The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-04-21

bountes during the next two years,
| which passed the house a few days ago.
| A rumor has gained currency that the
| governor Will veto the bill unless some
limit is placed on the amount any
factory shall be paid in a single year.
This may or may not have any founda-
ton. but 1t Is apparent that a majority
or the senator's are seriously consider
ing the ACCESSIBILITY of amending the
bill in this particular The limit ad-
vocated varies from $4,000 to $4,000.
| The Waterbury bill substituting SAL
1 aries for fees for compensation for
| county offices was slaughtered by the
| committee of the whole, but the house
refused to concur In this action. There
was a very small attendance when this
vote was taken, and there is little doubt
| that full vote will finish the bill for
| this session.
Secretary of State Stearns has re-
ceived returns from just about one-half
| Of the counties of the state. and the
| figures indicate that all of the consti-
| tutional amendments voted on at the
! recent elections, except that relative to
good roads, have been defeated. 1t will
be fortnight before the official fig
ures will be available.
The Inheritance Tax Bill.
The fate of Senator Graham's Inherit
ance tax bill is problematcal. 1t passed
the senate by a handsome vote, but
when 1t came up in the house in COM
! mittee of the whole, no one but Repre-
sentative Dingley, who ably advocated
Its passage, seemed to take any particu-
lar interest in II or to have given the
subject any thought. 1t was opposed
In listless sort Of way by several, who
could see no good reason for putting an
extra tax on property simply because
Its owner happened to die, and who
protested against this sort of double
taxation. The committee killed the bill,
but as the house refused to acquiesce
In the slaughter, the measure is still
alive. 1t is on the table In the house,
and after little campaign of education
another attempt to pass it will be made.
The bill is estimated to yield an annual
income Of from 100000 to $4,000
There is no hope that provision will be
made by the present legislature for the
care of dependent children who are
crippled. Senator Head has a bill pro-
viding that these children be cared for
t the state school at Coldwater. 1t
has been demonstrated, however, that
this plan is not practical, inasmuch
as this school is but temporary home
for the children, who are placed in
homes throughout the state as rapidly
as places can be found for them.
Not Eligible to Admission.
The institution has not the facilities
for caring for crippled children. 1t is
estimated that there are in the state
several hundred Of these unfortunates
who are not eligible to admission to any
state institution, and 1t is probable that
this is the next commendable charity
for which provision must be made. All
that can be done with these children
Is to send them to the county poor
houses to grow up amid the surround
ings which characterize such places.
Representative Chamberlain, who Is
serving his fourth consecutive term in
the house, is convinced that the con-
stitutional provision that no bills shall
be introduced after the first fifteen days
Of the session have expired, Is of no
practical value, not tending to shorten
the session In the least. Chief Clerk
Miller, who Is veteran In legislative
experience, shares this belief, and fur
Their maintains that the legislators
should be left free to introduce bills
even during the very last days Of the
session If there appears to be a neces-
sity for them. Clerk Miller recalls in
stances where, IL this had been legal,
subsequent extraordinary sessions Of
the legislature could have been avoided.
The house has, therefore, passed Cham
berlain's joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the constitution which
will repeal the limit clause and leave
the legislators unhampered in this re-
gard. This was the custom under the
constitution of 1885.
Where to Lay the Tracks.
The question of where the tracks Of
electric suburban roads shall be placed
along the highways of the state gave
the house considerable trouble, and 1t
was discussed at great length. The rep
resentatives had a hard time deciding
whether to protect the roadways or the
shade trees, many of them being in
clined to force the roads to seek other
routes If their plans endangered shade
trees which property owners had been
nurturing for years. 1t was finally de-
cided that the inside tracks of all lines
hereafter constructed shall be at least
twenty feet from the center Of the road
way 1t was claimed that in some in
stances the tracks have been placed so
near the center Of the highways as to
seriously interfere with travel.
Some years ago Thomas Allen was
arrested in Mecosta county on a charge
of burglary and sent to states prison
for five and one-half years. After be-
ing incarcerated a couple of years he
proved conclusively that at the time
the crime was committed he was in the
British navy and was stationed at San
Francisco. This was proven from the
records and the testimony of his supe-
rior officers. His arrest was simply a
case of mistaken identity. When the
facts were established Governor Win
ans pardoned Allen.
Fell from Train.
The convict was turned loose with
out money or friends, and in beating his
way to Detroit fell off train and had
one OF his legs cut off. Ever since then
he has sought to have the legislature
compensate him for the time he was IL
legally imprisoned. The house has final
ly passed joint resolution authorizing
the state board Of auditors to investi-