The Detroit times., 1911-02-25
LUATI0G OF
PUBLIC UTILITIES
y Commission Asks Legislature
Yor Authority To Get It--osborn
Il Not Opposed.


oonse the legislative resolution re
@l1csting the tax commission to sub
mit Its report and recommendation
ar legislation on taxation matters, Q
nonmunication setting forth the com
missioners' ideas and Incorporating
<keir report, WAS submitted TO the
|oSislature yesterday. The commits
Lon In It's recommendations failed tc
come out fiat footed for the tax re
/rrm ideas OF Gov. Osborn. but IL die
not enter objections. IL merely stood
Cor q retention OF the advalorem sys
Inn OF taxation. IL also asked thai
A he power TO initiate. examine, re
view and reassess be clearly defined
and that the commission be author
f. Ized TO employ assistants necessary To
secure cash valuation Of mining and
other properties.
It's most striking recommendation
Was the suggestion that il be given
authority to determine the valuation
az public utilities, including street
f railway companies. gas companies and
olectric lighting and power companies,
the assessment thus made TO be tenta'
@ tive and advisory and presented to
n A6@(5ciuk
< ance. This provision IL incorporated
a y bill is pretty sure to raise villa
protests from every public utility com
Dany In the state. The communica-
. tion also asks that the law be amend
ID 90 that personal property shall be
clearly brought within the jurisdic-
ton OF the commission.
Before the report was brought in,
the house had passed the Lord bill In
Screasing the powers OF the tax COM
mission in many of the particulars
h mentioned. The bill was opposed by
(. rep. Dusenbury, who objected to the
commission being given unlimited au-
|fhority to hire experts, when neces-
oory to get at valuations OF special
|pr0perty, such as mines.
The house also passed Rep. Austin's
4 hil for the employment OF convicts on
county road work; Rep. Copley's regu-
hating maternity hospitals; Rep. Nor
Gnn's, allowing prosecuting attorneys
+ ~ al counties 90 employ assistants,
4 hut making no provision for their re-
Enumeration: and two bills from the
3 senate. One was by Senator James,
obolishing the office Of commissioner
ii of mineral statistics, and the other by
Il 8enator Kline, relative to holidays IN
. pub1ic schools. This provides that
E 6chool sessions shall be held on Lin
coins birthday, Washington's birth
/: 6ay and Columbus day, but that COM
memorative exercises shall be held In
4 the schools.
Among bills reported out by the
s house COMMITTEES on health. yesterday.
Vas one which will have rather d.
+ rect effect on the traffic In morphine
and kindred drugs as at Jackson,
where much Of the stun has been
<omuggled into the prison. The law
hitherto has made seller and purchas-
4 a. equally liable, and thereby prose-
F cutions have been INSTRUCTED, wit
+ nosses refusing to incriminate them
selves. The bill reported out cuts
out the penalty on the purchaser
Senator Foster and Rep. knight
have each q bill to reorganize the
4 public domain commission. Fosters
+ provides for On immigration and col
E onixatiop department as suggested by
& the governor. The knight bill gives
z the commission control not only of
lands, forests and streams, but also
dives II supervision over the land
commissioner. II also provides Tor
m immigration department for the
y purpose of inducing settlers to occupy
& ofate lands. Under this bill, the com
miseion would consist of the land
commissioner, the auditor-general,
. regent of the university, member of
the state board of education, and a
member of the board of control OF the
F mining school at Houghton. II is
authorized to appoint chief trespass
3 agent, q supervisor of forests. and to
take over the present game, fish and
3 IRE warden's departments.
Rep. Martz and Senator Cartier
each came through with bill yester-
\ day to permit prize fighting in Michi-
gan The Martz bill provides for six
round bouts, and the Cartier bill FOR
Nights under the auspices of clubs hav-
Ing capital of $4,000. Gov. Osborn
y has expressed his disapproval of box.
Ing except by amateurs.
q One OF the first budgets was re-
ported out yesterday by the commit.
tee on soldiers home The original
bill asked for $201,250 a year for cur
rent expenses and $4,000 for a dor
mftory. The dormitory was cut out
Z and the current expense allowance
cnt to 5000, 900 year.
Senator King introduced a bill to
authorize breweries to be operated in
dry counties IL the product is sealed
up and shipped outside.
Christian scientists and chiroprac-
tors are up in arms over an alleged
5oker tucked away In the last section
Of the Reynolds bill amending the
law relative to licensing and register.
ing physicians and surgeons. The
Daragraph reads:
provided, that this Interpretation
of the practice of medicine shall not
apply to persons who confine their
= ministrations to the sick and afflicted
Tor disabled TO prayer and without the
addition Of material remedies and
without professional fees"
There will be public hearing be
lore the committee on the evening OF
March z, and big delegation Of prac
tioners OF both cults will undoubtedly
~ present.
Rev. Caroline Bartlett Crane spoke
before the senate yesterday in behalf
@ the Putney bill for sanitary schoo
ho1ses- The bill provides not les:
than 16 feet Of floor space and a fresE
ofr supply OF not less than 30 cubic
feet . minute for each pupil. Il also
rrovides for the location OF window,
- - to give proper lighting. Mrs
Crane said that the bill was all right
but that u did not go far enough, and