The Yale expositor., 1905-05-26
Anti-Cicaret,e B,II shelyed.


action has yet been taken on the meas
ure.
Anti-CiGarette Sill Sheived.
The anti-cigarette legislation is on
the shelf for the present session. Since
the bill prohibiting the manufacture
and sale of cigarettes passed the house
several weeks ago it has been the
cause of Il great deal of diplomatic
sparring in the senate. Finally the
friends Of the measure succeeded in
getting it before that body, where it
was slaughtered after considerable
discussion, in which the principal loby-
list for the bill was accused of being
paid for his services by inter-
ested parties, thus donning the
livery of heaven to serve the devil in.
When the final vote on the passage
Of the bill was taken fourteen sena-
tors lined up in favor of the measure,
while sixteen voted against it. \ mo-
ton to reconsider the vote was then
laid on the table thus disposing Of the
bill definitely. The subject matter
having been finally acted upon, the
chair Will rule that 1t cannot again be
brought up in the shape of another
bill.
The fruit growers of western Mich
igan, who have had Il serious grlev-
ance against the steam roads in con-
nection with alleged eXorbitant icing
charges, have secured favorable re-
port on Il bill authorizing electric lines
to consolidate with steamboat lines,
their object being To have the electric
lines carry their product to the boats.
which will carry them to Chicago. The
fruit growers charge that the arbitrary
action of the steam roads in the mat
ter Of icing charges put them etfectu-
ally out of business, as they could not
possibly meet the prices fixed by grow
ers of other states whom the railroads
favored.
Autoists Must Watch Out.
Although the Holmes automobile
bin, regulating the speed of autOmo-
biles. providing for tho licensing of
machines. drivers, etc. still slumbers
in the senate, that body has passed Il
rather extreme measure, which was
introduced Il few days ago by Sena-
tor Moriarity. This bill makes the
killing of person hit by an automO-
bile through careless driving man
slaughter, while serious injury corsti-
tutes assault with intent to do great
bodily harm less than murder. The
wise ones predict that the measure
will experience rather rough shedding
in the house. Notwithstanding the ac-
ton of that body on the Holmes bill.
1rp
Brown bill. which seeks to prohibit
the marriage or internarriage of per-
sons OF unsound minds or diseased
bodies by requiring all persons who
have ever been afflicted with epilepsy,
feeble mindedness iInbecilty. insan-
ity or any Of certain specified diseases
to produce the certificate of two re-
putable physicians that they have
fully recovered therefrom before they
can procure license to marry. NiO-
lation of this requirement is made Il
felony, and the penalty provided is
q maximum fine of $1,000 or impris-
onment for term not to exceed five
years, or both.
State Tax Commissioners.
Proposed legislation affecting the
present state tax commissioners, which
has taken on various forms and has
been extensively discussed during the
past few months. has been agreed to
by the house after an afternoon Of
heated argument. a minority Of the
representatives were eager TO cut tie
official heads of the commissioners off
very close to their ears, and that too,
almost instanter. Representatives of
the minority made very earnest at
lacks on the commission and made
rather spirited statements regarding
a couple of the commissioners. The
legislation, as agreed to, however,
leaves the commission as at present
constituted until Sept. 1. 1906, when
the existing commission of five mem
bers will be succeeded by three COM
missioners to be appointed by the gov
ernor for terms of two, four and six
years. The commissioners are to re-
ceive an annual salary Of $1,000, Sec
rotary $1,000, and chief clerk $500.
Makes Material Saving.
The bill limits the number Of clerks
to ten, thus effectirg a material saving
over tue Jaw, NlICn DltlNCS llO
| limit on the number that may be en-
ployed. The new measure requires the
commission to hold their regular ses-
sions, which are now held in Detroit,
at the seat Of government; the COM
mission is given authority TO inspect
and correct local assessments, but only
when written complaint is made by
q resident taxpayer each county in the
state is TO be visited by some member
of the commission ut least once a
year; the commissioners are 10 deter
mine the actual cash value of prop
erty in each county and report such
value to the state board of equaliza-
ton. During the discussion of the
bill Ivy the house in committee of the
whole an unsuccessful attempt was
made to have it so amended as to pro-
vide that the members of the COM
n1iccion esholI no alpptad nv tho nnoula