The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-05-11
Municipal Ownership.

Advocates or the municipal owner
ship OF street railways are urging thar
the new constitution contain provision
for such ownership and operation.
mis- demand Is due 10 the action OF
the supreme court. or rather OF ma
jority OF that body. last week In de-
Gliding that under the present constitu.
| ton n municipality cannot construct
street railway tracks and lease them
20 an operating company. This docls-
ION is based on the constitutional pro-
vision that municipalities may not en-.
gage In works OF internal improve
ment.
Speaking OF supreme court decisions
reminds me that this court made an
other decision OF much interest To
Michigan people last week. This IL n
decision which QysgEglss the demurrer
OF the state and permits the Michigan
Central Railway company 20 bring suit
in the Wayne circuit court Y TecQyek
damages from the state because OF the
repeal OF It's special charter several
years ago. There Is many a slip 'twixt
the cup and the lip. however. so the
simple fact that the company may sue
does not portend a verdict against the
state. The revenues OF the company
having increased since the repeal law
was enacted, II Is surmised that the
company will not find IL easy 10 con.
vince jury that IL has sustained any
damage on that score.
Uniform Divorce Laws.
In view or the fact that n bill which
seeks 10 establish uniformity In d.
vorce laws or the several states Is
pending In the legislature, IL may be
interesting 10 note that compilation
Of divorce statistics for Michigan for
1906 Just completed by Secretary or
State Prescott shows that there were
$50 more divorce DEGREES granted IN
this state last year than during the
year previous. the total number being
$3.50. This Is the greatest number re-
turned for any year since the present
law was enacted ten years ago. IL IL
equal 20 one divorce for each eight
marriages solemnized, or 205 persons
divorced per 1000 population. Secre-
tary Prescott remarks that this is a
striking commentary on the condition
OF social life In this state, and espe-
cially on the viciousness and hard.
heartedness which must characterize
large proportion OF the population
when we consider that nearly 30 per
cent or these cases involve, for the
purpose or making an official court
record AZ least. the charge OF extreme
cruelty" DEGREES were refused by
the courts In only 80 cases, while in
800 cases bills OF complaint We're with
drawn.
Local Option Put 10 Sleep.
/ Although. as remarked last week
there is marked tendency toward
legislation restricting the liquor traffic
In localities throughout the state there
Is not likely 10 be any general legs.
lntion In this regard, the senate hay
ing, during the past week, apparently
put to sleep the Iugers local option
bill. which provided that the electors
OF political divisions might decide
whether or not liquors should be sold
within such divisions. The bill did not
come up FOR consideration, bur an at.
tempt TO have the committee In whose
very careful keeping II has been Tor
number OF weeks report Il out failed
II n expected that nothing more Will
he heard from the bill this session.
Bin Exempting Credits
This afternoon the house viii wres
tie with the Davis bin which exempts
all credits from taxation. This bill
has been extensively discussed IN a
general way ever since the legislature
convened In January. the newspapers
] fs4I az.
tentlon 10 H. Former Stnte Tax Com.
missioners Dust aud Mclaughlin, the
former now member Of the state leg
lslature and the latter 4 member OF
congress. are very much In favor or
the measure. while Governor Warner
Is as strenuously opposed to It's pass.
age Real estate men. especially In
the larger cities In the state have APP
reared before the legislative commit
tees In advocacy or the bill. Those
who favor the bill contend that the
present law results IN double taxation
and the Withholding OF money from
this class OF Investments by citizens
OF Michigan. while non.residents can
send their money In here for invest
ment in real estate mortgages without
|
cannot be reached. The governor, on
the other hand, argues that the pass.
age OF the bill will remove az least
SEQ 100000 from the assessment rolls
and thus materially increase the rate
OF taxation on other property.
Anti Cigarette BIN.
The house has on It's general order,
hacked by n favorable report from its
committee on state affairs. the Dick
lnson bill. which positively prohibits
the sale or giving away OF cigarettes
IN Michigan. Under this bill cigarettes
may be brought into this state only In
original packages and then sold only
TO the person who imports them. Rep
resentative Prosser OF Genesee also
has bill designed to protect tho
health and lives OF the young and ten.
der. This bill forbids the promiscu.