The Detroit times., 1909-03-15
FULLER SAYS he IS
MIsREPRESEhTED
I'm TAX AFFAIR
AUpiToR-oENERAL HAD NO TIME
TO CHANGE cUsTom-cOPLeYs
TAX ASSESSMENT ELL sTlRs
LEGISLATORS.

LANSING. Mich MARCH, the
fieht over the bill bY Nep Massey OF
Baraga. viii be ia Is iu.l for q rev
days, but there is uo iet SAP me
bitter opposition py toe nnd acpArl'
ment and AdditOr leueral Fuller.
Fuller states that ac IS be.as gross
ly misTepresentea; t4at tlc ,~.urs mat
have crept III are nos his fault. re
adnnitNthere il no legal rs1t 90 hoio
state tax lands over 1--WE years. anu
that at the end OF that period they
should be turued over 90 the land
commissioner bat De found he GUS
tom in vogue and there had been no
time To change il before the presen,
y storm was raised. He throws back
y the challenge that there Is NO law
prohibiting the selling OF state tax
lands when held oyes FIVE years. az
least II there Is he don't know IT, and
tells the inquiring committee 20 show
Ii up.
The Maxey bin is still held up in
the senate committee. but il IS eX-
pected the fur viii hy AGAIN nex1
week.
4. Civil service refCrmers VIII not
down and as the hill by Senator Mapes,
OF Grand Rapids, was dumped into
rhe ash heap, there las been talk OF
another one and IL - expected that
Senator Watkins, Oi Manchester. viii
introduce il next week. u is freely
talked that Senators Dickinson Scot
and Barnaby switched" on the prom
ise OF political prclermeny and are
responsible for the deleat Of the
Mapes measure.
The bin By Rep Copey. OF Detroit
amending the law so amy taxpayer can
enter complaint 20 the state tax com
missioner that property subjected 20
taxation In any assessing district has
been omitted from the tax roll in
stead of combining ,he complaints 60
~Iesident taxpayers OF MS own district
only, has created quite a tempest
among legislators. The bill slid
through both houses without any one
4 realizing Its full force, as the old law
word for word, is repeated. except
stars appear where the words "resiG
ing in the assessment district are
omitted, which changes the law as
above quoted While Delegate Flani-
gan, OF the upper peninsula TO tho
'con-con' was here. his eye caught
This bill and he told the upper PENN.
bula members il would give the stale
(. tax commission power to review ani
add to property assessments any
Sbere and feared the upper peninsula
corporations would get IL in the neck
= tor by Interpretation il is held 10 re-
siye the old law, repealed last ses.
A sion. which gave the state tax commits
sion power to go into any assessing
district for review CT the assessment
rolls.
This power was abused by send
ing men or into different coUaties 90
, bulky the life out OF assessing officers
ard raised snch howl of Indignation
that the Law was repealed
The upper peninsula members
4 foamed and tore their hair IN frantic
efforts To ger the 5il back for slaugh-
ter. They tried TO recall it from the
governor, but by the time their re-
guest reached the executive Office, the
bill was signed and deposited with the
4 secretary OF state and apparently be-
yond reach. II Will not become law
until &c days after the session closes.
Governor Warner looks upon the bill
as In no way dangerous aud that n
will In no way upset assessments