The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-06-14


without interruption even for recess
until nearly 10 o'clock. Early in the
day the committee considered the sew
eral reapportionment bills in it's pos
session and majority Of the commit
tee finally decided to make q favor
ah'e report on the bill of Senator
Bland, one of its members. All Of
which goes to prove the truth of the
saying that there is more than one
way to skin a cat" For no sooner
Yves the Bland bill reported out than
a substitute was offered and, after the
long fight mentioned, passed on third
reading.
Distasteful to Bland.
The substitute was very distasteful
to Senator Bland, who doubtless would
not have favored reporting his own
bill out had he had the slightest sus-
piciOn, that there was a movement on
foot to Immediately side-track it and
run the substitute onto the main track.
The opponents of the substitute sought
to secure pOstponement of a day
because of the absence Of Senator
Fairbanks, whose district 1t materially
disturbed, but the other fellows had
the votes and would consent to no
change in their program. Then the
opponents started In to f1libuster and
by asking information regarding the
why's and wherefores, the population,
ETC., of each of the thirtytwo pro-
posed districts, succeeded IN staving
off final vote for nearly seven hours.
They were in the minority, however,
and were eventually obliged to take
their medicine. The bill as passed
makes radical changes in the districts
as at present constituted. 1t will be
vigorously fought in the house, but it's
friends claim that it will be passed
by that body.
In Interest of Mining Companies.
The bill described at some length
last week, which permits mining COM
panies to acquire as much land as
they deem necessary for their pur-
poses has been passed by both houses
and will shortly go to the governor for
his signature. Governor Warner has,
however, promised opponents of the
bill that he will give them hearing
before the measure is signed. An I'M
successful effort was made i'm the
house to amend the bill so as to re-
strict the real estate holdings OF the
companies to such as is used for tim
Der purposes. 1t was urged against
the bill-and that will probably be
the opposition TO be voiced ut the hear
ing before the governor-that the min
ing companies are planning merger
Of the mining interests Of the upper
peninsula.
State Bankers Aroused.
Just at present the state banking
department and the officers OF most
OF the state banks are making n stiff
fight against the passage by the house
OF Senator Tuttle's bill amending the
state banking law so as to liberalize
the conditions under which bonds of
electric railways may be invested in
by state banks. Banking Commission
er Zimmerman insists that the bill
would permit the funds Of the state
banks to be invested in speculative
securities of doubtful value. The pres
ent law permits investments in the
bonds of only such roads as met all
their obligations and earned speci-
fed percentage for period of five
years. The amendment Is desired by
companies which have not been in ex-
istence the length OF time specified and
which have in hand new projects
which they can the more readily float
if the restriction is removed. The