The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-02-24
Reduced Railway Taxation.


annual assessment of the steam rail
road properties of the state, the law
requiring that this task he completed
by Feb. Is. The result is somewhat or
surprise inasmuch as the assessors
made material reduction i'm 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 $2T, OOO,OOO, de
crease of $10,O00,00O from last years
figures: the Michigan Central system
from 500, 100000 TO $47,OOO,OOO; Chica-
90 and Northwestern by SI50OOO;
Wabash. $4,000; Grand Trunk West
ern. $4,000; Grand Rapids and In
diana, $S5O,OOO: Duluth, South Shore
and Atlantic, 100000. The total as
sessed valuation of these properties Is
fixed at $1a6. 1880 The total tax
will be $4,000 less than the aggre-
gate levied one year ago.
state Board of Health.
In all probability a change VIII DE
made in 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 term or 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 1873. rallied after the bill had
passed the senate by unanimous
vote and put up rather stiff fight he
fore the house committee on public
health. They have been unable to Sc
cure an unfavorable report on the bill,
but persuaded its friends to consent
to an amendment whereby the secfe..
tary to he appointed by the governor
will not have vote on the board, ana
as thus amended the bill has been re-
ported with the recommendation that
IL do pass While this present secre-
tary is concerned, it may have
tendency to make the members Of the
board view the contemplated change
with greater complacency. TWO OF
the members Of the board do not like
the idea Of having a 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 if not in accord
with it's policy. The members referred
to have threatened to resign If the
change is made but there is little
doubt that the bill will become law.
For Protection of Creditors.
An effort will be made again this
year to secure a law which has Cor its
object the heading off Of merchants
and others who may become imbued
with Il desire to beat their creditors
by disposing of their stocks of goods
i'm bulk over night. thus leaving moth
ing for the creditors 10 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 he invalid UNI
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 Ia fact
that sleeping car companies pay no
taxes in Michigan. In previous years
more or less active efforts have been
made 70 include these companies in
the tax bills. but they all came to
naught IT 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
tionate valuation Of their property
This bill will. it is estimated. produce
n revenue of approximately $4,000 per
year.
Torrens Land Title system.
Another perennial which does not
D. - &c IL 81.