The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-11-28
MANYN EW LAWS
TO BE PROPOSED
MUCH LEGISLATION OF UNUSUAL
IMPORTANCE PLANNED FOR
THE NEXT STATE LEG
ISlATURE.

Aiicduy tncfe Is good deal OF tdlk
locally concerning the legislation that
Is likely to be enacted or at least
brought before the next legislature,
which convenes in January Those
who have been following the situation
closely state that, in their opinion, the
session will be an important one, as IL
Is almost certain that a number of
matters of unusual interest and i'm
portance will come up for discussion.
During the campaign there was much
progressive" and "insurgent" talks,
as applied to state politics. 1t is stated
that the so-called progressives will be
i'm the majority i'm the legislature
which means that many of Governor
elect Osborn's policies are likely To be-
come laws.
The Detroit members of the legisla-
ture, who when they stick together are
one of the big factors in shaping leg
islatiOn, are reported to be solidly be-
hind Mr.. Osborn and believe that they
now have an opportunity to accomplish
something worth while such as has not
presented itself i'm years. Several up
per peninsula members have already
come out with proposed bills, which
they expect to introduce at the COM
ing session. One of these would force
the upper peninsula railroads to a
two-cent fare basis, the same as is APP
piled to the roads south of the straits
While no definite program has been
mapped out as the prospective legisla.
ton. bills are now in process of con-
struction on a score Of matters, and IT
is safe to say that nearly every leg
islator will start to Lansing after the
holidays with a sheaf of bills designed
to better the present statutes. Taxa
ton is likely to be the most important
of all the subjects taken up. All can
didates. both in the primary and cleo
ton campaigns, have made the revi-
sion of the present system of taxation
an issue, and the PUBLIC expects that
out of so much smoke some fire will
result.
Little Fear of Tonnage Tax.
1t is probable that the old bugbear-
a tonnage tax on mines-will again bob
up, local politicians do not believe
that the upper peninsula need fear of
a tonnage tax bill passing, it being
stated investigation during the recent
campaign has convinced many lower
peninsula men of the injustice of such
bill, who formerly were in favor of
the tonnage system of mine taxation.
IL is more likely that an attempt will
be made to revamp the entire system of
taxation, not only as applied to mines
but to every other industry and inter-
est. Ample evidence has been forth
coming the past few months to show
that the farms and factories of the
lower peninsula furnish numerous ex-
amples of unequal and unfair taxation.
An effort will be made to repeal the
mortgage tax law, it is said. Previous
legislatures have made attempts to re-
peal this law, all of which have proven
but advocates of it's re-
peal claim to be in a stronger posi-
ton now than they have ever been. A
fight is looked for on two laws passed
by the last-legislature. the nine-hour
for women and the law abolishing
contract labor i'm prisons. Interests OPP
posed to these laws are already in the
field fighting for their repeal.
Numerous defects have been found
in the primary law passed two years
ago, perhaps the chief of which is that
it is too complex and unwieldly. That
numerous amendments will be intro
duced is a foregone conclusion, and it
is to be hoped that they will result in
removing the discrepancies and inn
PROJECTIONS that now exist.