The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1911-10-21

Il bill has oeen introduced and referred
to committee which il was certain
would never report ID out. Last SEES
sion il was different Representatives
McNaughton. of Kent, president OF
the Farmers club. introduced the ton.
mage tax bill With Herbert r Bak-
or. also a farmer, in the speaker )
chair, the bill was sent to committee
from which it was certain il would
come cut. IL came out and the farmer
vote was cast solidly tor it, with the
result that il passed the house and was
not killed until the senate got its fangs
in it. But even in the senate big
vote was cast for the hill until the
farmers next session the bill would be
passed
The same action was true with re
ference to the initiative. referendum
and recall, to which the state grange
stands committed Representative
Woodwork OF Huron introduced bill
providing for the first two reforms and
Representative Dunn OF Sanilac pro-
vided tor the recall. The Farmers
club got busy aud rounded mp every
available vote But in this the far
niers were well seconded by the city
members. ard particularly by the al
ministration, which stands for the
same principles The measures all
passed the house with big majority.
only to fall by the wayside in the sen
ate by small margin
An instance OF where the farmers
united TO kill measure and did Kill
il was when the game legislation came
up. This bill passed the senate pro-
viding for gun license by which
every person who went hunting must
purchase license at the county seat
/ The Farmers club took M the club in
this instance ii declared snch an act
would result IN hardship upon the far.
mer boy who now enjoys the privilege
Of taking his gun out into the wood
lot and picking off partridge or a
duck occasionally Tie result was an
united front against the bill and the
farmers boy won out when the farmer
members Of the Legislature voted solid
~ against the act
These are not isolated instances by
any manner OF means IL was the
general custom The farmers stood
! together and fought shoulder to shout
der and the farmer vote was the one
vote that had most 10 be reckoned with
II was this vote which put the quietus
upon the bill making the city, village
and township the unit a local option
rather than the county. The opposi-
ton to this act on the part of the far
mers was so strong that the bill never
came from the committee.
The farmers fight good and plenty
in the meetings of the state grange.
but when il comes TO the final show
down on the floor of the legislature the
platform Of the grange is the platform
upon which every member from the
rural districts stands and in most in
stances IL is only necessary to count mp
the number Of farmers ON the floor 10
tell inst how many votes for or against
bill will be finally counted
The city members lack this unity
OF purpose. Snould they ever line up
in the same united manner that the
farmers do, the legislature would see
one Of the biggest and piettiest fights
ever pulled OF and the net result would
probably be- 10 nothing Legislature.
II usually happens thar the house has
u preponderance OF farmers while the
senate leans c.tyward 50 the conflict
conld result in nothing else than dead
lock
ION matters Of taxation the farmer
Il always 10 the fore and usually wins
out. ON the board of supervisors he
sees 30 IL that the city phys the hulk
Of the county tax. Before the state
hoard az eQualizatiOn he. decfics the