The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-02-22
Legislature Is Beating the Record
in the Matter of Bills In.
troduced.
RELIEF FOR THE sUPREME COURT
Legislation for Election Reform
- Game Warden's Office To
Be PrObed.

weeks in advance Of the time it's pre-
decessors for several sessions shufiled
off, 1t will, in the language Of the
curb, have to "get hump on itself"
This observation is due to the fact that
present indications are that the total
number of bills introduced this year
will leave all previous records in the
shade. Two years ago the record was
4S3 bills and joint resolutions in the
senate and 1,196 In the house. total
Of 1879. Thus far the senate Is fully
abreast of last years total at this pc
Rod Of the session, while the house is
fully 200 ahead. The bell will not
ring on the fifty day limit and shut off
the flood Of bills until midnight tomor-
row, and mighty sight Of measures
can be sprung in the meantime. The
presiding officers and leaders of the
two houses are determined to shorten
the session and promise to hustle
things to this end. AS is always the
case, the majority of these bills will
be slaughtered, and most OF them
ought to be.
Relief for tho Supreme Court.
1t is possible that Notwithstanding
the defeat of the bill to increase the
membership Of the supreme court, the
present legislature. may furnish that
tribunal some relief, Senator McMul-
len having proposed a plan which Is
meeting with considerable favor, and
which will not increase the expenses
of the judiciary. This plan involves
the adoption by the people of consti-
tutional amendment under which the
legislature can establish an interme-
date court with final jurisdiction in
certain cases, such court to be COM
posed of one justice of the supreme
court and two circuit judges, who shall
hold court in the various counties as
| necessity demands. 1t will be seen
that this plan does not involve the
payment of any additional salaries,
and it is contemplated that the clerks
of the several counties shall serve
as clerks of the proposed court, there
will be no additional expense on that
account. A bill providing the neces-
sary details has been introduced as a
joint resolution providing for submit
ting the question to the people.
Addition to the State House.
The fact that the state has been
obliged to rent offices in the city build
Ing for the state tax commission and
that other departments are quartered
, In the old state office building which
Is entirely untitled for the purpose, has
! induced Senator Robson to introduce q
bill making appropriation of $25O,0O0
| for an addition to the state house. II
appears that when the capitol building
| was designed provision was made by
the architect, the plan being to carry
a wing on the west side out to Walnut
street, 1t being possible to do this with
out marring the beauty Of the building.
| The superintendent of the poor of
the state are considerably exercised
! over bin introduced by Senator Pier
son. The measure provides for the
election If superintendent Of the Door
by the people instead of by the boards
OF supervisors, as has always been the
case. ills proposed that one shall be
elected every two years at the general
spring election. AS far as heard from
the superintendent are opposed to this
bill for Various reasons. and it is likely
to experience hard shedding.
Election Reform Legislation.
Another twist was given reform leg
islatior last week. Two twists. in
senate Of the Colby bill abolishing DO
litical caucuses in Wayne county it
was generally supposed that the Kent
county bill drafted along the same
lines would meet with like fate. The
bill was passed, however. receiving 10
votes It's friends were waiting for
severil absent senators to return. hop
ing hat their arrival would furnish
| 70 crfu
feet ind thereby enable the experiment
to bs tried at this springs elections,
but In the meantime some sort of n
deadly germ invaded the "innards" Of
eithir the bill or the senator's. for the
vote by which the bill was passed was
rechsdered and the bill placed on the
table, where 1t now reposes. IT Is evil
det that a determined effort Is to be
make to defeat it, and the chances are
that they will be successful.
State Tax Commission.
Governor Bliss nominations Of VIII
linn T. Dust of Detroit and Charles
ID Lawton of Lawton, Van Buren,
cdlnty, for places on the state tax CON-
mission created considerable surprise
and some disappointment Those who
experienced the latter feeling are in
lined to defeat the confirmation OF
Lawton, but it Is doubtful If they will
be able to do so. The fact of the mat
ter is that Mr.. Lawton Is a very able
man, with many qualifications which
especially fit him for this work. so that
when 1t gets right "down to brass
tacks" no good reason for his rejection
can be found. In view Of this fact It
is probable that the opposition to Mr..
Lawton will consist mainly of talk.
/ and when IL comes down to voting he
will be confirmed.
Board IL a Good Investment.
1t has become quite the fashion on
late years for legislative onslaught
to be made on the state board OF
health, and especially on Secretary
Baker. have In the course of my
business as a newspaper correspondent,
visited every state department several
| times a day for the past ten years, and
have no hesitancy in saying that
/ Michigan makes no better investment
than the money which 1t devotes to the
maintenance Of this board. The usual
bill to stir things up In competition with
this health work Is now pending, hav-
ing already passed the senate and
while the legislators may not see II
now, predict that they will all bt
ready to confess In the near future