall be paid out Of
the general fund. II the taxpayers get
off with paying $780, 600 during the next
two years for beet sugar bounties they
will be in luck.
Those who favored a reduction in the
beet sugar bounty encountered a solid
wall of opposition in the house, com
bine having been entered into between
the farmers and the members who rep
resent districts in which sugar is al
ready being manufactured or in which
factories are assured. knowing that
the one factory which operated during
the last season earned $4,000 from the
state, although its total investment
was but $685., 900, number of repre-
sentatives were impressed with the
idea that the bounty was not necessary
for the success of the business, and
were. therefore, DESTROYS of having the
company produce its books. and the
officials give testimony under oath
bearing on the cost of production, etc
On five separate occasions resolutions
demanding such an investigation were
offered in the house, but the combine
promptly voted them down.
The trust bill which passed the SEN
ate and is now bothering the members
of the house was introduced by Senator
Charles Smith, of Houghton county,
where most of the big copper mines
are located. 1t increases from $1,000
600 to $4,000. 600 the authorized mining
capital of mining corporations organ
lied in Michigan. The argument of
those that favor the bill is that there
is no fear Of any advantage being taken
of the people for the reason that capital
will not invest unless there is a pros
pect of success.
The friends of the pure food laws of
the state and of the state dairy and food
department are greatly exercised over
Senator Humphreys bill which slipped
through the senate recently, limiting
the amount of the fine that may be
imposed for any violation of the pure
food laws to 500. The purpose and eff
feet of the bill is said to be to take the
trial of all these cases out of the cir
cult courts and give the justice courts
exclusive jurisdiction, and the friends
of the department say that that would
almost amount to the notification of
the whole system of pure food laws
and make the dairy and food depart
ment a comparatively useless affair.
Candidates for office at the recent
election have commenced to file their
statements of campaign expenses with
the secretary of state. Thomas O'Hara,
candidate on the democratic ticket for
circuit judge in the Second judicial dis
trict, makes affidavit that he expended
$667.6O. Henry j. Hoyt, democratic
candidate in the Fourteenth district,
expended only ten dollars; while Judge
Steere, of the Eleventh district, who
ran on both tickets, came through the
campaign without spending cent
None of the candidates for the supreme
court or regents of the university have
filed their statements.
Though both houses passed the bill
providing for spring duck shooting, the
measure may not go into effect this
year. 1t has been supposed that Gov.
Pingree would sign the bill as soon as
it was laid before him, but doubts are
raised. 1t is likely that sportsmen from
all over the state will ask the governor
not to sign the bill. One of the argu-
ments used against the bill is that
the law of 1897 prohibiting spring duck
shooting was passed as the result of
an agreement with Wisconsin, Illinois
and Minnesota and that these states
have also passed laws against spring
shooting.
Several druggists protested, before
against the passage of the Flood bill
providing that druggists who sell liquor
shall take out a $500 license. Their
argument was that it would drive some
of the smaller druggists out of the
business and il would be n temptation
10 those who remain to encourage the
sale of whisky and compete with the
saloons. 1t was proposed as a substi-
tute for the Flood bill that the state
pharmacy board be given the power
TO revoke the license of any registered
pharmacist violating the present law
Should the Flood bill pass, the druggists
fear that drug stores would have to be
closed Sundays and after legal hours
for saloons, under the law regulating
the liquor traffic.
Attorney-General Oren has had sub
mitted to him by Secretary of State
Stearns a very important question
namely, whether or not the secretary
of state hac tho ,.,.yhf ,,oIar ax;et.n,.