The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1899-02-28

landing in the supreme court If they be-
come laws. They provide that the town.
ships of Flkton 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, IL 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
| ~ admitting this, claimed that under
decisions of the United States supreme
court the payment of this class of bonds
con be enforced If they are sold to a
nonresident who can commence action
to recover in the United States court,
and II is claimed that the townships can
be enforced to pay. Judge Cooley held
| that the township could not bond itself
for purposes such as this even If every
taxpayer in the township voted In ia
vor OF doing so.
Representative Pack OF st. Joseph is
sponsor for a bill that will receive the
undivided attention OF the attorneys
OF Michigan as soon as they learn its
provisions. II is an adaptation OF the
law Of Minnesota. and while Mr.. Pack
admits that its passage would be a
hard blow to attorneys. especially the
poor ones, he contends that 1t would
result I'm a great saving to the people.
| The bill provides for the election in
every township and ward in the state
\ OF board OF conciliation to be COM
| posed OF three members to whom all
personal disputes and wrangles be-
tween citizens must be referred.
Can Dispose of the Disputes.
This board is TO have power TO dis
pose of these disputes, and in no case
| is the person considering himself ag-
grieved TO have recourse to the courts
unless the board so decides. For in
stance If a couple of neighbors get into
quarrel over the depredations of
chickens in the garden Of one Of them,
and the other is inclined to sue for
| damages and all that the case must
| be referred to the board OF concliation
| OF the township or ward, and unless it
consents no suit can be brought The
| idea Is to have these petty quarrel5
settled out of court by neighbors who
are acquainted with all the parties, and
| who are thus qualified to bring about
| All amicable adjustment OF the diff
| Guilty. 1t is authoritatively asserted
| that the effect OF this law in Minnesota
| has been TO reduce the expense of llti-
| CATION to the taxpayers alone, TO say
| nothing OF the saving to individual suit
| ors, OF 40 per cent. year. similar
| bill has passed one house OF the legis-
| lature OF both North and South Da-
kota and bids fair TO become a law in
each OF those states. IT does not ap-
ply to criminal proceedings. which are
| left TO be disposed of by prosecuting
attorneys. nor to differences in which
| corporations are involved Mr.. Pack
| calls it "the poor mans BILL" and he
proposes to push IT vigorously. although
admitting that its passage would drive
| many attorneys from the state.
Farmers Like wayne's Bill.
There are scores OF farmers through
| out the state who will yearn for the
passage of Representative Wayne's bill
which exempts from taxation all farm
mortgages which. bear interest at the
| rate of 4 per cent. or less. and II is not
| unlikely that there will be found capi-
| talists who will advocate the measure.
| Should the bill become a law it would
have the effect OF bringing out of the
| savings banks a vast amount OF money
| that is lying there drawing interest OF
| from 21s to 31s per cent.
Various bills proposing schemes to
| equalize taxation have been introduced,
| but Representative Gustin of Alpena
| thinks he has evolved the one that more
| nearly hits the nail on the head than
| any other. His bill does away with
| township boards OF review and county
| equalization, and seeks to solve the
much mooted problem of listing all the
4 property in the state and assessing It
4 at its true cash value. 1t provides for
i q county board OF review which shall
| have full power to subpoena witnesses,
| compel the production Of papers, etc,
| and charge any assessment so that 1t
| VIII comply with the constitutional
| provision requiring assessments to be
| made at full cash value. The board
| In each county is to consist OF one
| member TO be appointed by the gov
| ernor and four 10 be appointed by the
| board OF supervisors. not two of the
| members 20 be residents OF the same
assessing district.
Diniculty with the Law.
| The difficulty with the present law"
| says the introducer OF the bill, is that
| Its provisions contemplate that the
constitutional requirement that prop
erty be assessed at its true cash value
shall not be complied with. II this were
not 50 there would be no necessity for
| county equalization. AS a matter OF
fact the present law makes ii an OBJ
| ject for every assessing officer to un-
dervalue the property In his district.
In order to escape state and county
taxation TO as great an extent as pos
sible. and the same object is presented
to the board OF supervisors to equallze
the property OF the county so that as
much state taxation as possible may be
avoided"
A most novel action so far as the
Michigan legislature is concerned was
taken by the senate few days ago,
not, however, without a struggle. As
is well known number of bills to either
repeal or reduce the beet sugar bounty
have been introduced. These bills are
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