The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-05-19


the companies common carriers of live
stock. The bill giving the right of
eminent domain to electric railway
companies, thus placing them on an
equal footing with the steam roads in
this regard. has been passed by both
houses. In view of the passage OF
this measure prominent legislators are
agitating the question Of requiring
all railroads. both steam and electric,
to maintain farm crossings in all cases
where rights Of way across farms are
condemned.
For the State Fair.
The State Agricultural society is
meeting with marked success in its
efforts i'm behalf of the state fair. The
house committee on ways and means
has fayorably reported bills making
appropriations of $4,000 to apply on
the payment OF premiums for the ell
suing two years, and $1,000 for re-
moving the Michigan building at 81.
Louis to the state fair grounds and
reconstructirg it there.
The ways and means committee, by
the way appears TO be adhering TO
its determination 10 keep appropria
tons down to the lowest point con
sistent with safety. During the past
week determined efforts have been
made To secure the reinS atement Of
large items previously cut from the
bills making the regular biennial APP
preparations for the agricultural col
lege and home for feeble minded and
epilcptic but to no avail. The great
est desire Of the officials of the former
institution is a new engineering build
ing to properly provide for the rapidly
increasing number of students in the
mechanical course. The appropriation
bill embodied an item of $4,000 for
this purpose. but there is no show for
the Appropriation being made this year
Many Of the Legislators take the stand
that the engineering department is
foreign 10 the original scope Of the
college and are inclined to insist that
its work be kept within the lines Of
agriculture.
Attorney General Disguised.
Attorney Gen eral Bird and his aids
are considerably Disguised with the
action Of the house few days ago in
refusing TO suspend the rules 50 as TO
admit OF the immediate passage of
bill which gives the legal department
Of the state access to the books and
records of railroad companies. Al
though there is nothing unusual about
the proposition. the house refused TO
pass the bill as the senate had done
but sent it to committee. 1t will
be recalled that the STATE is suing the
Michigan Central Railroad company
for some 100000 of taxes alleged
to be due because of the alleged false
reports of earnings made To the state
by the company named through a Sc
ries of years. If the charge of the
state is correct. the company owes the
money. If the charge is false. then
che company is not indebted to the
state on this account. An cXamina-
ton of the company's books would set
tie the dispute definitely one way or
the other. and it was for the purposes
of the pending suit that the state
desired the passage of the bill. The
state has the right to examine the
books Of insurance companies and
other corporations transacting bust
ness within its borders. What the
final fate Of the bill will be is a mat
ter Of much interest.
To Govern Private Banks.
Governor Warner and Banking
Commissioned Moore are still pushing
their bill to bring private banks under
the supervision Of the banking depart
ment. \ hearing on the bill was had
Thursday evening. The indications
are that the bill will be passed.
The slaughter of liquor bills was
not monopolized by the senate commit
tee. a neat job of killing having been
done by the liquor traffic committee
OF the upper house. The measure
(which met it's fate at the hands OF
THE senators was the Lowell bill,
which prohibited the establishment of
q saloon within 100 rods of school
house.
The bill providing for the exemption
of all credits from taxation has again
been put over until May IL. deter
mined effort 10 secure votes enough 10
pass this bill has been made, but the
postponement of its consideration Is
/ taken as rather conclusive evidence
| that the effort has not thus far been
| successful.
The Manzelmann bill prohibiting
contract labor 10y convicts in Michigan
| prisons has been killed by the house
comittee on state affairs. Its author
/ is now making an effort to pass a
similar bill which applies only TO the
state prison ut Jackson. He will not
/ be successful.
JAMES V. BARRY.