The true northerner., 1901-01-11

al message have been noticed. and
bills on the subjects will shortly be
introduced. One of these provides for
the appointment of a commission to
arrange a Michigan exhibit at the
Pan-American exposition to be held ut
Buffalo this year, and apprOprates
$4,000 for that purpose; the second
seeks to encourage the dairy interests
of the state, the object being to ma
terially increase the number of dair-
les and the acreage devoted TO dairy
farming: and the third provides for
the appointment of n state fire marshal,
the object being TO reduce fire waste
and thus lessen insurance rates in the
state. Just what the details of these
proposed laws will be is not yet
known, rs none of the measures have
been perfected. It IS understood that
the fire marshal bill will not seek 10
tax the insurance companies for the
support Of the bureau. for that would
tend to increase rather than lower in
surance rates, but will provide that
these expenses be paid out of the re-
taliatOry fees collected by the insur
ance commissioner and now turned
into the general fund Of the state.
There is already talk of n movement
to relieve the supreme court The ne
cessisty for furnishing this relief has
been apparent for n number Of years.
and strenuous efforts have been made
in this direction.
Work Il Too Extensive.
That the work of the supreme court
is altogether too extensive TO permit OF
the present justices giving adequate
consideration is generally conceded.
Such concession is certainly made by
all who are familiar with the situa'
ton. There is little reason to believe,
however, that the plan of establishing
an intermediate court Will ever sue
ceed. At the October special session
of the legislature Governor Pingree
recommended that it again be submit
ted to the people, but his message was
given no consideration. For this Tea-
son another plan is suggested, and
that is to have the legislature in
crease the number of supreme JUS
tees from five to seven. 1t is prob |
able that this idea will he given at |
tentiOn during the present session.
The state board of corrections and
charities is more than ever emphatic !
this year in its recommendations that
the time-hOnOred custom of exhibiting !
the cOnvictS in the prisons of the state
to visitors for an admission fee Of -
cents be abandoned. or at least be sub. /
jectcd to more discrimination. If not !
entirely abandoned as n decent re.
spect Of the prOprieties would seem 10 !
suggest. then the board says that gen.
eral visitors should he confined to /
those portions of the prisons not at |
the time occupied by the cOnvicts |
This recommendation is backed up by |
the action Of the National Association /
Of WardenS which adopted resOlu.
tiOns condenning the practice, stat.
ing that the indscriminate admission /
OF women Gnd children is especially |
Obiectionablafo for reasons that will sug- |
gcst themselves TO the reader.
In Compliance with Law,
The law makes ii the duty OF the |
board of corrections and charities to
submittO the legislature its views CON
cerning institutions with which it IA |
to do. The above recommendation
made in compliance with this law,
is the further recommendation tn
there be enacted a law that will NAL
provision whereby the inmates of tn |
penal and reformatory institutions OF |
their families. many Of whom are now |
thrown on the counties for support
during their imprisonment, or the
fam es of persons w oneed by them If
they have no families of their own, anC |
to provide a small amount TO be paiC |
the convicts themselves when they are
discharged. SO that they viii not be
compelled by proverty to seek out theii
4
thus again start on a criminal career /
The Cooley commission appointed by |
the state tax commission to make ap
praisal of the property of corporation.
now paying specific taxes has fuunC !
the value of the telephone property il |
Michigan to be SG,339. .S40.96. which |
Is $4,0GS, 1912 greater than the valua |
tion reported in 1899.
The commission has also found the
value of property Of the railway com.
panies in Michigan to be Sl4J.000000 |
In this calculation the Michigan Cen
tral leads with Il valuation of so, 600, /
600; Pere Marquette system, 24,794..
$40; Grand Trunk system. SIG, 6,4500S4;
Grand Rapids and Indiana system, $S,
09S,14
VIII cut Large Figure.
The above valuations VIII cut q large
figure i'm connection with the cpnsidera
tion of bills which will be introduced
to tax this property ut its cash value
il being readily seen that at the aver
age tax rate of the state, the ad va
loren system of taxation would bring
the state vastly greater revenue thar
it is receiving now under the specific
tax system. There is little doubt that
the demand for the people for the sub
stitution of n property tax for these
corporations will be complied with
although there are some legislators
who deem the specific tax system the
best and who favor the retention of
this system to increase rates to
figure that will produce whatever reve.
nue. is desired. This question will be
one of the first to be given considera.
tion by the present legislature. al
though it may possibly be one of the
last to be disposed of.
1t is evident that the legislature will
have plenty to do i'm the line of con.
sidering appropriation bills. the state
board of corrections and charities hav.
ing approved total of l.62l $40. 7g
asked for by the various state insti.
tutions for current expenses and spe.
foI 90