The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-06-21
Legislature Ceases to D business
But Final Adjournme I Will
Not Come Until Jun, "a.
CLOSING SCENES QUITE D.,CRlsRLY.
Gov. Pingree Sends Tart Messages
Vetoing the Sugar bounty and Buff
faIo Exposition Measure - strong
Antitrust Law Passed by Roth
branches.
Especial Correspondence


the senate stopped the clock and kept
at il little longer in order to complete
its work. The total appropriations for
the two years are 100000. Before
adjournment the legislature received
two important vetoes from Gov. Pin
gree. One was of the bill rec ncing the
sugar bounty from one cent 10 one
half a cent a pound. The ether was
Of the measure appropriating $4,000
for state building and exhibit at the
pan-American exposition in buffalo.
In the message voicing his disapproyal
the governor took occasion to reiterate
his views on the taxation subject.
There was no attempt to override
either veto, but an effort was made 10
enact a substitute bounty measure.
The house passed a bill giving each
beet sugar factory $25, 900 annually, but
the senate amended it by making it
imperative until 1904. This reached
the house too late for action, ard there
fore the bounty of one cent a pound
will stand.
The bounty bill, as originally passed,
had been recalled from the governors
Office, he having recommended that the
amount paid any sugar factory be linn
tied TO $4,000 annually. No limit was
inserted, however, in the amended bill,
which simply reduced the bounty TO
one-half cent a pound. The veto mes
sage on this bill said in part:
THE legislature has passed no laws TO
equalize the burden Of taxation ara make
- a a = a 70
of taxes. 1t was elected for the purpose
Of passing laws TO equalize asses sUents
and taxes, and to make railroads ard other
corporations pay as much taxes In proper
tion as the farmer and other small prop
erty owners 1t has failed utterly L carry
out the wish of the people in this respect.
The tax dOdger has either controlled or
INSTRUCTED legislation. His interes have
been carefully protected. The effort seems
TO have been made to appropriate much
money as possible, out Of all proportion
to the present income of the state, and to
stifle all measures framed to make the tax
dodger bear his and its share Of the in
creased expenses"
Gov. Pingree then strongly attacked
the senate in particular because bills
for taxing railroads and other corpora
tons in like manner with other proper
~ still repose in senate committees. He
added:
THE republican party in convention, by
its platform, unanimously pledged al q the
people Endorsed, reforms in taxation, not
one of which has been fulfilled. Sucl vio-
ations Of faith are sometimes as danger
Gus 10 parties as to individuals"
AS to the Buffalo appropriation, the
governor said:
IF this republican legislature cannot
afford to make the pay Of Michigan's vol
unteers in the Spanish-American war at
least 81 per day, il certainly should not
tax the soldiers modest home for the pur-
pose of raising fund to enable tax dod gers
to exhibit their wares in a neighboring
state"
Several important appropriation bills
and other measures were to be acted
upon before adjournment, and it was
with difficulty that Speaker Adams and
Lieut.. Gov. Robinson depressed the tn
multi among the members during the
final session. Great excitement attend
ed the reading of the veto messages in
the house and the subsequent action
upon the bounty bill. In the senate
Senator Sayre roundly denounced
Speaker Adams for his failure to trans
nit his antitrust bill, which passed the
house Thursday night, declaring that
the speaker had been improperly influ- !
enced to hold up the bill. Other sena-
tors FASTENED TO take back track on
the single tax bill, which they had
previously voted for, by reconsidering
the vote by which it was passed.
Gov. Pingree is not satisfied with the
record of the legislature in the matter
of the taxation of railroads, the senate +
having refused to increase the specific
tax rate materially, and it is confidently
expected that he will shortly call a spe- /
cial session for the purpose of submit
ting an amendment to the constitution |
providing for the direct taxation of all
railroad property.
The antitrust bill passed by both I
houses, and which will be signed by I
Gov. Pingree, defines a trust as "a COM
bination Of capital, skill, or arts by two |
or more persons, firms, partnerships, I
corporations. or associations of persons, /
or of any two or more of them for /
either, any, or all of the following pur-
poses:
To create or carry out restrictions in
trade or commerce; to limit or reduce the |
production, or increase or reduce the price |
O1, merchandise or Otner cOmmOultyi 10 ,
,yt competition i'm manufacturing, |
{. w, transportation, sale, or purchase |
line ofandise, produce, or any commod
at any standard or figure, where
ed full,te to the public or consumer shall
! / any manner be controlled or established, /
any article or commodity of merchandise,
produce, or commerce intended for sale,
barter, use or consumption in this state.
The law provides that for violation
of any of its provisions by any corpora
ton or association the attorney gener-
al shall institute proceedings for the
forfeiture of the charter rights, fran
chises, or privileges of the offender and
for the dissolution of the same under
the general laws of the state. Every
foreign corporation violating the pro- +
visions of the law is to be absolutely
prohibited from doing business in Mich
igan. Violations are declared to be con-
spiracies against trade, and any person
taking part therein is to be punished by
q fine of from $50 to $4,000 or imprison-