The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-05-28

will represent. The forest reserve Is
quire title TO all state tax deeds
through deeds from the auditor gen.
eral. 1t is provided that when the
amount of state tax lands in any
county exceeds 500 acres the sale
must be held at the county seat OF
such county. The commission Is CIV
en- the option of selling either at the
state capitol or the county seat when
the amount is less than 500 acres. A
| radical change from the present sys-
TEN made by the bill is the provision
that the public domain commission
shall have a sort of general super
vision over the, state land Office and
erl's office and that the activities of
all fire wardens which have to do
with the suppression of forest fires
shall be subject to the direction of
the commission. BY the terms of the
new law the commission is directed
to make an immediate investigation
and determine just what lands are
subject to be decided to the auditor
general Upon requirement by the
state these lands are to at once pass
to the control of the commission,
which is required to appraise and sell
such of them as are available for agri-
cultural purposes. The balance are to
be set apart as forestry reserve. In
all deeds of homesteads it is required
that a specific number Of acres in
each forty acres conveyed shall be
set aside for forestry purposes. The
public domain act includes all lands
now owned by the state subject to
entry and all lands hereafter decided
to the state by the auditor general.
All mineral rights in lands sold by
the commission are to be reserved for
the use and benefit of the state.
Another eleventh hour bill was the
Champion w arner measure amending
the general liquor law. This bill
makes the law much more restrictive.
1t provides that there shall be no in
crease in the number of saloons in
places where the ratio is in excess Of
one for each 500 inhabitants and that
the ratio be reduced to that point as
retirements from business are made.
Municipalities are given the right to
reduce the ratio to one saloon for each
1000 inhabitants If they see fit to do
so. The general closing hour is fixed
at II o'clock p. M, with the right to
cities having a population IN excess
of 10000 to extend the time to mid
night. The latter is the limit, how
ever. Druggists are permitted to sell
Intoxicating liquors only on a physi-
clans prescription, and perpetual pre-
scriptions are strictly tabooed. Each
prescription as it is filed by the drug
gists must be stamped cancelled" and
at stated 'times all cancelled prescrip-
tons must be turned over to the pros
ecuting attorney of the county, with
the detailed report required by the
law.
A little mild sort of anti-cigarette
legislation was INDUCED IN the night
before all bets were declared off, the
house passing the Dickinson bill,
which prohibits any ingredient detri-
mental to the public health to be
mixed up in a cigarette manufactured
in Michigan. 1t may be remarked
that mighty few cigarettes are manu-
featured in this state. The sale of
cigarettes to minors is also prohib-
tied. 1t is not expected that the new
act will assay much in the way Of
reform.
The talent was surprised when the
graded salary, or near civil service, bill
was sent under the wire. Early in
the session the state civil service
league endeavored to create an agita-
tion in favor of a regular, true blue
civil service law to apply to state de-
partments. A number of eminently
respectable citizens of the state in
terested themselves in the matter, but
they did not succeed in making a
great deal of Roadway in the legisla-
ton. About the same time the grad
ed salary bill made it's appearance
and was passed by the house. For
the greater part of the session 1t
slumbered ina senate committee room
desk. Just when any such thing was
least expected this bill was reported
out by the senate committee and
passed. 1t provides that all general
salaries in state departments shall not
average more than $1,000 per annum,
start to be made at $500 and $1,000 be-
ing the limit that may be paid. This
does not affect higher salaries speci-
fically fixed by law.
Notwithstanding the strenuous eff
forts put forth by the finance commit
tees of the two houses and the tend
ency to economy on the part of the
legislators generally, the tax budget
for the years 1909 and 1910 will ag-
gregate $10,340,000 This is a little
higher than was figured earlier in the
week, the surprise coming when an
increase of $4,000 per year in the
appropriation for good roads was
made. 1t was supposed that this ap-
preparation would be $4,000 per year,
but the solons saw fit to increase 1t
to $4,000. Touching upon the mat
ter of appropriations Governor Warner
spoke as follows In special message
which he sent to the legislature just