The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-04-19
LEGISLATION Do MOVE
Solons at Lansing Making Prog
ress in the Direction of
Adjournment.
TAXES FOR THE CORPORATIONS
Senate Likely to Amend the House Bill
New Garnishee Law General
ly Satisfactory.

posed of considerable important bust
ness last week and made good start
toward winding up the business in an
ticipation of reasonable early final adj
journment. 1t is altogether probable
that some of this legislation will be
amended by the senate and thus sent
back to the house for further consid-
Grafton, but the progress already made
| will go a long way, toward definitely
unloading the subjects.
| Chandler Railway Taxation Bill.
The principal and most important
| measure passed up to the senate by
the lower body was the Chandler rail-
| road taxation bill so-called, which,
however, also covers telephone, tele-
graph, express, sleeping car, fast
| freight and other corporations or like
J nature and provides for taxing their
property on an ad valorem basis. A
| determined effort was made to ex-
clude express, sleeping car and fast
| freight property and leave it to be
| taxed on a specific or capital stock
| basis, but large majority Of the rep
| resentatives were for "whOle hog or
none," and the tail was permitted to
| 90 with the hide. AS agreed to by the
house, the bill provides that the state
| tax commissioners shall make the as
sessment, the provision providing that
this work should be done by three cleo
tive state officers and that appeal
could be had to the tax commissions
having been eliminated on the ground
Of unconstitutionality. There was
also stricken out the provision for an
additional secretary for the commits
sion to look after this branch Of the
work. The present legislation is de-
cidedly averse to creating new offices
or increasing salaries, and II was de-
cided that the PRESENT. secretary
would have ample time to care for
this additional work.
Senate VIII Amend the Measure.
When the Chandler bill was received
In the senate it was promptly referred
to the committee on railroads, which
is expected to report it this week.
There is little doubt that the commit
tee will report in favor of important
amendments. the senate having al
ready passed the Charles Smith bill
taxing sleeping car companies on a
basis Of capital stock in the proportion
that the Michigan mileage bears to
the chances are that majority Of SEN
ators who voted for this bill will insist
on sleeping car companies being
dropped from the Chandler bill. Then
again, there Is decided sentiment in
the senate in favor of separate as
sessing board, and stiff fight will be
made to amend the board in this par
ticular. 1t may not succeed, however,
RI no
equally divided on this proposition
The indications are good for a disa-
greement between the two houses and
the appointment of a conference COM
mittee to agree upon compromise
measure.
Under the present law sleeping car
companies pay practically no taxes
at all, their total contributions to the
state treasury last year having been
the munificent sum of $50. The
Smith bill passed by the senate is es-
timated, as previously stated. to yield
$4,000 year, but the members Of the
house insist that this is altogether too
little.
Garnishee Bill Is Satisfactory.
The garnishee BILL which has
caused so much discussion and has
Gus forms by organized labor, was also
passed up to the senate since my last
letter was written. AS passed. how
ever, the bill is fairly satisfactory to
all concerned. 1t allows an exemption
OF so per cent. of the weekly wage of
householder, and provides that in no
case shall the exemption be less than
SS per week and the maximum limit
fs scAt
fiat exemption Of not less than $50,
thus rendering 1t impossible for cred
ftors to get their hands on any portion
of the weekly wages.
Mixed as to Its Benefits.
The WardLowry mortgage tax BILL
which Is a practical re-enactment of
the mortgage tax law of 1891, is now
in the hands of senate committee
and the chances are not considered
very favorable for it's passage through
the upper body. 1t may pass, of
course, but there is much opposition
to it. 1t provides for the assessment
of the mortgage as an interest i'm the
realty, and while it eliminates some
Of the Objectionable features of the
present law, 1t introduces others that
will be strongly opposed by several
senators.
Marriage Bill Put to sleep.
The much discussed ST. Joe mar
rage bill was, as has been anticipated
for some time, put to sleep in the SEN
ate, being given an Opiate that prom
ises to continue its slumber at least
until the next session of the legisla-
ture. The battle was fought out in
the senate committee of the whole,
and while 1t was bloodless 1t developed
considerable feeling between at least
two Of the solons. This bill, 1t will
be remembered, was designed to put
an end to the Sunday quick marriage
industry which has fourished so ex-
tensively at st. Joseph for the past
three summers and promises to ma
terially increase as the seasons go by.
A committee of clergymen represent
ing various Protestant denominations
sought to have the law amended so as
to require non-residents to procure IL
censes Mt least five days previous to
the solemnization of the marriage.
thus very effectually disposing
of the Sunday excursion mar
riages. However, the local cler-
gymen who were after the fees, to-
n. III. IL.