The true northerner., 1901-01-18
Pay for PubIishing Laws.


the session.
Pay for Publishing Laws.
Ex-Auditor General Dix made rec
concentrations in the line of economy
In his retiring report, his idea being
the the constitutional provision al
lowIng each newspaper that publishes
the general laws enacted at any spe-
cial session Of the legislature shall be
entitled to $15 be abrogated. OF
course, 1t is only when very little leg
islation is enacted ut a special ses-
sion that the newspapers can afford
to avail themselves of this provision,
and on such occasions the sum total
OF allowances is about $1,000. The
several special sessions during the
past two years has entailed quite an
expenditure in this connection. and
doubtless prompted the eX-auditor's
recommendation. General Dix also
suggested that the allowance to news
papers for publishing the annual tax
sales he reduced. although he did not
say what the figure should be.
n craze for state normal schools
seems to have taken possession Of va
rious communities. Up TO very few
years ago Michigan boasted only one
Of this class Of institutions. Now it
has three. and the "nimOus testi-
mony of the Acknowledged educational
authorities of the state IS that the
state has need for several more If
it hopes to bring the qualifications Of
its teachers MP to the standard of
neighboring states.
For Additional Normal schools.
Already three bills providing for adj
ditional normal schools have been no.
ticed, and the session is very young.
Senator Kelly would have one estab-
lished at Muskegon in connection with
the manual training school, the belief
being that the state could acquire with
out cost the valuable property oc-
cupied by the latter. Representative
Sharpe, Of Iosco, has a bill to estab-
lish a school in northeastern Michigan,
and Representative Lugers. of Hol-
land, has one providing for school
in western Michigan, preferably, Of
course, at Holland. 1t would not be
surprising if another normal school
were provided for this winter, but that
will doubtless be the limit even if all
bills do not fall.
James Russell. of Marquette whose
term as commissioner of mineral statis-
ties expired with the year, has sub
Jected himself to considerable criti-
cism by taking the position in his an-
nual report that this Office has out
lived its usefulness and should be abol-
iShed. His critics insist that the recon-
mendation would have more weight if
made at the commencement of his
term of office instead Of at it's close.
Two years ago the legislature made
an appropriation for n Michigan ex-
hibt at the Pan-American exposition
to be held In Buffalo this year but in
the closing days of the session when
Governor Pingree was swinging his
veto aN with great frequency and ac-
curacy. he put the measure TO sleep.
Exhibit Can BE Prepared.
Notwithstanding the short time re-
naming before the time for the open
ing Of the exposition, ii is believed that
a creditable exhibit can be prepared,
and Representative Chandler has in.
troduced bill making an appropria-
ton Of 100000 for this purpose This
was more money than the introducer
of the bill thought would be needed.
and with his consent the committee in
charge of the measure has cut the
amount to $4,000.
At the time Governor Pingree was
exercising the pardon authority
couple of weeks ago, much talk was
INDUCED i'm relative to restricting the
powers of the governor in this respect,
some persons even advocating the eX-
treme step Of amending the constitu-
ton so as TO deprive the executive of
this power altogether and placing il
in the hands of board. Representa-
tive Burns. of Grand Rapids, who
served some time as n member of the
present board, has introduced a bill on
this subject which he hopes to push
to n successful Issue. The measure
abolished the present board of four
members and a secretary who is not
a member, and substitutes therefor
a board Of three members, the secre-
tary to be member of the board. One
Of the members Is to be a practicing
physician and another a lawyer in
active practice. For the compensation
Of 50 per day for not TO exceed six
months in any two years, the Burns
bill provides an annual salary of $500
for each member of the board and re-
qures that the latter shall devote
their entire time to the duties Of the
Office.
Puts n Curb ON the Executive.
While the present constitution places
the power to grant clemency solely in
reserved to the legislature to stipu-
late the manner I'm which application
for pardon shall he made. The bill
takes advantage Of this constitutional
provision to put curb on the eXecu-
tive. 1t provides that all applications
for either pardon, parole or commuta-
tion of sentence shall be made i'm writ
ing to the pardon board, which alone
shall have authority to recommend
rlemency. The governor cannot, accord
ing TO the provisions Of this bill, grant
clemency tc any convict who has not
made such written application to the
board. This is designed to prevent the
wholesale granting OF pardons on the
spur Of the moment. In case of life
prisoners unanimous action of the
board is made necessary for recon-
mendaton. 1t should not be under
stood that any attempt is sought TO
provide that the governor cannot par.
don unless the board recommends, for
that would be unconstitutional. 1t is
simply a step i'm the direction Of pre-
venting the chief executive from max
ing dash any day he chooses and
liharoffnO n ioh lof of copVictS who