The true northerner., 1901-02-08
REFORMATION NOUTGO
Board Of State Auditors Making an
Extensive Move in
That Direction.
GOSSIP ABOUT THE LEGISLATURE
Bill Of Barnabee OF Kent 10 Reappor.
tion the State for Representa-
tives IN Congress.

Lansing, Mich, Feb. 5.-The tax
payers = Michigan will doubtless be
able TO complacently view the efforts
that are being made by the board OF
state auditors in the direction of econ
omy. The board has already set In
motion several reforms that promise
to materially reduce expenditures, and
others are promised for the immediate
future. The first act of the new
auditors was to issue an order direct
ing that in making out expense voucn-
ers all state officials, members OF state
boards, etc, set forth explicitly the
number Of miles travelled and the time
spent at hotels, so that the board may
know that the charges of this nature,
which aggregate an enormous sum
during the course of year, are eX
actly correct. This was followed by
an order 10 the effect that permission
be obtained from the board before any
furniture or other supplies are pur-
chased, unless the purchasers desire
TO experience the pleasure of footing
the bills for the articles purchased out
of their private funds The latter
order was designed TO put an end 70
the practice that has obtained 10 some
extent of making expensive purchases
and then asking the board 10 foot the
bills. The result of the new order
of things will be that the officials will
be c0-Ient with much less expensive
furniture, etc, hereafter. The eX
penses of the state tax commission
which did not 90 into commission un
tii October, 1899, having exceeded
S125 900 TO date. the auditors have re-
Quested the legislature to make more
explicit the statutory provision pro-
viding for these expenses. They are
satisfied that the law does not provide
for any such wholesale outlay, and
will decline to audit further expense
accounts until the legislature acts in
the matter
Relief for the Supreme Court.
The senate judiciary committee has
made a favorable report on the bill
which provides relief for the supreme
court. The measure increases the
number of justices from five TO sew
en- but leaves the term Of office at ten
years, instead of increasing it to four
teen years, as at first contemplated.
Should the bill become "A law, three
Justices will be chosen at the April
election 1t is no sure thing that the
bill will pass, however.
State sanitarium for the Nervous
Representative Bolton of the Al
pena district has introduced bill
which has the enthusiastic indorsc-
ment of the various woman's clubs oC
Michigan and also Of the State Fedora
ton of Woman's Clubs. 1t provides
for the establishment of state sani-
tarum for the treatment of nervous
diseases. and carries an appropriation
of 100000 for Il building and $4,000
for furnishings. Provision is made for
a board Of control of six members, two
of whom shall be women, and which
shall have authority TO elect Il superin-
Iendent who shall be a specialist in |
nervous diseases. INDECENT persons are |
to have preference in the matter Of
treatment. 1t is urged in favor of the
bill that such an Institution would re-
suit in "A great saving in the appro-
pratiOns for asylums for the insane. |
inasmuch as insanity would be treated |
IN its incipency, and scores be treated |
cured instead of becoming permanent |
lysinSane TO be cared for by the state |
for years until death relieved the tax
payers of the burden.
Farmers score Victory.
tainly scored a victory last week when
practically similar bills prohibiting the
manufacture and sale of imitation but |
ter and the coloring of oleomargarine |
where up in both houses at the same
time. In the senate the bill was passed !
on third reading, while in the house it
was agreed to in committee of the
whole. 1t is expected that the bill will |
be up for final passage In the house
today, and while a desperate effort
will be made to defeat it, there is lit
tie chance that the effort will he sue
cessful. In the senate an unsuccessful
effort was made TO amend the bill so
as to permit the colOring of oleOmar-
garine to resemble butter. but TO Ne
strict its sale 10 properly labeled
small packages and prohibit its sale I'm
bulk The friends Of the original bill
were too numerous and no amend
ments were allowed
Invites Michigan to Liquidnte.
The United States has invited Michi-
gan to handover little matter Of $685.
600 with interest for about twenty
years. 1t appears that when the state
ansferred st. Mary's Falls ship canal
TO the general government along about
1880 there was SOS 900 I'm the canal
fund. This money was kept intact un
til 1895 when the legislature, by law.
ordered IL transferred to the general
fund and used for general expenses OF
the state government. Recently IT. oc.
Cured to the officials at Washington
that the money should have been trans
ferred with the canal. or the tail haye
gone with the hide. so TO speak and
after the legal department. had arrived
at this conclusion a demand. was
made upon the state, through Cover
nor Bliss for'the money. Acting on the
advice Of Attorney General Oren the |.
governor has declined TO stand and de,
liver, and the state will give the
general government a'race through the
courts for the money.
The indications are not favorable
for the passage of the bill. to re.
imburse Ingham county for the ex.
penses of the grand jury and the
trial OF the military officials 1t is
believed that one of the consIdera
tions that Is working against the
bin is that. in the event of its passage
grand juries might become too COM
mon I'm Nfobfuon