The Yale expositor., 1905-01-27

fered by Representative Walters. who
would deduct from the value OF real
estate the amount of any mortgage on
such property. State Tax Commission
er Mclaughlin favors the exemption
from taxation of credits of every ma
ture under certain conditions. Other
bills are in sight and the subject will
be gone into thoroughly.
a bill Of great interest to farmers
and shippers of live stock throughout
the state is in charge of Represents
vigorously. The measure seeks to
make railroad companies commCSe- ,ar-
riers of live stock, thus making them
accept for immediate shipment all live
stock offered for transportation. Under
existing conditions the companies are
privileged to take this class of freight
of leave it alone, just as the spirit
moves. and it is claimed that in some
sections of the state the spirit has
moved the companies to refuse TO
handle live stock for months at time,
thus greatly handicapping the raiser
and buyer and practically running the
industry in those sections.
Both the liquor dealers and the anti
saloon people appear to be rather slow
in suggesting to the liquor
laws this year. Representatives of
both organizations have been on the
ground since the session commenced,
but thus far the only bill introduced
affecting the liquor interests is one by
Mr.. Hudson. of Kalamazoo. who
would fix the law so that intoxicating
liquors could not be sold in conjunc-
tions with groceries, dry goods and
other merchandise, or, in other words,
in stores where such wares are Of
fered for sale
Punishment for Wife Beaters.
The increase in the number of wife
beaters throughout the state during re-
cent years has inspired Representative
Ming to take steps to provide adequate
punishment for this class of domestic
pastime. He has offered Il bill which
provides that for the first conviction
of assault and battery on ones wife,
the offender shall be confined i'm Jail
for ten days with no food or drink. eX-
ccpt bread and water. a second Of
fense will insure the prisoner whip
ping on his bare back at the hands of
the sheriff or other competent person.
This whipping is to consist of not less
then ten nor more than thirty blows
with leather strap "One inch wide
twenty-four inches long and thrce-si.;-
teenth of an inch thick" This bill
provides that each person convicted of
n second offense shall be examined by
a competent physician who shall de-
termine if he is physically able to
withstand the punishment. In case
the physician should report that the
convict's physical condition is such as
to not warrant whipping, then the
usual penalty for assault and battery is
to be inflicted. The physician and the
man who lays on the strap are each to
receive s. for their services
Low Water AlarmG.
Tho question whether low water
alarms on steam boilers are n safe
guard or a menace will have to be set
tied by the legislature this year The
present law requires that all such boil
ers be equipped with some type of low
water alarm approved by the commits
siOner of la or. Representative Beal
who halls from Ann Arbor. has intro
duced Il bill to repeal this law. In all
probability this measure is the out
come of controversy between the au-
thorities of the Michigan university
and the commissioner of labor. Act
ing on the advice of Professor NJ. T.
Cooley, the well-known engineering
authority of the university, the regents
have declined to equip certain boilers
with safety devices 1t is Professor
Cooley's contention that the presence
cf these devices leads to carelessness
on the part of engineers who, instead
of making needed inspections, depend
upon the alarm to give notice of low
water and consequent danger. Pro
fessor Cooley further contends that
these devices fill up with scale, ETC.
and are thus rendered imperative SC
that the danger of explosion Is in
creased rather than diminished by
thVAA uot' DNputg
er Mcleod, ,swho will become the head
of the bureau in a few weeks, insists
on the other hand, that experience con,
clusively proves the value of the alarm
many instances being cited where ex
plosions have been avoided by their
use. He will make a stiff fight to re
tain the present law, and the indica.
tons are that he will be successful.
Active and Painstaking.
Deputy Mcleod, by the way, prom
ises to be very active and pains
taking chief of the department, thus
grandly supplementing the excellent
work he has done i'm his present posi-
ton. He will ask the Legislature tC
extend the jurisdiction of his depart
ment so that Office buildings may bC
included in the list of structures il
which the department may require the
establishment of devices designed tC
protect the persons employed therein
The state federation of labor has
| had representatives i'm Lansing during