Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1903-01-15
STATE LEGISLATURE
AS Some as Committees are An
nOunced SOlOns To Begin Work
SOME PROPOSED LEGISLATION
Bliss Message Well Received-Im-
portant Offices Filled by the
Governor.

Lansing, Men, Jan. 13.-The forty
second Michigan legislature got away
In good shape last week, and it is ex-
pected that good progress will be
made in the line of actual legislation.
After hearing the governors message
and receiving n grist of nominations
from the governor last Thursday, the
.wo houses adjourned until tomorrow
al ut to give the presiding officers an
oRportunity to put the final touches on
the standing committees. 1t Is expect
ed that these committees will he an.
nounced as soon as the two houses
reconvene, and then every preliminary
will have been attended to and mat
ters made fully ready for business.
AS matter of fact the committees
we're practically arranged last week,
both of the presiding officers having
known since the November election
that they would have this task to per-
.orm and having had extensive corre-
,pondence with nearly all the legis-
lators as to their choice of places.
However some swaps and shifts were
naturally made after the statemen got
together last week and some of the
modest ones who had not written the
presiding officers were consulted, so
that it was necessary to give time for
rearranging the slate.
Nominations by tho Governor.
Governor Bliss eased himself on
considerably by sending to the senate
nominations to most of the important
offices at his disposal, thus ending
strifes that had for weeks been waged
pver two or three of them. The list of
nominations is as follows:
Railroad commissioner, Theron w.
, Atwood, of Tuscola.
Banking commissioner, George w.
Moore, of st. Clair.
Labor commissioner, Scott Griswold,
Of Kent.
S,airy and food commissioner, Alfred
VI Smith, of Lenawee.
Insurance commissioner, James v.
Barry, of Ingham.
Salt inspector, John 8. Porter, OF
Saginaw.
Adjutant general, George H. Brown,
of St Clair.
Quartermaster general, James IL.
Kidd, of Ionia.
Inspector general, Fred w. Green
OF Washtenaw
Fourteen of the present members or
n the senate served in that body two
wears ago with ex-Senators Atwood
\ and Moore, appointed railroad and
N banking commissioner respectively,
N and they saw to II that these two
|i nominees were paid a handsome and
M well-deseryed compliment by having
n their nominations confirmed by unan'
imous vote in open session. The other
nominations took the usual course, be-
ing referred to the committee on exec
utiye business, which will report, 1t IL
expected, during the present week
There is no doubt that all or these
nominations will be confirmed.
Ad Interim Appointments
There was also sent to the senate
by the governor a long list OF ad In
terim appointments of members o.
state boards, etc. The statute requires
that all appointments Of this charac
ter that are made when the Legislature
"a not in session shall be reported Il
,,hl lext session.
:. HStheir addresses upon taking tn
n bHs. Lieutenant Governor MAITLAND
md Speaker Carton urged short ant
economical session. Each pledge'
hlmself to make every effort to Gu
ant all needless business and brinI
anal adjournment at the earliest posi-
hle moment. That they will use thei
II nest endeavors goes without saying, bu
"A mat they will accomplish great dea
M m the way of shortening the legslativ
"a sstting is altogether another question
Fl long experience in legislative matter
las persuaded the writer that there
.Iways about so much proposed legis
R ,ation. good, bad and Indifferent,
|N consider, and it takes about so lon
~ 70 consider It. l am, therefore, or tn
M op,uion that whether many or fe'
u measures are actually passed, 1t wi
be quite n bit after corn planting tim
III before the present legislative sessio
M ends.
V Message Well Received,
Governor Bliss message was MOI
than ordinarily well received by tn
legislators, and the more It is consi'
cred the more il is commended. Will
devoid of frlls and fireworks, II
sNuerally regarded as a plain, straigh
AVE y Strrd ,boislncsslike document thu
yaT e,mpare very favorably with IL
Alsst state papers that the records
ke state OF Michigan contain. IL wi
Aot 70 be expected that all of the go
xruor's recommendations and view
Eould meet with universal approve
q taken as a whole the document
nerally commended. There IS muC
n rce I'm the governors Observable
N II the legislature will veto as we
lpass bills the session can be mao