The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-05-10

passed the senate and been agreed to
by the house in committee of the
whole. 1t will probably come up for
final passage in the house today.
Taxation Legislation.
The perennial subject of railroad or
equal taxation legislation is still as
fruitful topic OF speculation as it
ever was. The conference committees
Of the two houses have held numerous
SESSIONS, but this morning they were
as lar from an agreement as when
they first started in to consider the
Dill. The confrereeS are in session
again today, and there are reasons for
belleving that an agreement will be
reached ut this sitting The rock on
which they have thus far split is the
make OF the board of assessors, or
rather whether the assessing shall be
done by an enlarged tax commission
or separate board. This was Just
the situation last week when | pre-
dicted that the result would he the en-
largement of the tax commission.
still believe that this will be the out
come.
The question Of final adjournment
continues TO b. Il live one, but there
is practically no chance that date
will be fixed for this important event
until the tax bill has been disposed
Of. The members Of the lower house
feel that some of the senators would
like to have them formally commit
themselves on this subject in the hope
OF thus forcing them to agree to a tax
bill that is not to their liking or adj
journ without perfecting any tax legis-
lation whatever. They are not likely
to be caught mapping in this manner.
For Shorter Work Day.
The battle for shorter work day
still continues, and the house has
taken step in the direction of shorter
hours by passing the Byrnes bill max
ing eight hours IL legal days work i'm
all the mines of the state. The meas
ure will meet with some opposition in
the senate
There is 10 longer any hope that this
legislature will take any definite ac-
ton looking to the control OF railroad
freight rates. The Hardy bill co ~
ing this subject has been considered
at several sessions of the committee
with the result that the legislators are
quite generally agreed that the sub
ject is altogether too intricate for them
to handle at this time. Its compleXity
proved to be appalling, and the gen
eral opinion is that the best thing to
do would he to appoint Il state COM.
mission to hear shippers complaints Of
discrimination Of freight rates ard adj
Just them.
The project to have the state asylum
ut IOnia abandon the present buildings
on the north side Of the river and he
provided for 10y the erection Of addi-
tional buildings on tn south side. and
then use the north side buildings as
Il reformatory for women, has been
put to sleep by the house. which elimi-
mated from the appropriation bill the
item for new buildings. The senate
had previously passed the bill, and
there may he controversy between
the two houses over it. although il
is probable that the senate will con-
cur in the action of the house. The
only appropriation bill about which
there are serious differences between
the houses is that for the home for
the feeble minded and epileptic at
LapeCr. For several years the man
ayers of this institution have been
fighting fer an administration build
ing. but the item for this expenditure
las regularly been cut out. The house
cut it out again this year, but it was
reinSerted when the bill reached the
senate. Then the house refused to
concur, and the bill has been turned
over TO the tender mercies CT con
ference committee.
Euling by Speaker Carton.
Speaker Carton ruled on a point Of
unusual inheritance day or two ago.
Ii cam UP in connection with the pass
age Of II bill empowering the state
banking commissioner to take charge
of an insolvent bank and appoint a
receiver therefor without waiting the
action of the courts or in any way
to tribunal. The bill re-
ceived - votes, but the banking law as
ratified by the people provides that
may he made only by
vote of two-thirdS of the members OF