The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1899-01-24
INTERESTING CONTEST
That of the Pingree and Anti
Pingree Factions.
LATTER SEEN TO HAVE BEST OF 1T.

Secured Delay on the Report on the Cheev.
er-Atkinson Railroad Tax Bill Until
Feb. s-Factions Have Decided to Call q
Halt and Attend to Business-Present
Status of the Railway Taxation Question
The Long Vacation.
Lansing, Mich, Jan. 24.-The ups and
downs OF the so-called Pingree and anti
Pingree factions in the lower house dur
ing the past week have been enough
TO give the person who attempted to
keep track Of them nervous prostration.
Regard for the exact truth forces the
assertion that at the close of hostili-
ties the antis had the best Of the sit
uation, having secured the delay un-
til Feb. s Of the report on the Cheever-
Atkinson railroad tax BILL after hav-
ing been defeated few days before in
their efforts to gain this same point
by providing that the special commit
tee in charge OF the bill should make an
exhaustive investigation of the entire
subject OF taxation. Then, too, the at
tempt TO enlarge the elections COM
mittee was defeated. revived, and again
defeated, all within few hours, leav-
ing the antis once more on top of the
heap.
Concluded to Call Halt.
1t will be gratifying news for the peo-
pie of the state generally that both fac
tions have come to the conclusion that
there is nothing particularly dignified
nor valuable about all this sparring
over political points, and have. there
fore, concluded to call halt in this
regard and devote their energies to the
consideration Of the merits of the bills
so far introduced, as we'll as those TO be
introduced during the remainder of the
first fifty days Of the session. No doubt
there will be a little sparrng occasion
ally, but, if the agreement is kept, these
petty issues will not occupy practically
all the time Of the legislature as ii has
up TO date.
Inasmuch as the legislature will ad-
journ this week for the long vacation,
and as nothing will be done with rail-
road and other tax legislation until 1t
reconvenes Feb. T. IL may be well to
state the present status of this question
in which all the people, of the state are
greatly interested, probably TO a great
er extent than in any other question
that will demand the attention Of the
legislature this year. Thus far several
bills bearing on this subject have been
either introduced or noticed in each
house. First came the Cheever- -Atkin-
son bill, which is the original Atkin-
son bill so amended as TO conform to
the recent opinion of the supreme court
in which the charter OF the Michigan
Central Railroad company was declared
TO be valid.
Two Other Bills.
Then there is the bill introduced by
Chairman Fleschauer OF the house
committee on railroads, which is the
Atkinson bill just as it was passed by
the house at the special session. The
third bill i'm the hands of the house COM
mittees WAS introduced by Mr.. Sculley
OF Ionia. and provides for the repeal of
the special charter Of the Michigan Cen
tral, which is, by the terms OF the bill,
empowered to commence action in the
circuit court of Ingham county TO recov-
or from the state for any damage that it
iay sustain by reason of such repeal.
In the senate notices have been CIV
en- of two railroad bills One of these
notices was given by Senator Lyon OF
Hillsdale, who admits that the bin is
designed to take the place of the CheeV-
er-Atkinson bill. The senator says his
bill will deal with exactly the same class
OF property, but will change the board
OF assessors provided for in the admin
stration bill by dropping the governor.
auditor general and secretary of state,
as we'll as two assessors TO be appoint
ed by the governor. and provide for the
election OF three assessors by the peo-
pie. The state treasurer, in view OF the
| fact that he will collect the tax, will
| be made an eX-officio member OF the
| board The salary of the other men,
| bers is fixed at $4,000 instead of $1,000
as i'm the administration bill. Another
| important change is that the. franchise
OF a company is not TO be considered
separately in valuing the property, but
shall be taken in connection with all
| other assets in fixing such valuation
May support the Lyon Bill.
IL is believed by many persons who
| are well informed on the situation that
the Lyon bill is the one the opponents
| OF the Cheever- Atkinson bill will sup
| port. although Senator Graham has q
| bill which not only includes corporate
property. but all other classes OF prop
| erty in the state, and many legislators
who have declared that the Cheever-At-
| kinson bill does not go far enough, may
| rally TO the support Of this measure.
| Representative Cheever. the admins
/ tration leader In the house. says that
| he has an understanding with Chair
| man Fleischauer that the railroad COM
| mittee will not report the original At
| kinson bill. thus leaving the administra-
| ton measure the only one to be sent
| to the house The agreement With the
4 special sromnittee is mat the admins