Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-01-14

separates the service OF the state into
two principal divisions, the classified
and unclassified service. The first
named is not subject TO the commits
sion and the classified service is di-
vided into five different groups as fol-
lows:
The exempt class, no competitive
class, competitive class, legislative
employees and labor class.
Most of the legislative employees
are placed In the competitive class.
The bill will probably open up a
discussion that will take up consider
able time and no vital action on 1t
may result at the present session.
Senator MacKav introduced also a
bill which provides for changes in
the Office OF superintendent OF public
instruction. II provides salary or
$4,000 year for the superintendent,
$4,000 for an assistant and $4,000 for
a superintendent of rural schools. the
department 10 have supervision OF
all educational institutions in the
state. including the University OF
Michigan and state normal schools.
This bill. which some refer TO as
"Supt. Wright's bill" wipes out all
district school boards throughout the
state and creates a single township
board TO control all schools in the
township. Wright points out that
there is one district in the state with
a school board and not single pupil
or child of school age, while several
other districts have two, three or
five children only.
New Rules.
The senate adopted tho rules OF
the last session for temporary use,
but when Senator Collins offered a
resolution that a committee OF three
be appointed 10 draft new rules Sen
ator Wetmore thought IL was loaded
and had the resolution tabled
The house committee on rules rec
commended an increase of membership
of the important committee on CITY
corporations from five to nine and
several new rules for facilitating bust
ness were reported. among them re-
curing all bills 10 be typewriter or
printed and also requiring forty
eight hour notice to be given the
introducer of q bill when a resolution
TO take the same from n committee
is to be made. Formerly such action
required two-thirds vote, but under
the new constitution a majority OF
the members-elect is sufficient.
Both houses adjourned till Monday
evening. There was no effort 10 do
business after the message had been
read, although MacKay, in the senate,
and Edwards. in the house, intro
duced resolutions which were adopted
congratulating Secretary of the Navy
Newberry on his appointment and fe-
licitating the president on the selec-
ton.
Note and Comment.
The first appearance of lobby work
in the present session came from
the railroads who want a law that
will enable them to collect ten cents
additional fare from passengers who
do not purchase tickets. Strange as
this may seem delegation of passen-
ger conductors came and appeared TO
be anxious for the measure which
would seem to have for its purpose
a check on the honesty of the conduc
tor. Ohio has he law at present and
the supreme court of that state has
Just declared il constitutional.
The new constitution has caused an
innovation in the introduction of bills
as it permits bills to be introduced
any time during the session instead
OF fixing limit of time for that
purpose This does away with the old
time custom of n member giving no.
tice that at n future date he would
introduce a bill for a certain purpose
which the notice would express.
The hardest thing for members to-
realize Is that there Is to be no more
local bills passed at Lansing. Here
tofore the upstate member has made
himself solid at home by getting
through some measure especially for
the benefit Of his own constituents
but now there will be one complete
enabling act under which all local
legislation will be submitted TO vote
of the people. This will. ii is be-
lieved. greatly lessen the work OF
legislation and while the present ses-
sion may he somewhat protracted by
the labor of framing the new general
laws necessary. it is believed that in
future no session need last more
than 60 days.
A sensation Of statewide scope was
sprung in the cloak rooms of both
houses by the EXPOSE of the fact that
nearly all the gigantic water ways
OF the state had been quietly gobbled
up by big companies who had prac-
tically succeeded in tieing I'D the big
rivers so that not only the land own
ers along the rivers We're at their
mercy from damage bv floods from
the big dams, but that the large manu-
featuring concerns would in case of
merger. which was probable. might
be held up to the point Of ruin. and
future DEVELOPMENT in the way of in
dustries would be paralyzed. Repro
sentative Curtiss at once introduced
resolution in the house calling for
q committee to investigate the stu
alton and report at the earliest posi-.
BILE date. II is understood that bill
will be prepared to deal with the
matter If II is not too late. The
state OF Illinois. II appears is now en-
gagged at cost OF millions in buying
back the water ways of it's rivers
which were gobbled up before 1t was