The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-04-05

that time. There is much speculation
as to whether majority of the sem
aiors stand by the report of the ma
lority of the railroad committee. If It
does, there Is little doubt from pres
ent indie? tons that the house viii
amend the bill by striking out the two
and one-half cent provision and re-
turn the bill to the senate for further
action by that body. A majority or
tie members of the lower house ap-
pear TO favor the two and three cent
provisions advocated by Governor
| Warner. 1t is not unlikely that there
Will be some shrewd figuring by both
81 les before this important matter Is
finally disposed Of.
Short Legislative Week.
Owing to the fact that yesterday
was election day and all good citizens
remained at home TO vote there will
be no session OF the legislature until
late this evening. This is twenty-four
hours later than ordinarily, so this
week will be Il short one In legislative
lirclcs. 1t is possible that the ways
and means committee of the house
may find time TO conclude its consid-
Grafton of the bill providing for the
establishment of binder Irvine plant
In the state prison at Jackson. This
bill was favorably reported by the
prison committee last week. and, be-
ing an appropriation BILL was sent TO
the ways aid means committee under
the rules. There is strong probability
that the plant will be established. This
will open up new field for the agri-
culturist of certain sections of Michi-
gan. Senator Il. w. jerks, of the twen-
tieth district, comprising the counties
Of Huron and Sanilac, reports that
last season $50 carloads of fax was
shipped from his district to the Irvine
plants of Minnesota.
| Amendments to Primary Law.
April 18th will be primary election
field day in the lower branch of the
legislature. On that day the house
will consider as a special order the
Dickinson primary election bill which
proposes several important amend
ments to the present primary law. The
author of the bill met with defeat in
the elections committee, which. by
vote of six to four, amended the bill
as introduced. The provision for the
nomination of candidates for United
States senator by direct vote was
| eliminated. as We're provisions reduc-
| ing the number of votes necessary to
be secured by the successful candidate
| 70
| Of the votes cast at the primary.
| Chairman Dickinson also made an I'M
| successful effort to reduce from 20 to
| 10 per cent the number of voters nee
essary to secure the submission of the
| question of adopting the primary sys-
| tenn in specified juridictions. Only
| three Of the ten members of the com
mittee were in favor of extending the
| provisions of the bill so as to require
| that candidates for all state offices be
| nominated by direct vote instead of
having this provision cover only gov
crnor and lieutenant governor as at
| present. Chairman Dickinson is not
cast down by the action Of the com
mittee. but is hopeful that some of
the eliminated provisions will be re-
stored by the house when the matter
| is fought out on the floor. IT is claimed
that a majority Of the elections com.
mittce Of the senate favor the nclu-
| sion OF candidates for United States
senator.
Oil Inspection.
| Speaker Pro Ten Ward has secured
/ a.. SSuOn nv tho bonsp nf hill do
| signed to make managers of oil com.
panies more amenable to the provis.
ions of the Michigan statutes govern
] ing the inspection Of illuminating oils.
| Under the law as it now stands an
inspection cannot be made unless the
agent of the oil company Is present,
and il is claimed that it not mfr.
| quently happens that the state inspect
ors are required to await the CON
| venience of the agents The proposed
amendment en- overs the Inspector tn
enter storage house at any time.
whether tho agent is there or not. and
inspect any oil he may find there that
has not been Inspected 1t provides
n penalty for taking oil from the pack.
age in which it enters the state until
| after 1t has been officially Inspected.
Inheritance Tax Law.
The inheritance tax law OF Mich.
gan, which has brought large sum
| of money into the state treasury since
| it's enactment several years ago. has
lcCn given by the supreme court IN
| Interpretation which will make it
still more effective revenue producer.
The opinion in question was rendered
ia connection with the case OF the cs-
| tate of Henry w. Merriam. who. ut
| the time Of his death ut his home in
New Jersey. was possessed of Il prom
issory note for $4,000 SccUrol Ivy 4
| mortgage on real estate located in De.
trhit, Mich. Auditor General Bradley
took the position that the transfer was
subject to the Michigan Inheritance
tax and made demand for the payment
Of this tax. He was beaten In the
lower court and appealed. the case to
the supreme court. The lower court
held that the light OF the heirs to the
note and mortgage rests on the laws