Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-08-31
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In his annual report Commissioners
Grosvenor Of the State dairy and food
commission, refers to the difficulties
with which he was confronted when he
took charge of the department on ac-
count of the lack Of decisions In Michi-
gan touching food questions, and the be-
lief that the pure food laws could not be
enforced. AS result Of the litigations,
the commissioner says, no State IN the
Union Is more strongly fortified to-day
than Is Michigan, with questions OF food
litigation correctly and authoritatively
interpreted. Although restricted BY q
limited inspection force vigorous prose-
sutton OF the work Of inspection has
>een carried on during the year. The
stocks of 1880 dealers. in food products
have been examined and L. 100 special In
vestigations made. The butter and milk
supplied to 24O hotels and restaurants
we're examined, and 440 diaries inspect
ed. The laboratory work shows 1,O5O
samples analysed. Eghty-six violations
of the pure food laws were prosecuted.
Twenty-nine examinations were held In
thirteen of (which the defendants were
the cases dismissed were oleomargarine
prosecutions on questions of law which
the department now has before the SUI
preme court for review. Twenty-Five
cases were brought to trial and twenty
of the defendants were convicted. Three
Of the cases lost were under statute
requiring the department to prove the
defendants guilty knowledge, defect
which has since been remedied by new
law.
Secretary Of State Stearns Is hot after
some big franchise fees and IL he gets
them he will make the State richer by
$4,000 at least. When the Wisconsin
Central Railroad Company was reor-
ganized recently 1t Incorporated with
capital stock of $30, 100000. 1t pre-
scented its articles to the Secretary Of
State, who required the regular franchise
fee Of one-half of per cent. The COM
pany contended that 1t did not have to
pay a franchise fee on its entire capital
stock since only a small proportion Of its
line Is in Michigan, but the Attorney
General to whom the matter was refer
red has decided that the position taken
by the Secretary of State Is correct, and
that the company must come down with
the cash. When the articles are record
ed a franchise fee of $4,000 must be
paid. The American Car & Foundry
Co., which recently absorbed the PENN
sular car works Of Detroit, has capital
stock of sec, 900, 900, and when their ar
ticles were presented to the State De-
partment for filing q franchise fee OF
$50, 600 was demanded. The company
contended that 1t ought not to be re-
quired to pay anything, and asked for
time in which to lay the matter before
the general officers, stating that 1t may
be concluded to pay the amount. There
Is an intimation in the company's letter
that the> law will be contested before
the $4,000 fee is given up.
-
The Quartermaster Generals Office has
received from the Chief of Ordnance at
Washington letter which does not re-
store the peace Of mind Of the military
officials regarding the old ordnance stores
which have been shipped to this State
to replace the supplies furnished the vol
unteers by the State. The letter states
that 1t has not been customary for the
general government to pay the State In
cash for ordnance furnished by the State
to the troops, and that 1t Is doubtful II
the rule will be violated in this case.
The general government will pay Michi-
gan for the uniforms and other supplies
aside from the ordnance stores In cash,
but 1t Is intimated that the State must
accept old guns. cannons. blanket bags
and other supplies which are classed
under the head of ordnance in place Of
those furnished the troops from this
State during the war with Spain.
-
The boom in copper and the demand
for hard wood resulting from the high
lumber tariff has enabled Michigan to
dispose Of a larger quantity Of State
lands during the fiscal year just closed
than for any previous year since 1880.
Nearly $4,000 acres of supposedly worth
less lands in the copper counties was
sold to spectators, and the hard wood
timber land holdings in several counties
are exhausted. A total Of 39,2S1 acres
was sold during the year, the aggregate
price paid being $1T0.S15. A single syn
dictate purchased $500 acres Of mineral
lands and the State has now disposed of
all its lands in the so-called copper coun-
ties.
-
Adjt. Gen. Case has received from
Adjt. Gen. Corbin. at Washington, the
flags Of the Thirty Thirty-third
and Thirty-fourth Michigan regiments,
and they have been placed In the State
museum in this city. The flags of the
Thirty-ffth and Thirty-second were
turned over to the State by the regi-
mental officers by authority of a law
passed by Congress, which took effect
after the three regiments first mentioned
were mustered out
As members of the board that will
have charge of the Michigan exhibits at
the Ohio centennial exposition in Toledo,
the Governor has named E. o. Avery,
Of Alpena; Donald Mcvichie. of Ish-
peming; John b. Horton, of Fruit Ridge;
George X. Sigh, of Grand Rapids, and
Lafayette Crowley, Of Detroit.
-
Gov. Pingree has appointed Walter
Fitch, OF Champion, and r. R. Goodell,
Of Houghton, members Of the Board of
Control of the Michigan College Of
Mines, to succeed Thomas b. Dunstan
and Jay A. ,Hubbell, ardent anti-Pingree
men. -:-:-
1t would be difficult, Insurance Com
missioner Campbell says, to estimate the
vast amount Of good done by the frater-