The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-02-24
Reduced Railway Taxation.


mission, sitting as state board of
railroad assessors, have completed the
annual assessment OF the steam rail
road properties OF the state, the law
requiring that this task be completed
! by Feb. 10. The result = somewhat of
surprise, inasmuch as the assessors
made material reduction in the total
assessed valuation Of the companies
as compared with last year. The
principal reductions were those of the
Pere Marquette, whose assessment
was finally fixed at $2I,OO0,OO0, a de-
crease of $lO,OOO,0O0 from last years
hgures; the Michigan Central system
from $50, OOO. 900 to $4,000. 900; 'Chica-
20 and Northwestern by $75O.OOO;
Wabash. $4,000; Grand Trunk West
ern, $4,000; Grand Rapids and In
diana, $S5O.OOO: Dulath, South Shore
and Atlantic, $5OO,OOO. The total as.
sessed valuation of these properties Is
fixed at $196. 785 900. The total tax
will be $425 900 less than the aggre-
gate levied one year ago. -
state Board of Health.
In all probability a change will be
made i'm the plan of organization Oh
the state board Of health, as intimated
several weeks ago. AS passed by the
senate the bill provides that the secre-
tary of the board shall be appointed
by the governor for a term OF two
years, instead Of being elected by the
board for practically unlimited term,
inasmuch as he can be removed only
for cause upon investigation OF
charges. ETC. The friends of the pres
ent. and i'm fact the only secretary the
board has ever had since its organiza-
ton in 1878, rallied after the bill had
passed the senate by unanimous
vote and put up rather stiff fight be
fore the house committee on public
health. They have been unable to Sc
cure an unfavorablc report on the bill,
but persuaded its friends to consent
to an amendment whereby the secre-
tary to be appointed by the governor
will not have vote on the board, and
as thus amended the bill has been re-
ported with the recommendation that
II do pass. While this present secre-
tary is concerned, it may have a
tendency to make the members or the
board view the contemplated change
with greater complacency. Two OF
the members of the board do not like
the idea Of having secretary appoint
ed by other authority than the board.
They argue that such a secretary, not
being under obligations to the board
for his position, would be In position
to ignore the board IL not in accord
with its policy. The members referred
to have Threatened to resign II the
change is made. but there is little
doubt that the bill will become law.
For Protection Or Creditors.
An effort will be made again this
year to secure a law which has for its
object the heading or Of merchants
and others who may become imbued
with desire to bert their creditors
byddisposiRg Of their stocks OF goods
in bulk over night, thus leaving moth
ing, for the creditors to realize upon
when they discover that. things have
changed since Hannah, died" The
bill in question provides that the sale
Of goods in bulk shall be invalid un-
less all the creditors of the seller are
given FIVE days notice Of the contem-
plated sale. This, Of course, will en-
able the creditors to arrange matters
so that they will have "show for
their white alley"
Strange as it may seem, 1t Is fact
that sleeping car companies pay no
taxes in Michigan. In previous years
more or less active efforts have been
made to include these companies in
the tax bills. but they all came to
naught. 1t is now proposed to make
them come to taw, and already two
bills providing for their taxation are
on the calander. One Of these pro-
vides for the imposition Of tax Of
per cent on the gross income of the
companies in Michigan. The other.
and the one more likely to become
law. taxes the companies on proper
Tomato valuation Of their property.
This bill will. II is estimated. produce
a revenue Of approximately $4,000 per
year.
TOrrens Land Title System.
Another perennial which does not
seem to lose any of its old-time vigor
is the bill providing for the adoption
Of the Torrens system Of land title
This measure has been
endorsed by the. grange and other
farm organizations Of this state at
their annual meetings for the past if
teen years or more. and has been as
regularly introduced at each succeed
ing session Of the legislature only to
die in committee. Nothing daunted
by this experience, Senator Cook,
former president Of the State Associa-
ton Of Farmers clubs, has again in
the bill and will make
fight for its passage.
With a view to protecting the health
Of the people Of Michigan the senate
has passed the Peek bill, which re-
quires that all packages containing
any class of canned or prepared food
be labeled with a formula showing
what preservatives, If any. are used in
connection with the preparation of the
food. A severe penalty for violations
Of this provision Is embodied in the
hill Tn THE connection IL NAV not bp