The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-06-02
Measure Will Soon Be Ready
for Presentation to
Governor.
He HAS PROMISED TO SIGN IT
With This Matter Out of the Way
Adjournment Is Near
at Hand.
Bill Giving the State Authority TO Ex-
anime Books of Railway Com
panies Passes House-Fire
Insurance Policy.

Lansing Mich, May 3O.-The long
agony is finally over, and as soon as
the state printer can grind out the Of
fetal copy for presentation to the gov
ernor, Michigan will have a primary
| election law. The substitute bill,
which was fully described in these
| columns when it was passed by the
senate a fortnight ago, was last week
passed by the house with few minor
amendments. These amendments were
concurred in by the senate without dis
cussion. Having repeatedly announced
during the past year that he would
sign any primary election bill the leg
islature saw fit to pass Governor
| Warner will attach his signature TO
| this measure as soon as it reaches his
| desk. There are, as naturally might
be supposed, plenty of persons who
find fault with the bill as passed.
| Such would have been the case, how
ever, with any bill that could possibly
| have been drafted.
Now that this matter IS out OF the
| way, the legislative decks are being
cleared for adjournment. 1t was hoped
| that the end so far as the considera-
| ton of bills, etc, was concerned might
be reached this week. but that has
been found TO he impossible, so the
solons will keep right on with their
work until Thursday or Friday of next
week. Then work will cease, but the
legislature will be nominally in session
for ten days more while the bills
passed during the last days of the SEES
sion are being prepared for the sigma
ture of the governor. Final adjourn
ment will be reached not later than
June 10. Had not Memorial day In
tervened the lawmakers might have
been able to get away earlier. This
| legal holiday, however, caused an adj
| journment from Friday last until to-
morrow afternoon, thus leaving very
| little time for business this week.
Examination of Railway Books.
After several Intellectual efforts due
to a determination on the part Of a
| number of representatives to amend
the bill in certain particulars, the bill
prepared by the attorney general Civ
ing the state authority to examine the
books of railroad companies finally
passed the house with only thirteen
dissenting votes. The measure was
held up for several days because its
friends were unable to master the nee
essary two-thirds vote to suspend the
rules in order to put 1t on its immedi-
ate passage. Once this was accom-
plished and the question was on the
final passage of the bill, which was
designed solely to assist the state in
its suit against the Michigan Central
Railway company to recover some $4,-
100000 of back taxes alleged to be due
and unpaid, there was scurrying to
get into the band wagon, only few
of the solons caring to be charged with
lining up with the company against
the state.
Thus far Governor Warner has won
out in his fight to place private banks
under the supervision of the state
banking department. In committee OF
the whole the house has agreed to
the bill making this provision, but the
somewhat acrimonious discussion In
dulged in by the committee Is accepted
rs evidence that a strenuous fight will
be made by the opponents of the meas
ure when II comes up for final passage
tomorrow.
Fire Insurance Policy.
Nearly quarter Of century ago
the state, through its legislature
sought to have enacted a standard
form of fire insurance policy which
should be used in Michigan to the ex-
clusion OF all other forms Of policy
contract, save only those issued by the
numerous farmers mutual fire CON-
panies Of the state. This was In line
with the movement throughout the
country for uniformity in these mat
tiers and with the desire for a policy
that would fully safeguard the inter-
ests Of the property owner instead OF
continuing the practice of permitting
the issuance of as many different con-
tracts as the companies and assured
agreed upon. In furtherance Of this
purpose, the legislature enacted law
providing for the creation OF an insur-
ance policy commission TO consist OF
the attornel general, the commissioner
of insurance and one other member
to be appointed by the governor. This
commission was authorized by the
statute to draft form of policy to be
used In Michigan. After completing
this work the commission. recognizing
the unconstitutionality of the grant
Of power which the law sought to con-
fer upon II, reported the draft to Gov
ernor Jerome, at the same time calling
attention to the unconstitutional dele
cation of power and recommending a
draft Of bill embodying the policy
agreed upon, with the request that