The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-05-26
Primary Election Bill Not
Yet Disposed of by
State Solons.
FRIENDS OF MEASURE HOPEFUL
Feature of the Senate Substitute
Which Causes the Most
Friction.
Lively Debate Over Bill Repeating
Real Estate Mortgage Tax Law
z Anti Cigarette Legisla-
ton on the Shelf

Lansing, Mich, May 22.LThe pri-
mary election bill still occupies the
center of the stage. Several days ago
it was the general opinion among leg
islators that this.bit of legislation Of
state wide Importance and interest
would be well out of the way before
this time. Fate decreed otherwise,
however, and it is still with us. Per-
haps it was not so much fate after all,
the fact being that the delay in pass
ing the bill is due to some house mem
bers who object TO one of the senate
amendments and TO others who favored
holding up the measure until numer-
Gus house bills now pending In the SEN
ate are acted upon by that body. The
bill as passed by the senate was re
ported with minor amendments, by the
house committee on elections last
Wednesday. the committee recon-
mending that the bill be made the
special order for 4 O'clock of that
day.
Met Vigorous Opposition.
This recommendation was vigorously
opposed by several representatives
who object to the clause providing that
unless, the candidates receiving the
highest number of votes at the gen.
eral primary captures 40 per cent. of
the total vote cast at such primary
there will be no nomination, and the
contest must be referred to delegate
state convention for settlement. 1t is
this feature of the senate substitute
that causes the most friction, and 1t
was made the excuse for delay by 9th
ers who want the senate to act on
house bills which have been pending in
the senate for a long time The latter
fear that If the house disposes of all
the more important measures, the SEN
ate will sit back and dump these
house bills In the morgue. The result
Of the opposition was the postpone.
ment> of the consideration of the bill
by the house until tomorrow afternoon,
when it will come up az special or
der
Friends of the bill have no doubt
that 1t will be passed substantially as
1t came from the senate. Until this
and one or two of the other more i'm
portant bills are finally disposed of,
the house will refuse to act on the
senate resolution, which fixes final adj
journment for May 81. Just at pres
ent the prospects for adjournment on
the date named are not overly bright.
Repeal Causes Lively Debate.
After what was probably the livelI-
est debate Of the session, the house
passed bill repeating the real estate
mortgage tax law. This bill was a
substitute for the Galbraith- Baillie bill,
which sought to exempt credits of
every description from taxation. AS
Indicated It exempts real estate mort
cages only. The bill was fiercely at
tackled by Representative Cass Ben
ton, of Wayne who declared 1t to be
vicious measure, which would take
personal assessments aggregating $751;
100000 from the tax rolls, leaving the
tax represented by them to be paid
by owners OF real estate IN addition to
their present assessments.
On the other hand the bill was de-
clared to be In the interest of the poor
man, who, when he now seeks to bor-
row money with which to purchase
home. is required to pay taxes on the
full value Of his real estate and on
the mortgage besides. IT was further
argued that the present law makes
liars and tax dodgers Of vast mum.
Der Of citizens who resort to various
devices. and questionable practices In
order to escape taxation on this class
of securities. Still another argument
was the declaration that while the ex-
listing statute drove Michigan money
out Of the state. Il permitted non
residents to come into the state with
their money and loan II on Michigan
real estate without any danger Of be-
ing required to pay taxes on II.
Governor May Veto IL.
The discussion brought out the fact
that while the bill may pass the SEN
ate, the governor may be inclined to
veto II II It ever reaches him. Govern
or Warner departed from we'll es-
tablished custom few evenings since
when he appeared before the house
committee on state affairs and made
n brief argument in favor Of the Nc
Kay bill, which provides for state
supervision Of private banks. Although
interested In private bank, the gov
ernor earnestly supported the meas
ure. In fact II is his experience as a
private banker which convinces him
that the proposed supervision is a
necessity in the interests Of the public.
Some thirty private bankers from vari-