The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-03-03
MANY new MEASURES
introduced in the Legislature by
Lawmakers.
NO ADJOURNMENT BEFORE JUNE.

Legislators Now Know Just What Has
| Been Cut Out for Them to Do ! I'm port
ant Development in the Line of Taxation
Legislation Looked For-Representative
Wagner's Bill Liked by Farmers-Mr.
/ Packs poor Mans BILL"
Lansing, Mich. Feb. 2S.-The first fif-
| ~ days of the session during which bills
can be introduced having expired, the
| legislators know just about what work
has been cut out for them to do. A sur
vey or the situation by the legislator
who is ambitious to finish the work and
get away to attend to his private bust
| ness must be far from consoling, for
the total number of bills and joint res
| olutions introduced exceeds that of any
| previous session with the single ex-
| ception Of 1897. In the house the num-
Der this year is 1.193, as compared with
1.27S two years ago. while the senate re-
| ceived 54S in comparison with SCI in
1897. 1t will be seen. therefore. that the
house was eighty-five and the senate
thirteen short of the record of two years
ton Of taxation is before this legisla-
| ture In much more comprehensive
| form than 1t assumed in 1897, the bills
now introduced treating of every posi-
BILE phase of this important question.
the indications are that much other i'm
| portant matters are covered by the bills
now in the hands of the committees
For these reasons the opinion is quite
general that 1t will be we'll along into
June before final adjournment is
reached.
Developments Looked For.
Important developments in the line
Of taxation legislation are looked for
this week. although the progress of the
bills to be reported by the joint COM
mittee may be somewhat impeded by
the fact that the Republican state con-
vention to be held at Jackson Wednes-
day will attract so many of the repre-
sentatives that no business will be ac-
complished on that cay. The bills pre-
pared by the joint committees to which
this entire subject was referred fort
night ago are now in the hands Of the
house, and there will be nothing from
now on to deter that body from going
ahead with their consideration. Two
copies Of the Atkinson bill will be avail
able any time a majority of the house
may desire to make use of them, they
having been introduced during the rush
Incident to the last day for the intro
duction Of bills, one being sent to the
friendly committee on revision Of the
laws. and the other put on the table. 1t
Is expected that the action to be taken
by the state convention touching this
subject will be potent factor in deter
mining what sort of a bill shall be
passed. There seems to be a genuine
desire on the part Of the large majority
Of the legislators to enact some law or
series of laws that will approximate
equal taxation. and 1t Is not improbable
that an income tax law will be one Of
the features Of the legislation enacted
The senate took a whirl at the At
kinson bill few evenings ago, 1t having
been introduced in that body on the fif-
tieth day of the session. An attempt
was made to make the consideration Of
the bill the special order for today. but
this was deemed too soon by a major
ity, and the special order was fixed for
March 6. The vote on the earlier date
was IA to IL. an indication that the
senate is very equally divided on the
main question.
Legal Objections Known.
The railroad attorneys have had their
hearing on the Atkinson BILL and the
exact nature of their legal objections to
II are now known. While each of the
three attorneys who spoke before the
committee got at the matter at differ
ent standpoints. their conclusions were
practically the same. Their claim that
the bill is unconstitutional Is based on
the contention that the tax provided
IL an ad valorem and not a specific tax
This being the case, they maintain that
the bill Is unconstitutional because II
fixes different basis for determining
the actual value of railroad and other
corporate property from that by which
the value of other classes Of property to
be taxed In the same manner Is to be ar.
rived at All the railroad attorneys
were a unit on this proposition. and on
the further claim that 1t is not possible
TO draft bill on the lines of the At
kinson bill and have the proceeds de-
rived Hereunder go to the primary
school fund. 1t is needless to say that
Representative Cheever and other ad-
vocates Of the Atkinson bill do not con-
cede these claims to be true. AS q
matter Of fact they deny them most Wig
orously and are prepared to stand by
the bill to finish.
A great deal Of railroad legislation Is
to be considered this year. bills covering
all departments Of the business having
been introduced. The question Of dis
elimination in freight and passenger
rates will be gone into thoroughly.
Money for Beet Sugar Industry.
Two bills have been passed by the
house which are sure to make an early
landing in the supreme court IL they be.
come laws. They provide that the town.
ships Of Elkton and Oliver in Huron
county may raise money for the pur-
pose Of encouraging the sugar beet in
dustry. In the famous Salem case the
opinion. which was written by the late
Justice Cooley and which has been the
settled law in Michigan for twenty-five
years or more. 1t was held that II was
clearly illegal for a township to raise
money for these purposes. The advo-
Gates of the bills. however. while free
ly admitting this, claimed that under
decisions of the United States supreme
court the payment of this class of bonds
can be enforced IL they are sold to a