The Yale expositor., 1903-01-30
MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE.

The vital statistics laws according
,o recommendation Of DE-. WILDER. or
the department. need llttlo ar no fixing
eXce1t the matter OF registration of
births. which should be reformed TO
approach something like accuracy,
though only minor details require
change. Longer terms and higher COM
pensa iion for the registrars would Sc
cure greater efficiency. IL is recon-
mendcd that payment be made by the
state for reports showing no deaths
II the reports are made promptly. as
In some small townships OF the state
a whole year may elapso without a
| single death. Under the present law
no compensation would be received 10y
the registrar unless there were deaths
TO report
The senate bill provides that suicide
| cannot be set up as defense by life
Insurance companies.
The rooms of the Michigan Pioneer
and Historical Society will be changed
10 accommodate the attorney generals
| force.
4 petition WAS received from the sol.
diers' home asking for the passage of
a bill undoing the work OF the board
OF control OF that institution, the board
having ruled that the widows must
give up all of their pensions above 80
| a month.
January 20, both houses of the legis-
| lature will adjourn until Tuesday,
/ February 10. az y. m. ana In the
/ Interval the committees Oh the various
/ state institutions will do their visiting.
including the "trip to the upper PENN
| sula
A hill making radical change in
| the law for taxing vessel property
was introduced by Mr.. Read. The
object OF the bill Is TO do away with
companies organizing In other states
where only a tonnage tax is paid. For
| Instance. one of the modern ore and
grain carriers OF 100 tons would pay,
under the Tonnage tax, S2iO. while un-
| der tire present law. such a vessel
costing about S2T5OOO on m average
/ tax rate ~ = per cent would be- taxed
/ tor $500. Still Mr. Read believes
that if the law Is changed so many
more vessels would make Michigan
/ potts their haillng places that more
money would Ice collected than NJ pres
| emit II Is also reasoned that IL would
encourage the vessel business at such
/ cities ~ Detroit. Bay city. Marquette
/ Benton llarhur ana other Michigan
/ ports. The hlll also provides that the
| state treasurer shall remit 90 each
| county treasurer ouC-hulf VI the total
/ collections made n that county
The formal ballot FOR United States
/ Scuutor was taken Ia both houses
Tuesday afternoon and resulted rs fol-
I lows Russell 4. Algcr. -. H. r. Du-
rand -; absent. q. one Democrat. Nh
Werlinr voted FOR Alger In the joint
convention Wednesday noon Senator
Ayers election was formally al
nouuccd and his certificate made ont
for the four years OF the late Senator
McNillau's uueNplred term.
IN error la one word made seven
years ago Iuyalidatcs the incorporation
~ all villages created In the state OF
Michigan during that period. 4 bill
20 correct thp error VIII be introduced.
That the matter OF equalization OF
state taxes l. 20 hc considered II in
evidence taking start from the cop
per regions. IL Is claimed by the up
per peninsula men that the previous
equalization WAS made when copper
stocks were selling and quoted at far
too high figures value considered. AMI
now things have changed So that their
part uf the state suffers an Injustice
This may lead 90 q new equalization
FOR the whole state. Under au amend
mcnt Ca the Constitution the lcgisla-
turc may order readjustment at any
time
The appointment Of Thomas T. Nav
ln as member Of the prison hoard -
being pushed and with prospects that
the scheme will place him in the Gov
ctcd position. An sorts Of stories are
told as 10 Navin's desire To Get on thu
board, among them one To the effect
that he wants to aid Frank Andrews
In his efforts Ca get out OF Jackson. IL
Is said that tie governor Is receiving
numerous Endorsements" Of Nuvin.
ana his prospects OF sliding in are
good
The game wnrlenshlp Is still talked
of more us a matter OF politics than
men. Some say Chapman viii be- ap-
pointed. as the governor promised To.
hut the deputies viii be selected by
some one else. as a matter u political
pull.