The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-04-05
STRIKE. At LIQUOR TRADE.
Some of the Plans of Legislators for
New Taxes and Regulations
of the Traffic.
THEY ARE LIKELY TO BECOME LAWS.
Mr.. Nevins Declares His nil tn LII
cense Drinkers Ii No Joke, and Is
Receiving strong support - Bill
Limiting Amount of state Lands to
he Purchased by One Person.

Lansing, April 3.-There seems TO be
a determined, if not concerted, effort
TO take fall" out of the liquor trade
in Michigan by the legislators at the
present session. Following on the
heels of the Humphrey bill requiring
druggists throughout the state to make
sworn statements each week of their
sales of Intoxicating liquors Will come
another liquor bill which provides for
decided innovation and which is in
dorsed by many of the most influential
Legislators. The Humphrey bill passed
the senate with very little opposition
and has been advanced to third read
ing i'm the house by a vote which insures
its final passage. This fact makes the
Sayre bill look like very formidable
proposition. II is estimated that this
bill would yield "a revenue of about
S750,00O annually, which revenue would
be added to the primary school fund.
The point Of the bill is contained in
section 3, which provides for tax OF
81 for every barrel containing not more
than 50 gallons of beer, ale, porter, or
similar fermented liquor, brewed or
manufactured and sold or removed for
consumption or sale, within the state
of Michigan, by whatever names said
liquors are called, and upon all lager
beer, ale, porter, brewed and manufac-
tured within the state of Michigan and
brought within the borders of the state
and sold after the same shall have been
brought within the borders.
Another liquor bill which is attract
ing considerable attention was intro
duced by Senator Flood. 1t requires
that druggists who sell intoxicating
liquors shall pay the same tax exacted
of retail liquor dealers-$50O a year.
In support of the bill Senator Flood,
who was in the drug business Tor many
years himself, says that 90 per cent. of
the druggists in this state sell spiritu-
Gus liquors just as freely as they are
sold in the saloons. and under the pres
ent law they are privileged 10 run "a
hours every day in the year without
paying a cent of tax.
When Representative Nevins intro
duced his bill providing that persons
desiring to drink Intoxicating liquors
shall pay the town or city clerk five
dollars for a license permitting them
10 do so he was generally believed 10
be joking. at is no joke at all, says
the legislator from Allegan. IL amin
deadly earnest. They are jumping on
the saloon keeper all the time. but l
would like 10 ask who creates the saloon
keeper if il is not the men who drink?
Why should not those fellows pay a
license as well as the fellows who sell
the stuff? They have similar law
in Oregon and it works well there. ]
am getting more promises Of support
for my bill than you have any idea Of.
4 majority Of the senators have de-.
cided to vote against the confirmation
of w. ID. Mahon. of Detroit. nominated
for Judge of the state court of media
ton.
The plans Of the new military bin
agreed upon by the committee call for
an entire reorganization of the Michi-
gan national guard. The bill provides
for a total of Al companies of state
troops. divided into three regiments
and one independent battalion, togeth-
er with one separate company to act
as a signal corps The districting of
these regiments will be left to the state
military board and the plan of the
board is for general shake-up geo.
graphically so that the companies in
the same locality may be brought into
the same regiment.
The bill which passed the house
Thursday providing for what is Off
cially called the northern state normal
school. TO be located at Marquette. car
ries with it ansappropriation of $4,000
for building and $4,000 for running
expenses coupled with the proviso that
the city of Marquette raise $4,000 to
be devoted to furnishing the school. In
the senate the bill went to the commit
tee on education and il is said the SEN
ators who favor moving the mining
school from Houghton TO Ann Arbor
and placing the normal school in the
Houghton buildings have not yet given
up their plan.
The house committee on general tax
alton gave hearing on the Gillian bill
acquired under the law of 1893 and now
held by homesteaders, as well as those
still held by the state. and also provid-
ing for the bidding into the state of
lands hereafter delinquent for taxes.
The latter lands are to be held for
homestead entry for a period of two
years, and if not then homesteaded are
TO be offered for sale at a price APP
praised by the state land commissioners.
The bill provides that only 240 acres
can be purchased 10y one person. The
proceeds of these sales are TO 60 TO
reimburse the townships in which the
tax was delinquent. This bill was ne
cessitated by the supreme court deci-
sion in the tax title case of Connecticut
Mutual Life Insurance company VS..
Wood, ct al, which invalidated the title
of the state and homesteaders TO much
of this land.
JASON