Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1903-01-29
MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE.

The vital statistics laws, according
10 recommendation OF Dr.. WILDER, OF
the department, need little DIT 10 fixing
exceot 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
| pensatiOn for the registrars would Sc
cure greater efficiency 1t is recon-
mended that payment be made by the
state for reports showing no deaths
! il the reports are made promptly, as
| in some small townships of the state
a whole year may elapse without
single death. Under the present law
no compensation would be received by
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
TO accommodate the attorney-generaFs
force.
A petition was received from the SOL
diers' home asking for the passage or
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 30
, a month.
January 80 both houses Of the legis-
lature will adjourn until Tuesday,
February 10, at . p. m. and In the
interval the committees on the various
state institutions will do their visiting
including the trip to the upper PENN
; sula.
A bill making n radical change In
! the law for taxing vessel property
was introduced by Mr.. Read. The
4 object of the bill is to do away with
companies organizing in other states
I where only tonnage tax Is paid. For
| instance, one of the modern ore ana
A grain carriers Of 1000 tons would pay,
j. under the tonnage tax, $210, while un-
} der the present law, such vessel,
= costing about $4,000 on an average
. tax rate Of per cent would be taxed
for 81 500 Still Mr.. Read believes
+ that If the law Is changed so many
: more vessels would make Michigan
r ports their hailing places that more
i money would be collected than at pres
@ ent. 1t is also reasoned that it would
=
n cities as Detroit, Bay City. Marquette
? Benton Harbor and other Michigan
O ports. The bill also provides that the
state treasurer shall remit to each
@ county treasurer One-half OF the tota
d collections made in that county.
|, The formal ballot for United States
; Senator was taken in both houses
Tuesday afternoon and resulted as FOL
D. lows: Russell A. Alger. 50; l.. I. Du
Y rand. o; absent. 6. One Democrat, Mr.
% Werlne. voted for Alger. In the join
N convention Wednesday noon Senate
le Ayers election was formally an
IT nouuccd and his certificate made OH
o. for the four. years Of the late Senate
le McAlillan's uneXpired term.
&c An error in one word made seve
" years ago lnvalidates the incorporate
Of of all villages created In the state c
Of Michigan during that period. A bi
a to correct the error Will be introduced
That the matter of equalization o
20 state taxes Is to be considered Is /
I'd evidence. taking start from the col
so per regions 1t is claimed by the VI
IN per peninsula men that the previou
&c equalization was made when coppe
he stocks were selling and quoted at IN
rs too high figures, value considered, an
of now things have changed so that the
h. part of the state suffers an injustice
r. This may lead to new equalization
~ for the whole state. Under an amend
he ment to the Constitution the leglsls
ture may order u readJustment at an
IN time.
he The appointment Of Thomas J. MAJ
lis I'm as a member OF the prison board
Ill being pushed and with prospects tha
es the scheme will place him in the CO..
OF eted position. All sorts Of stories M
ey told as to Navin's desire to get on I'll
ne board, among them one To the effe'
he that he wants to aid Frank Andrew
Ke In his efforts TO get out Of Jackson.
re is said that the governor is recelvin
re numerous Endorsements" of Navil
~ and his prospects of sliding in al
TO- good.
The game wardenship is still talke
eu of more as n matter of politics tina
II men. Some say Chapman will be a.
IS pointed, IA the governor promised t
H. but the deputies will be selected /
ne some one else. as a matter of polite
a. a. pull.
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