Crawford avalanche., 1900-04-12
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II appears that the action n the Su'
preme Court In declaring single section
OF the tax law unconstitutional, as 1t did
recently in the case of the Citizens Saw
ings Bank against the auditor general, Is
likely to cause the department large
amount OF work and occasion the repay
ment to holders of State tax deeds OF a
large sum of money. A tax title dealer
said the other day that the decision would
make the big balance in the State treas
ury look like thirty cents, as the holders
of the deeds which are invalid will be
entitled TO return of their money. The
section of the law declared void is No
143 Of act 229, of 1897. The section was
designed to act as statute OF Limitation
and to bar owners of property from dis
putting in any way the validity of tax
sale, under which their property had been
sold unless question was raised within
six months after service of the notice OF
purchase. The court does not touch the
question as to the right Of the Legisla-
ture to pass such a statute Of limitations,
but the decision is based on the ground
that there are provisions in section l43
that are directly antagonistic to its spirit.
The effect of the decision will be that
where notices have been served, property
owners will have the same right to make
defense that they would have had IL the
law had never been passed. Deeds which
have been held back waiting for the de-
cision will now be returned to the audi
tor general for cancellation and refund
ing.
Labor Commissioner Cox has compiled
the result Of interviews with 1O2 real es-
tate dealers in various sections OF the
State. Ninety-fve of these report real
estate more active than one year ago.
Only three say values have decreased.
The average increase in values reported
is 1S per cent. More thar two-thirds OF
the dealers report increased sales. Busi-
ness confidence and lower interest rates
are the reasons assigned for increased
activity, as are better prospects for agr1-
culture, the sugar beet industry and min
ing. The largest sales are in farm lands.
The registrars of deeds Of thirty-four
counties report an average of "a per cent
fewer mortgages recorded in 1890 than
the year previous, while thirty-six cOun-
ties report an increase Of II per cent.
The greatest decrease has been in farm
mortgages. In the matter of mortgages
couraging. Fifty-four registrars report
an average of II per cent more discharg-
ed last year than in 1898, while only elev-
en- report less number discharged. In
terest paid on mortgaged property has
gradually decreased.
State Superintendent Hammond Of the
department Of public instruction has been
L.. l.. III In
to the subject of manual training, and he
has now issued circular on the subject.
The principal idea of the circular is that
over 80 per cent of the working popula-
tion of the United States earn their liv-
ing by their hands, and that, therefore.
the body should be t-ained in the public
schools as well as the mind. The last
census shows that the intellectual pur-
suits, which are those of clergyman, law
yer lecturer, physician, author, teacher,
editor and reporter, were followed by 32,-
426 persons in the State of Michigan,
while the pursuits requiring the exercise
of manual labor were followed by 714,-
535 persons; and it is argued that the in
terest of the larger number are many
times greater than those of the more or
less professional class.
The Supreme Court has decided case
involving the question Of control Of Cath
olic Church property which has been
pending in that tribunal since last OctO-
Der. Bishop Foley filed petition to re
strain certain of his people from building
on land owned by him as bishop. The
answer denied his ownership and claim
ed he simply owned the land in trust for
their particular church society. The court
holds that the regulations Of the church
gave the bishop complete dominion over
the church property and whether this
provision be wise or equitable it is upon
such trust that the defendants must
rely. Having failed to justify their acts
under this alleged trust, the bishop is
held to have right to insist that his
possession of the property be not disturb
ed.
The State tax commissioners have evil
IDENTIFY abandoned the idea of taxing saw
ings deposits since the recent agitation
on that subject. Blanks had been pro-
posed on which property owners were re-
quired to make oath as to money in bank
or on deposit, either in national, CONNER
cal, savings or private banks, trust COM
panies, or with any other person or per-
sons" After meeting Of the tax com
mission held in Detroit the other day the
auditor general was wired not to send
out the blanks containing the above ques-
ton. New blanks have now been printed
and the only reference to the subject OF
moneys is as follows: IAN moneys on
hand or in your possession or in your con-
troll or in any safety deposit vault" 1t
will be seen that the question of depos-
its Is wholly eliminated.
-
I. III. Butterfield and Prof. l.. II. Taft
of the Agricultural College have secured
flock of sixty .Angora goats and will
try the experiment Of raising them in
Michigan. There are said to be no 9TH
ers in the State, and the experiment will
be an interesting one to stock breeders.
-
Former Insurance Commissioner Camp
bell states that, as the result of the de-
crease of rates, total Of x4O,50O,O ,OOO
more fire insurance was carried in Michi-
gan last year than in 1898, and at cost
Of $12 900 less than the previous year.
-:-:- aA4
The Supreme Court has denied the ap-
plication Of Fred Wass, a barber at Ben
ton Harbor, for a mandamus to compel