The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-03-06


the necessity for using these titles for
that is all there is to these bills, is
never encountered. Practically every
one Of the state departments has had
number OF these emergency titles in
troduced
Number of Bills Introduced.
When the gavel dropped at the
close Of the fifteenth day Of the ses-
sion. the limit for the introduction of
bills under the constitution, total OF
1,766 bills were on the calendars of
! the two houses. This total is 14S less
than that of two years ago. The
senator's outdid their record OF 1901
| by II, while the house members fell
! short by 100. Pretty much every
! subject imaginable is covered. all the
/ old familiar meas ures of recent years
4 being out in full force. except, possibly,
railroad tax bills, which dropped down
few nOtches, owing TO the existence
of the al valorem tax law, which is
generally satisfactory. 1t is safe TO say
/ that not more than one in three of the
/ total number of bills introduced will
7 =
majority are as near TO becoming laws
now as they peacefully slumber on the
table or in the committee clerks desks
as they ever Will be.
AS predicted last week substantial
progress has been made during the
past few days in the direction of re-
forming the election laws. The Wayne
county primary election bill was pass
ed by both houses, the Kent county
bill advanced. and general hearing
given on the primary election bill ap-
plying to the entire state. At this
tearing number of legislators and
other citizens from various sections Of
the state expressed themselves freely
and large majority Of them expressed
themselves as unqualifiedly favoring
the bill. There is practically no doubt
that n general primary law will he en-
acted.
Reform I'm the Tax system.
From the number of bills i'm hand
affecting the tax system it is evident
that Il determined effort is to be made
to effect some substantial reforms in
fered i'm this connection is of sufficient
bulk to choke Il rhinosceros or two. it
is confidently expected by the prime
movers that satisfactory bill can be
formulated from it. The main effort
will be in the direction of doing away
with double taxation incident to the
taxation of both the real estate and
the mortgage covering such real es-
tate. Just how this will be accom-
plished remains to be determined. One
of the tax bills exempts credits from
taxation, while another provides for
applying the stamp system to prom
iSsory notes. mortgages and deeds, the
revenue varying from the nature Of
the instrument. This bill also seeks
to reach parlor car companies, which
now escape taxation altogether. by
requiring them to place one cent
stamp upon each parlor and sleeping
car ticket sold, such stamps to be
purchased by the companies from the
auditor general. a question has been
raised as to the unconstitutionality of
this method of taxation, and i'm order
to meet the issue joint resolution
proposing an amendment to the con-
stitution providing for this plan has
been introduced. Representative
Rodgers would extend this plan OF
raising revenue 10 the theaters and re-
quire that one cent stamp be at
tached to each theater ticket sold in
the state.
To Abolish state Census.
There are those among the legis-
lators who believe that the expendi-
ture of 100000 which 1t costs TO take
and compile and publish the state cen
sus every ten years is wholly unwar-
ranted inasmuch ms the general gov
eminent covers this work quite as
thoroughly The taking of the next
state census will occur next year and
with view of heading it Off. Senator
; Barnes has offered u joint resolution
submitting a constitutional amendment
to abolish the state census. 1t is dol.
lars to doughnuts that the resolution
will be killed.
Gov. Bliss exercised the veto power