The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-02-01
MANY SOLONS ABSENT.
The State Legislature Is Running
with a Very Light At.
tendance.
TAX BILLS PILE UP RAPIDLY.
Relief for the Supreme Court Is SUBJ
ject That Is Agitating the
State Lawmakers.

olctod In my last letter the Legislature
Is running with very light attend.
ance this week. Three committees
are absent from the senate, and with
several senators absent because OF
sickness, the two-thirds vote necessary
to give bills immediate effect, ETC., Is
not available. The attendance in the
house is also light, but considerable
work will doubtless be accomplished
by both bodies, and the wisdom Of
doing away with the long adjournment
Of previous years will be demon
etrated. The fact that the long adj
5ournment was taken advantage of
by the members who desired to have
q good time at state expense, thus
necessftating the doing of most of the
institution visiting after reconvening
is probably the best argument in favor
Of its adjustment.
Tax laws are piling up at a some
what rapid rate, and If the increase
keeps up to the expiration Of the so
day limit for the introduction OF bills,
the legislators cannot complain Of
having an assortment from which to
make a choice. Senators Kelly and
Nichols have united in the drafting
Of a bill which is a sort Of an offset
for the Atwood bill. providing for the
taxation Of railroad companies.
Applies Only to Railroads..
The combination measure likewise
applies only to railroads, it's authors
being Of the opinion that 1t is better
to tax telephone, telegraph and express
companies specifically instead of on an
ad valorem basis. 1t differs from the
Atwood bill in numerous particulars,
the most important Of which Is that
1t does not create a new board to as
sess the property, but provides that
this shall be done by the state tax
commission. 1t further provides for
an appeal from the assessment by the
commission to board consisting of
the tax commissioners, attorney gen.
eral and governor, the principal object
Of this provision being to make the
administration responsible for the
proper execution of the law. 1t is
figured that the influence of the gov
ernor will go a long way toward Sc
curing absolutely fair treatment for
all interests involved.
The only specific tax bill thus far
introduced is one presented by Sena-
tor Robson, of Ingham. 1t applies to
toned, and makes the auditor general
the assessing officer, designating the
members Of the tax commission, the
attorney general and the state treas
urer board to review the assess
ments. The assessment Is to be based
ON the market value Of the stocks and
bonds of the companies. The value
OF the property Is to be deter
v~,t-aJ ~, tie ,ny,, N, ioI yoI,,a tbo
price for which the stocks and bonds
sold on April 30th of the year in
which the assessment Is made. The
rate Of taxation to be applied.
Campaign of Education.
The tax committees have not yet
got down to business, but will prob
ably commence the consideration Of
these various bills in few days. In
the meantime a campaign Of educa-
ton Is ON, Prof. M. e. Cooley, who re-
Gently appraised the value of the prop
erty Of railroads and other corpora
tons. President Campbell Of the state
tax commission, Hon. II. J. O'Brien,
Of Grand Rapids, prominent railroad
attorney, and Attorney General Oren
having been invited to address the leg
islators on various phases Of the sub
ject.
For a long time there has been fr'ic-
ton between the physicians Of the
state board Of health over regulations
relative to the reporting by the former
to the local health officers Of all cases
Of communicable diseases dangerous
DO the public health. The trouble
arose over the question Of what au-
thority should determine what dis
eases should be reported. Represen.
tative Goodrich has introduced bill
which aims to remove all doubt In this
by specifically authorizing
he state board of health to add to the
list from time to time such diseases
rs It deems dangerous.
Mob Violence Becoming Too Common.
Representative Hardy, of Ingham,
3 impressed with the belief that cases
" mob violence are becoming alto
,ether too common and that they are |
,eing heard Of in the north more fire. !
Iuently than Is desirable. With q |
'iew to discouraging their appearance |
n this state he has introduced a bill |
which makes a county In which a per-
on dies as the result of injuries re- |
efved Mt the hands of mob, re-
ponsible in damages to the heirs Of
UGH person. The amount of dam
ges is gagged according to the y II.
alton Of the county in which the in
uries are inflicted.
The reform wave which commenced
With the introduction Of numerous
ills designed to discourage the use Of
Cigarettes Is spreading. The latest
eform measure to put in an appear
nee was introduced by Mr.. Gordon,
( Marquette, who also has an anti
cigarette bill. The upper peninsula
1an's latest measure prohibits the
sale, rental or use Of
lot machines.
A couple of bills, which on their
ace appear to be Of much Importance,
ave been noticed, but the persons re-
ponsible for them are not inclined to
ELL what their provisions will be. One
( which Mr.. Hallenbeck has given
Office, provides for the regulation of
he sale of intoxicating liquors, and
mother, noticed by Mr.. vandercook,
the policy Of the state to-
ard foreign corporations and also the
equations under which such corpor-
tons will be permitted to do business
, Michigan. The contents of these
Ills will not be known until they are
ltroduced.
Relief for the Supreme Conrt.
A subject which is agitating the