The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-02-13
.SOLONS DOWN TO
BUSINESS NOW
TWO-CENT FARE MEASURE FOR
U. p. LIKELY TO BECOME
LAW-LEGIsLATU
WORKING.

w. S. Ewing, representative from
the First district of Marquette coun-
~ is home for a short visit. He ex-
poets to return to Lansing this week.
While present Indications are that
the legislature VIII have a long ses-
sion. Mr.. Ewing believes that the at
mosphere at the capitol is clearing
away and that business will proceed
with greater dispatch than has been
the case thus far. In his opinion, the
Legislature is made up of pretty good
fellows at heart, who are not dispos-
ed To be hostile to either the governor
or Speaker Baker, but that the slaps
administered to the two officials were
intended to show that the legislature
has certain prerogatives that they in
tend to maintain. AS he expresses II,
"a good deal of the stuff that hae been
played up i'm the newspapers has been
largely a game of bluff
Mr.. Ewing states that the Mar
quctte Normal appropriation bill,
which carries $15O,OOO for a new
building Is no farther along than 1t
was at the beginning, and that ii is
impossible to predict whether or not
IL will go through The trouble over
house committees has delayed action
on this bill, and the latest develop
ment has resulted in the intended APP
pontment of a separate committee
for each OF the state normal schools.
The members of these various COM
mittees have not yet been appointed.
Tonnage Tax Will Be Rejected.
Interest the past week has been
centered in the tonnage tax bill, but
the general opinion at Lansing is that
the bill will not pass either house. AS
the result Of the arguments made
against the bill by upper peninsula
men last week, some of those who
formerly favored the bill are now
against it, though some of them may
vote for il because of prediction
pledges to their constituents. How
ever, Mr. Ewing is quite confident thai
the tonnage tax bill will never reach
the governor
"A bill introduced by Representative
Holland, of Bessemer. providing for {
tax on reserved mineral rights was
reported out just before Mr.. Ewing
started for home. AS originally drawn
the bill applies only to iron and cop
per, but an amendment has been pro
posed which includes salt, COAL gyp
4 90 x,rt,f fc t.
make the application of the measure
state wide, rather than Discrimination!
against the upper peninsula.
Two-C Fare Likely.
That the two-cent fare bill as ap
plying to upper peninsula railroads
will pass is the concensus of opinion
at Lansing. The down state mer
generally take the view that mas
much as they already have two-cen
fare and a number of upper peninsu
la legislators want it in their districts
they ought to be disposed to hell
rather than oppose the measure.
During the past week. ii became
known that the two-cent fare bills al
| TtduN uidNn NOuiu apply Ohlg w YIN
South Shore railroad. and would no
abridge the right of the Northwestern
st. Paul and 500 Lines to charge
three cents n mile. 1t seems that II
computing it's per mile earnings, tho
South Shore does not include IL:
switches and branch lines. while the
other roads mentioned do count IN
their auxiliary tracks. BY this diff
| ference in computation all but the
| South Shore would show earnings o.
less thanu $1,000 per mile and ac'
cordingly would not come under the
two-cent fare law.
However, an amendment has since
been prepared which will provide thai
i'm computing earnings, all tracks
must be included over which one OF
more passenger trains a day operate
This amendment would make two
cent fare apply to all four of the up
per peninsula roads, and i'm that form
II is likely to become n law.