The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-02-13
being properly qualified, unless he
uses the title.

FOR several yeas there has been q
growingtendcncyt crefte state b ards
for the examination of persons who de-
sire to engage in certain trades and
professions, and the fever is still on.
Thus far the only entirely new bill on
this subject is one providing st tie
board to examine would-be account
ants. Some OF the BARRIERS Of the
state, however, have had introduced q
bill providing for increasing the mem-
bership of the state BARRIERS examin-
ing board from three to five, and for
making other changes i'm the law. The
general impression among the present
legislators appears to be, and it is GER
tainly the impression among the rank
and file of the citizens of the state out
side of the legislature, that there are
plenty Of boards and commissions as
matters now stand, and that none of
them are really suffering for want of
sufficient membership. 1t is safe
guess that the number of state boards
will not be materially increased this
session.
To Amend Divorce Laws.
There are plenty of indications that
the Michigan divorce laws may be ma
terially amended during the present
session of the legislature. At the re-
cent annual meeting of the State AS
ISOLATION of Circuit Judges several Of
the jurists took decided stand in IA
vor of far more rigid provisions on
this subject than those which now ex-
list. Some of these gentlemen took
very extreme grounds on this subject
and favored much more severe restric-
tons than will probably be enacted
into law. Judge NEWMAN of Grand
Rapids, who presides over the supe-
rior court of the second city, was In
favor of prosecuting defendant in
a divorce suit If divorce Is granted on
charges which constitute a crime For
instance, il divorce is granted because
of adultery, he would have the law
step in and subject the offender to
prosecution on that charge. Judge
NEWMAN Incorporated his ideas on this
subject into bill which has been in
troduced in the house by Representa-
tive Anderson of Grand Rapids. 1t
is interesting to note in this connec-
ton that Associate Justice Moore of
the supreme court radically disagreed
with his brother jurists who urged that
divorce be made hard to procure. He
frankly gave it as his opinion that If
it develops that a couple are mismated
and cannot conduct a home in de-
cent manner and rear their children
as they should be reared, the sooner
they separate the better for all con-
cerned. He also sounded warning
note for the benefit of those who seek
to make marriage more difficult, adj
vising them to consider what the prob
able result of such action would be
and citing the fact that the percentage
of illegitimate children in those conn-
tries where undue restrictions are
thrown about marriage is strikingly
significant.
Views of DIR. Wilbur.
Speaking of divorce and marriage
from a department standpoint, DIR.
G. l.. Wilbur, chief of the bureau Of
vital statistics of the secretary of
states office, speaks as follows: 'The
laws of Michigan are ad-
mirable in their general working, all
the necessary information in regard to
persons marrying being obtained In
advance Of the issuing Of the license.
The most important administrative de-
fects at present result from the fact
that no particular person is charged
with the execution Of the law, and
hence some clergymen and justices Of
the peace delay or entirely fail to re-
turn marriages promptly, as the law
requires. 1t would be easy to make
such provision that the failure or neg
lect of any clergyman or justice to
perform this important duty under the
aw in regard to Immediately record
ing the marriage performed by him
would be invariably punished. The
defects in the return of divorces arise
chiefly from the fact that no prelim-
nary declaration containing all Of the
necessary statistical particulars is now
'equired by law to be filed upon the
of suit, and also that
livorces granted sometimes fail to be
recorded from the fact that the fee
or making the final record is not paid
It would seem that complete prelim-
nary statement containing all of the
necessary statistical particulars should
De filed at the commencement of d.
7orce suit and that a sufficient zee
hould accompany it to insure the en-,
ny of the final decree, thus making
he records and statistics complete"
Equalization of Assessments.
Some Of the members of the execu-
i've committee Of the State Associa-
ion Of Supervisors do not take kindly
o Representative Campbell's bill
intending the law relative to the
equalization Of assessments by county
boards of supervisors. The amend
nent requires that assessments be
,qualized at the true cash value of
he property and prohibits the making
# any deductions In so eQualizing
rom the assessments made by the SUI
,ervisors of the several townships and
wards. Heretofore 1t has been a ia
,orite custom Of supervisors to equal
re the assessments down in certain
ases.
Senator william p. Scullen, the lone
representative of the Democracy in