The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-15
ALL Serene AT
STATE CAPITAL
IL -. lie Starts on Career
Very Pleasantly.


Legislators at the Rate of SIS Per
Day for 100 Days-Another Bill Pro.
Vides for State Civil Service-Anti-
Saloon People Propose to Carry on
an Aggressive ampaign-Schantz
Would Analyze States Soil.
Lansing, Mich. Jan. 12.-The Forty
Fifth Michigan legislature started on
its career very pleasantly last week.
No jangles marred the opening ses.
sions. On the other hand the two
houses concurred in the adoption of
resolutions congratulating Truman H..
Newberry on his elevation to the sec.
retaryship of the navy, and felicitating
President James B. Angel, of the Uni
versity Of Michigan, on reaching the
eightieth milestone in life. The com.
mittees and employees were all ap.
pointed and all the machinery oiled
and put in condition for immediate
business. The work of the session
was entered upon in earnest last
evening.
Both houses made a good start in
the line of economy by cutting down
the number of employees. If this dis
position is adhered to throughout the
session, the expenditures and appropri-
atoms will be kept within reasonable
limits. Here's hoping.
First Bill Is for Salaries.
AS was expected the first bill to be
introduced was one prepared by the at.
torney general making provision for
the payment of the compensation of
members of the legislature. The new
constitution fixes this at $500 for
regular session, but is silent as to
the manner of its payment. The bill
introduced provides for payment at
the rate of So per day, installments to
be paid every ten days. This, it will
be seen, will cover 100 days, leaving
the soiuns to work for nothing and
find themselves if they prolong the
dictated.
Somewhat along the line advocated
by Governor Warner in his third an
augural message is a bill introduced
Thursday by Senator MacKay, of De-
troit. The measure proposes for
Michigan a civil service law very
much the came rs that enacted in Wis.
consin a few years ago. II is proposed
to create a state civil service. of three
members with a secretary who shall
receive a per diem Of SO for his serv-
ices. The classified service will be
made TO cover most legislative and
state department positions. The bill
is sure to arouse much discussion.
AS intimated last week the new con-
stitution fails to make any provision
for salary for the superintendent of
public instruction. A second bill Of
fered by Senator MacKay fixes this
salary at $4,000 per annum and gives
the superintendent general super
vision over all the educational inter.
salary of the deputy superintendent is
fixed at $4,000 per annum and that of
the superintendent of the rural school
at $4,000. BY the terms
of the bill the superintendent will be
required to reside in Lansing and give
his entire time to the work.
Anti-Saloon People Active.
1t is already very evident that one
OF the real interesting matters to re-
ceive attention this winter is the ques-
ton of dealing with the liquor traffic.
Spurred by their successes in other
states and the general wave of pro-
hibition that is spreading over the
country, the anti-saloon people are
very confident and propose an aggres-
sive campaign. The liquor interests
have likewise taken notice of the trend
of public sentiment and they will take
q stand for better conditions, opposing,
however, the extreme measures de.
sired by the opposition. 1t is rumored
that the presiding officers of the two
In framing up their committee on liq-
uor traffic for the reason that many
legislators whom il was proposed to
assign positions on these committees
begged off, while others positively re-
fused to serve.
In addition to strengthening It's grip
on the temperance legislation already
the opposition to the saloon
will endeavor to secure the enactment
Of laws fixing the township, instead of
the county as now, as the unit under
The local option law; prohibiting the
shipment of liquors into dry territory;
providing for the searching of places
where it is suspected contraband liq-
lor is stored and for the seizure Of
such liquor, and requiring all drug
gists to report all purchases as well |
as sales of liquor. OF the eighty-four |
counties in the state, eleven are now
Try. At the election to be held on the |
irst Monday in April next thirty more |
counties will vote on this Question, and |
he claim is made that at least TWEEN
y of them will go dry. The liquor |
iealers, particularly the wholesalers, |
propose to amend the law so as to ma |
erially increase the present retail tax |
md to limit the number of saloons In |
my community to one for each 500 in.
,abitants.
The Anti-Saloon league has estab- |
ished headquarters in Lansing and |
viii be constantly ION the job"
Bill to Analyze Soil.
Representative Schantz, OF Barry |
county. who is serving his third term
n -