The Detroit times., 1909-05-17
HOUSE KILLS BILL
AIMED At FLATS
Link Avery and Attorney.General
Bird Defeated-Liberal Measure
Is Agreed 10 Later.
LANSING, Mich. May 1.-THE rep.

LANSING, Mich. May i5.-The rep.
resentatives OF the residents of the
ST Clair Flats are jubilanI today over
the defeat OF the bill 10 conhscate All
the Improvements that have oeen
made by the owners OF property az
the Little Venice OF America and
give IT into the hands OF the state.
The bill. which is said 10 have been
urged by Link Avery and Attorney
General Bird. was rejected In the
house by vote OF % 10 II. The
Weter bill. which provides that pres
ent occupants OF property al the Flats
who had possession previous To 1899
can secure deeds from the state. VAS
later passed by The house
There was a large amount OF lobby
ing done 10 secure the passage or the
bill. The attorney general worked
hard 10 send il through the house,
The arguments in favor or the Dill
were made by members or the Judi
ciary committee.
The telling arguments against the
"conffscation" bill were made by Reps.
Flowers and Miller. OF Detroit, Judge
Hecksrt. OF Van Buren,. and Rep. War
ner They contended that the resi-
dents OF the Flats had improved their
property under the impression that
they could secure valid title from
the state and that the Avery Dill was
nothing short of confiscatory. Rep.
! Warner made an able argument In
favor of the rights OF the property
owners at the Flats. The bill as
amended BIZ the house provides that
the present owners shall secure 80
year leases and that the rental may be
revised every ten years.
| Rep. Cranton. who fought the plan
10 give the Flats people their rights.
quoted much law in an efort 10 defeat
the legal points made by the opposi'
/ Ton He admitted that he was trying
I TO carry out the policy OF the attorney
general 1t was also learned that Link
Avery was at IA local hotel. The Bill
as amended goes D8CK 70 the senate
and II il is eoncurFed in Will soon be
up TO the governor for his approval.
The revised highway bill by Sena-
tor Fox, of Mayville. was passed on
third reading by the house yesterday
under suspension of the rules by i
vote OF 81 To 3 Rep. Whelan, of SnI-
awassee. moved TO amend the meas
ure SO il would contain an obligatory
provision affecting every 40-acre farm
in the state. The motion was carried
and the senate will have to iron out
the kinks.
The primary bill was reported 10
The house By the conference commit,
tee with the amendments previously
noted These were promptly concur
red in The rules were suspended and
the bill was passed on third reading
by a vote of - TO l. The senate is
expected TO pass the bill Monday
night.
The senate public domain bill. which
is with the house committee, Is said
by the members 10 be worse than the
original jury commission measure as
"A political machine builder The meas
ure Is likely To get rough usage before
IL passes the house.
Little business was done by the SEN
ate Yesterday Senators continued TO
be excused to go home until only -
were left The remaining solons fail
ed 10 get together on every PROPOSE
ton that was offered and the senate
finally adjourned till Monday. They
-s,-tst-tSeFa- te-the- house that the sen
ate has adjourned, you can do as you
please
The senate killed the bill by Rep.
Bierd OF Bay. for appeals from the
action OF boards of supervisors on
property assessments. The Bolt
that aims 10 muzzle the press is
dead" for this session.