The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-02-03
WORK OF A WEEK FOR MIcHI-
GAN.
interesting Incidents, Legislative
Propositions, and Our Cores
pondent's Comments.
Legislative

Lansing, Jan. 30, 1905.
The legislature has passed its fourth
week, and has adjourned over ten
day recess to permit the committees on
the various state institutions to make
their visits of examination and prepare
themselves to make recommendation
in behalf of the interests with which
they are charged. In spite of the in
situations and the apparent desires of
few hostile critics. these are to be sim
pie business trips and quiet visits of in
vestigation, and no spectacular social
junket. So large part of the business
of the legislature has relation to the in
situations of the state, penal, reforma-
tory. benevolent, and educational. the
right direction of which demands the
acquaintance that these visits give, that
there is an evident feeling of unprepar-
edness for much legislative business in
the earlier weeks, and Discrimination
to grapple with much of the serious
work OF the session. Especially 80
when, as in the case of the present leg
islature, a majority of the members are
entirely new to their duties here. Of
the one hundred present representatives
fifty-four are without previous legisla-
tive experience, as are also nineteen of
the thirty-two senators, or fifty-five per-
cent of the whole. 1t might be well, in
view of the disposition or the. possible
necessity for deferring so much of the
business until after the recess, to devote
an earlier week to it,.
One thing that would undoubtedly
operate to promote diligence on the
part of the law makers, shorten their
sessions and elevate the character of
their work, and make for economy. in
the long run, would be annual salaries
for the members instead of the present
per diem. 1t should be salary united
to the dignity of the position and the
grade of talent it demands, and such a
measure would be approved by a ma
jority of the thoughtful people of the
state. 1t should not be understood from
these remarks, however, that the bust
ness of the present session is at an I'M
favorable stage as compared with other
sessions, nor that the removal of the
fifty-day limit for introduction of bills
has been disappointing in this respect.
The speaker of the house considers the
progress satisfactory, and that it does
not suffer at all in comparison with
previous sessions.
No skeleton bills" have been intro
duced to provide titles under which
bills that might be needed later could
be offered, as was the case in abundance
under the limiting provision; but more
real bills have been prepared than at
this stage of the last legislature One
of those in the past week of possible
consequence, especially as it is under
stood to have the assent of the govern
or, is a bill of Representative Watt, of
Ionia county, to abolish the tax COM
mission. An assessing and reviewing
board, with functions more restricted
than the present body, especially in
overturning the work of the assessing
officers in the counties, is a feature of
the plan not yet fully developed, but
which would meet a hearty welcome in
the state. 1t is no secret that the tax
commission is not a prime favorite
with the people lat large. 1t has rem
dered valuable services in bringing cor
porate properties nearer to an equitable
rating, but some acts of members of the
commission have not appeared consist
ent with the obligations of agents of
the state, and popular confidence in the
usefulness of the body, and possibly Of
some of it's functions, has been seriously
disturbed.
II do not think that any of the votes
cast in opposition to the bill providing
for the nomination of judge in the
Michigan-O ceana circuit by direct vote
Of the people were so cast because of
opposition to the principle involved"
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