The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-05-24
AID VALAREM TAX Law
After Much Worry It Will Get to
the Governor in a Com.
promise Form.
CORPORATIONS THAT ARE TAXED
It's Passage Will Mark Practically the
End Of the Law-Making Work
Legislative Comment

after all, that it is occasionally pos
sible TO predict with reasonable accu-
racy the actions of legislature or sec
tons thereof, for my estimate of last
week as TO the probable action of the
conference committee on the railroad
tax bill proves TO have been quite near
the mark. The bill agreed upon 10y
the committees representing the two
houses provi.les an al valorem tax for
railroads, union station and depot
companies, express, car lOaning, refrig
orator and fast freight line companies.
The corporations that were included in
the Chandler bill as passed by the
house, but which are not covered by
the conference committee draft, are
telephone, telegraph and sleeping car
companies. The elimination of these
three companies is regarded rs a vic
tory for the senate, while the house is
supposed to have scored in defeating
the senates proposition that an en-
tirely new and distinct assessing board
be created, the bill providing that the
assessing of the property of the cor
poratiOns affected shall be done by the
state tax commission, whose member
ship shall be increased from three to
ave. Although quite a number of the
members of the house are opposed to
this compromise, there is little doubt
that it will be accepted by that body
after its consideration as a special or
der. This prediction is based on the
vote of last Thursday on the question
Of making the bill Il special order for
today. The friends Of the bill were
opposed to this notion, as a rule, their
plan being to have the report of the
conference committee concurred in
without any delay whatever Although
they were defeated in this, the vote
showed fOrtythree in favor of imme-
date action, and there is believed to
be no doubt whatever that more than
eight of the representatives who voted
FOR postponement are prepared to vote
Tor the bill as amended when IT comes
down to brass tacks, as ii were.
large majority Of the senators are
simply waiting for an opportunity to
vote for the report. but will not have a
chance to do SO until after the house
has taken action, the report of the CON
'Nerence committee not having been
submitted to the upper house.
very Little Otner w Ork IrODaDle.
With this bill disposed Of the
work of the session will he practically
ended. for while there are still Il very
large number of bills on the calendar
there are none that the state cannot
Just as well get along without There
will be a grand rush on the part Of the
statesmen to get their pet measures
through, but many Of them will be dis
oil f.,,.ft ~,
bills remaining Enacted upon will die
with the session. Just when the SEES
sion will end has not been determined,
but it is certain that active work on
the part of the two houses will come to
an end within a very few days. 1t
Will then be necessary TO allow ten
days in which to have the bills
passed during the closing hours
enrolled, signed by the presiding
officers and presented to the gov
ernOr for his signature, so it
will be early in June before the gavel
falls for the last time during the regu-
lar session of 1901.
Law TO Tax Mortgages.
After much cutting and fitting the
two houses finally agreed upon n mort
gage tax law, the measure passed be
ing the Lowry Ward combination with
some minor changes. \ statement of
the provisions of the bill as they APP
pear in legal form would probably con-
fuse rather than enlighten the average
reader, so it may be said that the new
law practically eXempts real estate
mortgages from taxation. This is not
done in express terms, but that will be
the practical working out of the enact
ment.
Both Parties Are Satisfied.
The Randall and Nevins bills affect
ing the tax levy for the support of the
university and agricultural college, re-
Spectively, came together in the house
last week, and the result was salts
factory to the friends of both inStitu-
tons. The Randall bill sought to re-
duce from one-fourth to One-siXth Of
mill the annual tax levy for the sup
port of the university, and il was re-
ported out by the university commit
tee only after its author had threat
ened to delay all egislatiOn by insist
ing upon his right to have every bill
considered read in full if a report was
not forthcoming Then the friends of
both institutions joined forces and
turned in and defeated it by decisive
majority. The university people dis
their bill acted upon first, for it en-
abled them to serve notice on the
farmers that if the revenue of the uni
yersity was reduced they would see to
It that the Nevins bill, which provides
one-tenth mill tax for the support of
the agricultural college, was sent to
the morgue. Having comprised the
defeat of the Randall bill, the support
ers of the university turned i'm and
helped pass the agricultural college
measure by a big vote. The latter bill
limits the annual revenue of the col
lege to 100000, making provision that
IL the one-tenth mill tax at any time
yields more than this sum. the excess
shall be turned into the general fund
Of the state. Heretofore the college
has been obliged to make fight in
the legislature every two years for an
appropriation. This bill will enable
the managers to know in advance just
what amount of money il will have to
use. The bill will doubtless pass the
senate