The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-03-24

eighteen votes against II In the house.
They hope for better success In the SEN
ate.
Inheritance Tax Bill.
Iuch interest is being taken In Sena-
ter Graham's inheritance tax bill This
measure provides for a tax on inheri-
lance generally, although 1t does not
tax benefciaries having a direct rela-
tionship to the decedent such as father.
mother, husband, wife, child, brother.
sitser. or children adopted according to
the laws of this state. The legacies
acquired by this class of beneficiaries
IL not taxed unless 1t consists of per-
sonal property valued at more than $5,-
600. Senator Graham believes that
there is no class in the world so able
to pay taxes as beneficiaries under wills
outside Of the regular descent A SINH
lar law to the one proposed in the bill
has been in force In Pennsylvania and
New York for number of years, and
yields handsome revenue to the state.
The beet sugar bounty question is
one that will not down, and there Is
sure to be a very vigorous fight when
this matter comes up for adjustment.
The friends Of the bounty have to fight
not only the repeal of the bounty law,
but 1t will be necessary for them to
pass bill making an appropriation for
paying the bounty to be earned this
year and next. The law enacted two
years ago provided an appropriation for
the years 1897 and 1898, and for this
reason the Michigan Sugar company OF
Bay City has been unable to collect
$4,000 earned for sugar manufactured
since Jan. 1. The opponents Of the
bounty have failed in their efforts to
secure the passage of a resolution au-
thorizing a committee to require the
above company to produce it's books for
inspection and to subpoena the officials
to testify as to the profits of the COM
pany.'
More Than $1,2OO,OOO for Bounty.
In turn they defeated a resolution
authorizing the committee to simply re-
quest the company to make state
ment. There the matter stands. Those
who tried to have an investigation Or
dered have submitted figures showing
that II each Of the several companies
that are to manufacture sugar in Mich
igan this year has an output equal to
that Of the Bay City concern last sea-
son, the state will have to appropriate
more than 81, 200, 900 for bounty for the
ensuing two years.
The farmers Of the state will be
pleased to learn that the present legis-
lature will stand by the travelling Ii
brary system which has become so
popular in the rural communities dur.
Ing the past two years. The bill MAX
ing an ample appropriation for the con-
tinuance of this work has passed the
senate and been agreed to by the house
In committee Of the whole. 1t is suffi-
GENTLY ample so that the work can be
extended to meet the growing demands
Of the people.
A bill designed to control the tramp
nuisance to certain extent has passed
the house. 1t provides a penalty for
persons who jump from moving trains,
excepting only railroad employees. This
will have a tendency to make through
passengers of the Weary Willie" VINO
once secures a seat on the brake beam
or hides himself away in among the
freight.
Under the present system county sur
veyors and other civil engineers are not
required to preserve records of their
minutes when they subdivlde property.
These minutes are very valuable at
times, and the house has passed a bill
requiring that they be filed with the
register of deeds in all cases.
Caused the Farmers to Shy.
The farmers in the house SHE'D no.
ticeably a day or two ago when Rep
resentative Davis bicycle bill was up
on third reading, and the result was
that the friends of the bill had it tabled
to await the return of number of the
uh rid
bill makes it felony to steal bicycle,
and fixes the penalty at Imprisonment
from two to five years. In case of a
first offender the punishment is made
one year in the county Jail and a fine
of from $50 to $3.50. Some Of the farm
ers who do not ride wheels think that
no distinction should be made between
bicycles and other classes Of property
in this regard forgetting the fact that
demonstrating became so frequent ii
was necessary to provide special pen
atty for that crime regardless of the
value Of the animal stolen Their point
Is that as the stealing Of other prop
erty valued at less than $25 does not
subject the offender to term in state
prison and that no exception should
be made as to bicycles. The indications
d
majority of the members believing that
the new order Of things demands a de-
parture from the general law on this
subject
Representative Davis, by the way is
the legislator who established a prece-
dent In Michigan last week. He abso-
lutely refused to vote either way on a
resolution indorsing the administration
Of Railroad Commissioner Wesselius
who had just been retired by Governor
Pingree. For this offense Mr.. Davis
was ordered before the bar Of the house
and severely reprimanded by Speaker
Adams.
First Time In History.
This is the first time in the history OF
Michigan that a member of the legis-
lature has been thus reprimanded. The
rules require that every member who
is in his seat must vote on all ques-
lions unless he is directly interested in
the matter Mr.. Davis claimed that he
did not have the knowledge necessary
to enable him to vote intelligently on
this particular resolution. In discuss
ing its power in the premises it was
established that the house can order a
member reprimanded, or can suspend or
expel him. The question whether fine