The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-05-17
TAX BILL FIXED UP
By tie Confs ence Committees Of
Both Houses
some VERY HARD KICKING
Members of the House Who Are Seri-
ously Interested in the Equal Taxa
ton Movement Say They Are Not
Surprised at the Action.

Lansing, Mich, May 15.-The house
and senate conference committees
reached an agreement last night on
the ad valorem tax bill proposition,
the house committeeman showing the
white feather. Senator Atwood naive
ly told his associates that the senate
was bound TO have telegraph, tele-
phone and sleeping car companies ex-
Guided from the bill, and although no
arguments were offered in support of
this scheme, the members of the house
committee acquiesced.
The committees met for only two
hours. Speaker Carton knew before
hand what compromise" would be
reached, for he foretod the result TO
newspaper men. Rep. McCallum, the
specific tax man, also had Fremont
ton. He said after the result was alb
solutely known:
"Now, We must rush specific tax
bills, boosting the rates on telegraph,
! telephone and sleeping car companies,
over to the senate for the senators TO
kill, suppose | have bill on sleep
ing car companies which I'll trot OUT
tomorrow OF course, we have in the
house Senator Chas. Smiths specific
tax bill to apply on the capital stock
of sleeping car companies in this state,
but the senator himself says the state
would realize only about $4,000 year
in taxes under his bill. At present,
sleeping car companies pay less than
$50 to this state"
Rep McCallum and Rep. Chandler,
chairman of the house conference
committee, agreed that sleeping car
companies should be taxed specifically
on their earnings at the rate OF 212
per cent or more. Members OF the
house conference committee say they
held out for two weeks against the
senate committee, and came to the
conclusion that they would have TO
come to the senate's terms. But At
woods SAY So was all they had to
go by as to the senate's position.
Rep McCallum says the house con-
ferees didn't hold out long enough.
"The senators wouldn't dare adjourn
without passing an ad valorem tax
bill" said McCallum, land the house
committeeman should have shown
more backbone, in my opinion
Members Of the house who are Sc
riously interested in the equal taxa
ton" movement say they are not sur
prised that the senators want to ex-
empt telegraph, telephone and sleep
ing car companies from the operation
of the proposed ad valorem tax bill,
because they have seen attorneys or
other representatives of these compa-
MES around button-holing senators,
and even house members, for some
time.
The house failed to pass Senator
Highs Joint resolution authorizing the
state auditors to pay w. II. Beasley of
Ithaca $3.50 for services in recruiting
soldiers for Michigan regiments dur
ing the Spanish-American war. The
vote was reconsidered and the bill ia
! bled.
Another measure killed was the
Weter bill, appropriating $4,000 for eX-
tending the work of the state board
of geological survey. Only AZ votes
were cast for the bill.
third bill which went to the block
was Senator Palmer's bill, amending
! the highway law relative to credit for
labor on highways, and especially pro
! viding for the payment of a money
road tax, unless taxpayers make re-
! quest in writing for permission to
work out such tax Farmers Award,
Dunn and Mark Willis opposed the
bill, which was defended by Reps. Tot
ten and Hastings. Only % votes were
mustered for this bill, while Al were
cast against it.
Rep. Heman's joint resolution for
! the relief of Fred l.. Wait was also
| killed. This resolution authorized the
| board of state auditors to investigate
| Waits claim that he was injured while
! in the line of duty at Camp Eaton, and
| to allow him a sum not to excel
! $4,000
When Senator Schumaker's bill pro-
viding for the licensing and regulation
of itinerant, fy-by-night merchants
came up in the house, Rep Ames
moved that it's further consideration
be indefinitely postponed. He de-
clared that the bill destroys free COM
petition and affects many of his con-
stituents, who are honest and consci-
entious, and who move about from
| place to place in the state and sell
their goods. The bill passed, however.
The house passed the Kelley-Lugers
Dlll, dppl Opll dIlhS Y@o,OVV IOi oh du-
ditional state normal school, by vote
of 81 to %. AS passed by the senate
this bill provided that the school
should be located at some point in
western Michigan, to be selected by
the state board of education. The
house struck out the word western"
leaving the site open to the entire
state.
The Nevins garnishee bill went
through the senate yesterday without
much oratorical fireworks. In commit
tee of the whole, Senator Cannon
moved to strike out the 50 exemption
for single persons. Senator Muffin
opposed and the motion was lost and
the bill agreed to.