The Yale expositor., 1911-01-26
THE THINGS DONE
AT STATE CAPITOL
EMPLOYEES IN THE SENATE NUM-
Der FlFTY-slx, WHO SERVE
THlRTY-ONE SENATORS.
THE STATE FAIR COMES IN FOR
SOME CONSIDERATION AS TO
WHO SHOULD RUN 1T.
Social Events and other Things of
Note at the Capital of the State.
(By Toby Candor.)

Gov. Osborn once more cracked the
whip around the ears of the senate
when he sent in special message
protesting against the large number
of employees the senators have. With
but 81 senator's in their seats, they
have employed Sc men and women to
work for them. This the governor de-
clares is too many, and urges that
the force be cut down to not to ex-
coed 26. The message and its recon-
mendations was referred TO the COM
mittee on state affairs, of which Sena-
tor Kline is chairman. The dispo-
sition Of the senators is not to make
any cut in the employees since each of
them has brought down one or two
men or girls in payment of political
debts
Senator Frank ID. Scott, Of Alpena,
does not believe in the large number
of employees, and furthermore does
not believe in boys under the school
age working in the senate Several
OF the pages in the senate are but 10
or II years old, and under the state
law should be in school. Senator
Scott holds that If the laws are TO
be observed anywhere it should be
In the body which makes them.
Therefore he has asked that all these
young pages be dismissed. One of
them is the son OF Senator Collins, of
Bay. The resolution was referred to
the committee on state affairs.
Senator Cartier, of Ludington, sup
plemented Senator SCOTS resolution
with one providing that the pages in
the senate be secured from the Indus
trial School for Boys, situated at Ian
sing. 1t is his argument that these
boys would be under better discipline
and receive advantages of good edu-
cation by being employed in the SEN
ate chamber. His resolution went to
the committee on state affairs also.
Senator Moriarty, commonly called
Merciful Mike, offers an interesting
explanation to the governor for the
necessity of the number of employees
| around the senate. Asked by the gov
ernor why so many were needed,
Mike responded: When the base
ball season opens we must have some
body to make quorum in the SEN
ate"
But" says the governor, you
would not as manager of a saw mill
keep so many employees sticking
around idly"
II wouldn't run saw mill on a
political basis, responded Mike.
Senator Scott, of Alpena, is not sat
isfied that the Michigan State Fair
! is being run in the interests of the
| people of the state. He declares the
state has been appropriating $4,000
year for this institution. which is
| hxy Tn
| their interests only, while the agri-
! cultural interests receive no benefit.
! Therefore he asks that committee
! be appointed to investigate the fair
with a view to having it run by the
state. In this connection \the West
| Michigan State Fair also receives
! $4,000 a year from the state, and
! Saginaw is now ready TO ask an APP
preparation for fair it is intended
starting there. Thus it is more than
likely with all three cities pulling
for appropriations, and the trading
that will be done, nothing will come
of SCOTS investigation.
The junket proposition is still in
! the air The house has gone on record
against it or anything that looks like
an evasion of the action. Any resolu-
tons providing for investigation by
committees is promptly declared out of
order by Speaker Baker. The house
| stands for a commission to make the
Investigations The senate has a diff
ferent plan. A resolution by Senator
White, of Berrien, provides that the
members of the finance and appro-
priation committee of the senate and
| of the ways and means committee of
| the house shall make the investiga-
tons To this the house will not
agree, so at present there is no out
look for any sort of visitation upon
! the state institutions
Mrs. Huntley Russell and Mrs. Fred
Rowe. of Grand Rapids, are the only
lobbyists working in good style thus
| far this session. These two women
are ardent suffragettes, and have
! been busy on the floor of the house
and senate in the interests of the bill
introduced in the house by Rep. ID.
| A. Green, of Pontiac, and in the SEN
ate by Senator Mapes, of Grand Rap
Ids. The bills have been reported
out with a favorable recommendation
in the house, and Is now up to the
committee of the whole for passage.
In many cities water companies,
electric light companies and gas COM
panies have truoble due to persons
tapping their pipes and wires. Rep.
Yaple, of Kalamazoo, where they have
had lot Of such trouble, has intro
duced bill in the house making such
work a felony.
Rep. Ogg, OF Wayne. insists on a
thorough investigation of the various
state institutions for punishment, cor
receive or curative purposes as to
their methods of punishment for
breaches of discipline. He has intro
duced bill prohibiting corporal pun
ishment in all such institutions, and
cites many instances that have come
to his notice OF what he calls bru-
tally.
Rep. Yaple, OF Kalamazoo, has in
troduced a bill In the house 10 com
| mol rof1rnaIc n rorrv hohv oahc