The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-05-28
RESULTS OF
LEGISLATURE
fory-Fitth Left Nothing Of In
pOrtanCe UndOne.
USUAL RUSH At THE CLOSE.

Bill Most Important Passed During
Last Hours-Tax Budget Will Aggre-
gate $1o,340, ooo-Other Glasses of
Legislation Put Through Include
Public Health, Insurance, Banking,
Militia, Fish and Game.
So far as its regular session is con-
cerned the forty-fifth legislature Of
the state of Michigan is thing of the
past. Whether it will be convened in
special session before the expiration
of its warrant on Dec. 81, 1910, re-
mains to be seen. There is no pres
ent indication that this legislature will
ever again convene. Nothing of i'm
portance so general as to warrant the
governor in calling a special session
WIS left undone at the close of the
session which has just passed into
history. Neither we're any insistent
demands of the people ignored. For
this reason, therefore, it is an alto
gether safe gamble that unless some
now unforeseen emergency is encoun-
tered the statesmen who have just
turned their backs ON the state house
and returned to their respective homes
have finished their legislative tasks
unless their constituents see fit to re-
elect them in November, 1910.
It was the usual rush and hurry at
the close of the session. The end
was scheduled 70 be reached at high
noon. During the final hours, how
ever, the two houses scored disagree
ments which called for the appoint
ment of conference committees before
they were ironed out, so that it was
necessary to stop the clocks in the
legislative chambers. 1t was in reality
A O'clock in the afternoon, although
constructively IL o'clock noon, of We'd
nesday, when the gravels of the pre-
siding officers of the two houses final
ly fell.
The last day was saddened by the
death of Hon. Sheridan J. Colby,
memeber Of the house of representa-
tives from the city of Detroit, who
died that morning in Detroit hos
pital, whittier he was taken a month
ago. Mr.. Colby was forty-fve years Of
age and victim of tuberculosis. He
was serving his fifth consecutive term.
Throughout the entire legislative
career he was the consistent advocate
of the rights Of the people, being the
special champion of primary reform
legislation. He was far in advance Of
the times on this subject and during
the session just closed advocated much
more radical amendments to the exist
ing law than were finally made.
Death twice invaded representative
hall during the session, the first time
claiming Hon. NJ Livy Agens of Lud-
ington, third term member, who died
after several weeks illness.
! A coincidence generally remarked
upon in this connection is the fact
that the two dead representatives
were noted for their marked resemb-
lance to Abraham Lincoln, a distinc-
ton in which they took great pride.
Another incident which marred the
serenity of the session was the das-
tardly attack made by cocaine fiend
q fortnight ago on Representative w.
II. Schantz of Barry. Released from
Jail at Flint the previous day, and
frenzied because of his attempted ar
rest earlier in the evening, Jimmy
Duggan, young man with a bad GRIM
inal record, assailed Representative
Schantz, whom he had never before
seen, as the representative was going
to his room after an evening session
of the legislature, and viciously
slashed him several time across the
neck and lower part of the face with
a razor. Mr.. Schantz was viciously
cut, but marvelously escaped death,
his jugular vein being narrowly missed
by the razor He was well enough to
return to his seat in the house for the
closing hours of the session, and his
colleagues showed their sympathy and
regard by presenting him, with a hand
some purse to aid in defraying the
expenses incident to his frightful ex-
perience.
A number of unusually important
measures were passed during the clos
ing hours of the session. Probably
the most important of these was a re-
vision of the Flowers forestry bill.
This was done after it was generally
supposed that there would be no for
estry legislation this session. This
subject caused very lively, not to
say acrimonious, discussion through
out the session. The agitation COM
menced almost as soon as the legis-
iature convened, and it never let up
until the passage of this bill, just be-
fore the closing hour was reached.
As finally agreed to by the two
houses the bin creates a public do
main commission to be composed of
the auditor general, secretary Of state,
commissioner Of the state land. Office
one member of the board of regents
of the University of Michigan, one
member OF the state board OF agricul-
ture and one member of the board of
control of the Michigan College OF
Mines, these members to be selected
by the respective boards which they