Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-02-15
WENTSLOW LAST WEEK
Business in the Legislature Failed
to Make a Record for
Speed.
MANY COMMITTEES VISITING
Supreme Court Relief kiiied-G. A. Il.
Badge Protection-M Meeting Of SUI
pcrvisors-Advicc To Farmers.


Giles, very little business of any i'm
| portance being accomplished. Owing
| to the observance of John Marshall
| day the TWO houses did not convene un.
| til Tuesday afternoon, and from that
| time on the attendance in each house
was very light, the senate quorum van.
| fishing Thursday night, so that no SEES
sion could bo held Friday morning.
| This light attendance was due To the
| fact that many committees were away
on visits to STATE Institutions. have
always insisted that. Notwithstanding
| the great hue and cry that the tax
| payers maze against ten days recess
| for the purpose of havin" the iusiitu.
| ton visiting all done up al once aud
over with. IL Is good money in their
| pocket to have the legislature take ii.
| All the taxpayers see I'm this recess is
| general iunkct to the remote parts
| OF the state, and | am free 10 confess
| that this is not calculated 10 inspira
| the average citizen with feelings of
| pride aud satisfaction. However, the
| recess gives an opportunity for gcttng
| the visiting out of the way so that ~
] It's close the great majority OF the TWO
houses return aud settle down to bust
ness. whereas. without such recess, the
visiting extends over several weeks,
| and leaves The two houses with 80 few
| members present that practically moth
! Ing can b, accomplished. Advantage
| Is taken of the light attendance 10 Kill
! certain bills which might be passed
were there a full attendance, as was
! the case with the Colby primary cleo
/ ton bill last week. while for the same
/ re-. action on other impuT-
! taut measures i postponed until
| persons interested in them return ana
thus, between the two millstones, the
! long suffering taxpayer gets the worst
j of it because. fOrsOoth. IL Was his howl
! thar prevented all ia" heavy absentee
! ism from being indulgtd IN Al the same
| time ana being done with.
! BiII That W.. Pat tn sleep.
As was predicted I'm my last letter,
the hill providing for an increase in
| the number Of Justices OF the supreme
! court was put To sleep In the very first
round of the battle. There was u gen.
eral impression up 90 the day that Il
came up for consideration that the b.ll
would At least pass thc senate. but all
of sudden sentiment changes. aud Oh
a motion II strike out all after he en-
| acting clause Ouiy two votes were re-
corded in favor Of the hill. The Al
tempt IN pass this bill having been sig
, nallX defeated So SpOu after the re1cc-
/ ton by The people of the proposed con
! stitutional amendment authorizing the
legislature to establish an ilternedi-
ate court. makes il certain that the On
tire subject Of furnishing relief for tn"
supreme court Will not be agitated
MI. t4.
determine whether the people anil the
legislature were wise or ShOrtsightcd
fl their treatment of this important
subject.
Protection tor Army societ, Badges.
Another effort viii be made this year
to enact a law making 1t unlawful for
persons who are not in good standing
of the Grand Army Of the Republic and
Loyal Legion 10 wear the buttons of
those orders. \ similar measure was
passed two years ago. but Governor
PingYt4a vetoed il on purely sentimental
grounds Should the present leg sla-
ture pass it, il will meet with cXecu.
tive sanction.
The question OF franchises viii come
up for consideration during the present
session. Representative Bauman Of
Detroit having introduced IA bill which
provides that before any frauChi So
granting the use of any street alley
or public place becomes effective I
Shall be ratified 10y q majority Of the
electors OF tho affected municipality at
general election
Defeat for Urinary Elections
Thedefeni ~ the Colby primary elec-
ton bill. which applied To- Wayne coun
ty only. has stirred mp considerable eX-
ctement. The bill passed the house
without n dissenting vote. but the sen
ate disposed Of il for all time before 1t
was even considered 10y the elections
committee To- which il had been re-
ferrcd. Representative DinglrYof Kala-
mazoo has introduced bills designed In
[ extend caucus reform to all parts of
, the state by providing for the use of
the Australian ballot mt all primary
elections A general law doing away
= with political caucuses aS nj present
conducted will also be introduced. 81
, that the issue j. not yet disposed OF bN
: any means. The Indignation over the
snap judgment on the Colby bill may
{ possibly stir up sentiment that will
{ force the passage Of bill extend ing
4 the reform TO the entire state.
Representa- Randall Of Oceana
thinks the university is receiving TOT
2 much money. He argues that since
: the direct tax or the support OF this
Institution was increased to one-fourtt
mill the taxable property of the stat,
has so materially increased that y ta>
of one-fourth Of mill hereafter vii
= produce all the revenue that the uni
4 vcrsitv requires for it, need. He has
J.. therefore, noticed bill 10 change tn,
= rate.
Representative Stumpenhuesen o
WaShtenaw will endeavOr TO reform
: the morals OF the people of the state b!
!. Introducing a bill To prohibit the hunt
ing and killing of birds, etc. on Sun
day.
Some Advice to Farmera
In urging that the farmers OF Mich
IL gan devote more attention to dairy AM
10 other pursuits that would tend to kec1
n the products OF the farm on the Ian,
and thus enrich the soil instead o
selling everything produced and per