The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-29
over the existing law.


ful candidates for governor and lieu
tenant governor TO receive 40 per cent
of the total vote cast, thus giving al,
nominations to the candidates receiv.
ing the highest number of votes re
| CARELESS of what percentage of the
total vote may be. IL extends the eX
isting law so as to include the nomina
ton of candidates for United States
senator, governor, lieutenant governor
congressman, legislature and county
Offices, and makes this provision
mandatory OH all parties in all poiti
cal divisions.
The question of adopting the pri
mary system for the nomination Ct
candidates for municipal Offices is tc
be submitted to all the electors of the
municipality, not to a party vote, and
if adopted IL becomes mandatory upon
all parties. All candidates for the leg
islature will be required to sign
statement to the effect that if elected
they will vote in the legislature for
that candidate for United States sena,
tor who receives the highest number
of votes at the primary of his political
party in the state as a whole regard.
less of their individual preferences.
Saving to Taxpayers.
In accordance with Governor Warn
er's recommendation as made in his
message, the first Monday of April is
made enrolment day, so that the ex
pense of conducting the regular cleo
ton on that day will also cover the
expense of enrolment, thus effectine
quite a saving to the taxpayers. By
way of accommodating the farmers
the primary election is fixed for the
second Tuesday of August, change
from the first Tuesday of September
In order to shorten the time consumed
in contests and recounts the bill pro
vides the aggrieved parties must ap
ply for relief to the circuit courts OF
the several counties instead of to the
state board of canvassers as under the
present law, and must make a showing
satisfactory to the court.
In this provision the bill is modelled
after the Illinois statute. Provision is
made for the election of state, district
and county committees, while candi-
dates for all state Offices below lieu.
tenant governor are to be made in
state convention, thus preserving the
party organizations. The Dickinson
bill has rival in the measure intro
duced some days ago by Senator Col.
Inns of Bay. The latter is much the
same as the former, although differing
from 1t in some particulars. It is sup
posed that the Dickinson bill will have
the active support of Governor
Warner.
Opposed by Commercial Travellers.
The commercial travellers of Michi-
gan who are members of the Michigan
Knights of the Grip are opposed to
the demand of railway passenger con-
ductors of the state for the enactment
OF a law permitting a charge of one
and onehalf fare to be exacted from
passengers who neglect to purchase
tickets and insist upon paying their
fare to the conductor. The conduc-
tors say that rs per cent of the pas.
sengers pay cash fares, many of them
boarding the trains in the hope that
they will be overlooked by the con.
ductors and thus get free rides.
1t is claimed that the collection of
these fares take too much of the con.
ductor's time which should be devoted
TO looking after the running of his
train. The travelling men in conven.
ton assembled here few DAYS ago
adopted strong resolutions against the
change desired by the conductors.
representative Ogg, or Wayne, has
introduced the administration bill pro.
viding for the regulation of stock
brokers. 1t places this business un.
der the supervision of the commission.
er OF banking and requires persons,
firms or corporations engaged therein
10 make quarterly reports and publish
q statement of assets and liabilities
quarterly in newspaper published in
the city or county in which the prin.
cipal office of the concern is located.
Civil Service League.
Ray Stannard Baker, the well
known magazine writer, has been
elected president of the Michigan
Civil Service league, which has an
executive committee composed of
prominent citizens of various sections
OF the state. The league proposes to
carry on vigorous campaign for the
establishment and maintenance of a
system of appointments, promotions
and removals in subordinate state OF.
fees similar to the federal system.
The plan embodies the examination of
all candidates for appointment to
ETC., and the selection of
the appointees from lists of eligibles
by the state civil service commission.
The officers of the new league hope to
persuade President Eliot of Harvard
university, recently chosen president
of the National Civil Service Reform
league, to come here and address the
legislature on this subject.
Fish War in Legislature.
The war between the independent
FISHERMEN of Michigan
and the fish trust has found it's way
into the legislature. the former having
Representative Agens. of Lud.
ington, to offer a bill embodying their
desires. This bill provides for a
closed season from Nov. Is to Dec.
Is and new regulations relative TO the
fish and trout spawning season, the