The true northerner., 1901-02-01
The State Legislature Is Running
with Very Light At
tendance.
TAX BILLS PILE UP RAPIDLY.
Relief for the Supreme Court Is Sub
ject That Is Agitating the
State Lawmakers.

are absent from the senate, and with
several senators absent because or
sickness, the two-thirds vote necessary
to give bills immediate effect, ETC., is
not available. The attendance i'll the
house is also light, burt 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
strated. The fact that the long al
journment was taken advantage OF
by the members who desired to nave
a good time at state expense, thus
necessitating the doing of most OF the
institution visiting after reconvening
is probably the best argument in favor
of it's adjustment.
Tax laws are piling up at some
what rapid rate and If the increase
keeps up TO the expiration of the Do
day limit for the introduction of bills,
the legislators cannot complain or
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, its authors
being of the opinion that it 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
it does not create 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 a 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
the four classes of corporations men,
toned. and makes the auditor general
the assessing officer, designating the
members Of the taX commission, the
attorney general and the state treas
urer n 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
mined by ITS commercial value, the
price for which the stocks and bonds
sold on April 30th of the year in
which the assessment is made. The
senator has not yet fixed upon the
rate of taxation 10 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 a few days. In
the meantime campaign of educa-
ton is on. Prof NJ. T.. Cooley, who re-
Gently appraised the value of the prop
erty of railroads and other corpora
tions. President Campbell of the state
tax commission. Hon. I. j. OBrien.
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 n long time there has been fric-
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
to the public health. The trouble
arose over the question of what au-
thority should determine what dis
eases should be reported. Rcpresen-
tative Goodrich has introduced bill
which aims to remove all doubt in this
connection by specifically authorizing
the state board of health TO add TO the
list from time 10 time such diseases
as il deems dangerous.
Mob Violence Becoming Too Common.
Representative Hardy, of lngham,
Is impressed with the belief that cases
Of mob violence are becoming alto
gether too common and that they are
being heard Of i'm the north more fire.
ouently than is desirable. With n
view TO discouraglng their appearance
I'm this state he has introduced n bill
which makes county i'm which per-
son dies as the result of injuries re-
ceived at the hands of a mob, re-
sponsible in damages to the heirs or
such person. The amount Of dam
ages is gauged according to the popu-
lation of the county in which the in
juries are inflicted.
The reform wave which commenced
with the introduction of numerous
bills designed TO discourage the use Of
cigarettes is spreading. The latest
reform measure to put in an appear
nnce was introduced by Mr.. Gordon,
Of Marquette, who also has an anti
cigarette bill. The upper peninsula
mans latest measure prohibits the
manufacture, sale, rental or use of
slot machines.
A couple of bills, which on their
face appear to be Of much Importance.
have been noticed. but the persons re-
sponsible for them are not inclined to
tell what their provisions will be. One
OF which Mr.. Hallenbeck has given
notice, provides for the regulation Of
the sale OF intoxicating liq7lors, and
another, noticed by Mr. Vandercook,
prescribes the policy of the state to-
ward foreign corporations and also the
regulations under which such corpor-
atoms will be permitted to do business
In Michigan. The contents OF these
bills Will not be known until they are
introduced.
Relief fc~ the supreme Conrt.
A c,1hfoct which fa aOitaffDO fhe