The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-02-20

for liberty which is alleged to occa-
sionally take possession of the breasts
of some husbands. 1t provides that
such desertion shall constitute a felony
and be punished accordingly. There
was little objection to the measure
in the senate on the ground that it
would bankrupt the counties to send
all over the country after runaway
husbands. but it finally passed with
but one dissenting voice.
House for Bliss Successor.
If the plans of Gov. Bliss are car
ried out his successor will have q
house to live in when he comes to the
capital and will, therefore, find it
pleasant and convenient to spend much
of his time here. For the past two
winters Gov. Bliss leased a Residence
here and remained in the city practi-
cally all of the time. This year he
was unable to lease a suitable home
and has. therefore, found it necessary
to put up with hotel accommodations
Bills were last week introduced in
both houses at his suggestion, having
beeen prepared by the attorney-gen-
eral. One of them provides for the
sale by the board of state auditors of
certain Lansing city property owned
by the state. 1t Is estimated that this
sale will yield about 100000. The
other bill makes an appropriation of
$4,000 for a governors residence and
$4,000 for outbuildings, furnishings,
etc. 1t is time that Michigan proceed
ed to get in line with her sister states
in this regard.
The bill appropriating $25000O for
an addition to the state house is max
ing substantial progress in the house,
the need for the additional accommo-
dations being apparent to the most
casual observer. There has been and
still is a disposition on the part of
many citizens Of Lansing to induce the
legislature to provide for a separate
building block or two removed from
the state house, the state owning avail
able property in such locations. These
citizens believe that an addition would
mar rather than enhance the beauty
and symmetry Of the state house, while
separate building would be another
point Of attraction. The officials to
accommodate whom the building is
needed, however, strongly favor build
ing onto the present structure on the
west and the indications are that their
wishes will be observed by the legis-
lature.
Temperance Men Oppose Rodgers Bill.
The temperance men in the house
are opposed to the Rodgers bill per-
hitting fidelity companies to furnish
bonds for saloon keepers, mention Of
which was made in my last letter. In
order to forestall this measure they
propose to make the present law more
effective in the line Of preventing the
giving of straw bonds by requiring
bondsmen to schedule their assets.
The farmers Of the state will prob
ably be interested in the bill of Rep
resentative Lane of Hillsdale county,
which seeks to abolish the agricultural
statistics bureau Of the secretary of
states Office. Representative Lane
proceeds on the theory that the farm
statistics that have been published by
the state for many years are value
less, the statistics themselves being
unreliable and the farmers having no
interest in them. AS to their relia-
bility the department says that they
are what the supervisors, who are
charged with the duty of collecting
them. make them, while the demand
from farmers for the volumes is very
brisk A number of attempts have pre-
viously been made to abolish this de-
partment and the present attempt will
doubtless meet the same fate as they
did.
Farmers throughout the state who