The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-05-07
AGE.
ant VI Business Is
<Ns@sed Of.
EAATE WORKS At NIGHT.

luse Holds Session on Saturday and
Monday, Something That Has Not
T eseh Done For Years-Appropriation
Bills Do Not Require Much Time For
Consideration, Owing to the Careful
Work Of the Finance Committees Of
the Two Houses.
Lansing, Mich, May 4.-Both houses
or the legislature had their skates on
last week. and they kept up a very
lively pace, the result being that q
large amount of work was disposed of.
The senate held three night sessions
and concluded that it could forego
holding session later than Thursday
evening. The house members, how
ever, labored all day Friday and held
sessions on Saturday and again on
Monday OF this week. This is some
thing that has not been done before in
vmany, many moons. All hands are de-
siroHs OF bringing the session to an
end at the earliest possible moment.
May Is is now the date aimed at
If adjournment is reached at that
time no bills introduced after last Sat-
urday can be considered, and passed
unless the rules be suspended, the
i've day limit which prevails in each
house preventing their being reached
in the regular course of business. In
asmuch, however, as somewhat more
than 500 bills have been introduced
since the legislators convened in Janu-
Z airy, the chances are that all needed
matters have already been taken care
Z OF in bills now on the calendar
Finance Committees Work.
The finance committees of the two
houses have done their work so care
FULLY this year that the appropriation
bills which are now making their ap-
pearance do not require much time for
!, consideration. Every item in each bill
has been assayed and tested, and pro-
Vision has been made by the commit
4tee for absolute necessities only. This
being in accordance with the ideas Of
all the members Of both houses, there
SIS little occasion for argument when
these appropriation bills come up for
i action. They are being passed for the
'l1nost part just as recommended by the
n committees.
l4l The house has made, progress in the
\ reconsideration of the mortgage tax
z 6uestion Several bills embodying diff
\ ferent plans were considered, and the
committee of the whole finally agreed
to the Giles bill, which provides an
annual tax of one-seventh of one per
cent, the rate to be uniform through
out the state. A motion to amend by
making the tax one per cent, payable
at the time of recording the mortgage
only, was defeated by tie vote-46
te as:
Home Rule Legislation.
4 Substantial progress was made dur
y ing the week in the direction Of shap-
Z ing up the home rule legislation, which
has been the topic of much discussion
in Michigan for several years The SEN
ate completed its consideration of the
billFaported by the senate committee
, on cityNNorporations, this bill repre-
senting many long hours of labor on
the part of the committee, and passed
/ It without dissenting vote. Previous
e. its passage two amendments were
Role to the draft agreed to in COM
w tee of the whole and explained by
M Hast week. These amendments in
sed from to 10 per cent the bond
limit of municipalities, provision
IA made whereby any municipality
r-z&SF'by vote provide lower limit, and
efhanging from one for each 1000 Of
population to one for each 1000 the
representation OF cities on county
boards of supervision.
II In the house an attempt was made
4 to amend the house bill on this subject
as to deprive cities of the right to
acquire street railway and heating
lprpperties. 1t will be recalled that the
new constitution contains a provision
( making it possible for cities to own
= these properties, subject possibly to
. legislative action. The proposed amend
ment seems to have had its origin in
SHINY attended meeting Of the Legis-
lative Farmers club and the amend
ment TO the bill was offered by a
member of that organization.
Amendment Defeated.
The amendment was somewhat heat
edly discussed for several hours, but
the amendment was finally defeated
by a very decisive vote. Those who
|. have given the subject very careful
b6pdy express themselves as well salts
fed with both bills. The differences
bceween them. they declare, are of
minor Importance and can readily be
7ironed out by the conference commit
tee, to whom the measures will doubt
. less be referred. A deadlock between
the two houses because OF the passage
by each of its own measure is not
looked for. This is one of the big
4 measures before the present legisla-
ture, and its disposition clears the
decks for the effective treatment Of
the numerous other pending measures.
Senator futile served Ingram coun-
~ very effectually as prosecuting at
tOrney for several years. During this
time he had much to do with the