The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-03-02

township or election precinct may at
any time petition the judge OF the cir
cult within which they reside for the
adjustment OF the sale OF liquor with
In the designated city. village or dis
trict
/ Provision Is made for giving OPP
ponents OF the proposition hearing.
but II, after such hearing. the court
orders the traffic abolished, his order
Is 10 stand for two years before peti-
lions for its abrogatIon can be enter
tained -
Convict Labor Problem.
Representative Turner, OF Muskegon
would solve the convict labor problem
by having IL handled by a board COM
posed OF the members OF the boards
OF control OF the several prisons OF the
state. His bill charges this Joint
board with the duty OF investigating
the indutrial conditions and installing
In the prisons such industries as seem
best under the circumstances. No
prison products are TO be disposed. OF
In the open markets In competition
with the products OF free labor, but
are TO be sold 10 various political
divisions OF the state and TO state In
stitutions. one-tenth OF the profit
from the work OF prisoners on good
| behavior Is 10 be devoted to the sup
port OF the families OF these prisoners,
or retained 10 be disposed OF by the
prisoner, by will or otherwise.
For some reason or other the prom
Ised widespread agitation In favor OF
the repeal OF the indeterminate SEN
tence law has not yet materialized.
During the greater part OF last year
this law was almost daily In the lime
light. its principal opponents being
various judges OF the circuit courts.
who contended that the trial judge
was better qualified than anyone else
to determine the length OF time n pris-
oner should serve in prison. While
there Is still opposition to the law
there Is nothing that can be called
general demand for its repeal and that
is certainly what was predicted by It's
| critics during recent months. AZ
joint meeting OF the several prison
boards held here last week this sub
4
the result being the Endorsement OF
the law IN It's present form. All OF the
prison wardens believe the law IL
working WELL although at least one of
them has radical ideas regarding the
personnel Of the pardon board and
thinks that n smaller board would pos
sibly do moro effective work.
4 81.
The members OF the prison boards
devoted much time TO the consideration
Of the convict labor proposition which
is now so prominently before the leg
islature and the people OF the state
! generally. II was the unanimous
sentiment that the present constitu-
tlonal prohibition OF the teaching OF
trades I'm Michigan prisons should be
removed. and Endorsement was given
n Joint resolution. now before the
senate, which seeks 10 make this
| change. This resolution provides that
the question be submitted TO the cleo
tors OF the state nc the approaching
general election IN April. Should the
| constitution be amended In this regard
the objections made by some 10 Gov
crnor Warmers plan OF establishing n
binder twlne plant in Jackson prison
would be removed. nc Is contcnded by
Attorney General Bird and others that
should such a plant be established and
the Irvine trust thereafter locate
similar plant IN Michigan, the prison
plant would have 10 be abandoned I'M
der the constitutional provision which
prohibits the manufacture by convicts
OF any commodity the principal supply
OF which for Michigan Is produced In
this state. Governor Warner does not
share this view. contending that the
prison plant can safely be established
under present conditions.
Would Change the Road Law.
II bill introduced by Senator
| whitney becomes law, a radical
change will be made In the road or
highway maintenance laws. The bill
proposes 70 do away with the statute
labor system whereby citizens are now
permitted 10 work out their road tax,
and substitute cash taxes. 10 Is pro-
posed TO spread n cash road repair tax
outside OF Incorporated villages. on the
question OF levying which tax none
can vote save those living In the dis
trict affected. the money raised TO be
expended solely on roads benefiting
tie property taxed. The proposition
also involves the levying OF highway
Improvement tax which II 10 spread
on all property in the township and
used for repairing roads and bridges
anywhere within the specific township
Another provision OF the bill does
away with the almost innumernble
pathmasters now provided for, and
substitutes therefor one township high
way commissioner and one deputy
commissioner for each township.
Mortgage Tax Question.
The old. old mortgage tax question
Will not down. IL has been threshed
over by every Michigan legislature for
the past twenty years az least and bids
fair 10 be live Issue during the pres
ent session. Representative Davis has
already introduced bill TO amend the
general tax law so as TO exempt real
estate mortgages from taxation, and II