The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-30
REFORM MEASURE
SCORES IN HOUSE
Initiative. Referendum and Recall
Score First Round in Adoption by
Committee of the Whole.
,From n star correspoadeatJ

LANSING, Mich, March 30.-By a
ludicrous little bit of overreaching.
the opponents of initiative and refer
endum In the house showed Rep,
Woodruff's concurrent resolution for
constitutional amendment through
committee of the whole yesterday ar
ternoon while its friends were won
dering II some one had not been lay
ing a pitfall for II to tumble In. A
keen parliamentary ruling by Rep.
Mcbride, chairman for the session.
coached by Clerk Paul King. did the
business.
The resolution was taken up in
special order. as reported out by the
committee. with the petition percent
ages increased from 10 to 20 Rep.
Dunn tried Intellectually to get the
percentages reduced to 10, and then
the friends OF the measure decided to
take ii as IL was and pass II II pos
sible.
Speaker Baker took the floor in the
interest of the measure, asking the
members IL they were afraid,lto give
the people the right to say what they
wanted.
Rep. Yeo moved to strike out all
after the word Resolved" His mo-
ton lost, having only II votes in its
favor, and Clerk Kings facetiously
announcing 13 against II. Then when
Rep. Ashley moved an amendment to
the resolution, he found that he was
shut off by a ruling that the defeat
Of the motion to strike out amounted
to adopting the resolution.
A resolution for an amendment to
allow initiative on constitutional
amendments was adopted without
much discussion. The required per-
centage has been raised to 25 by the
committee on revision OF the consti-
tuition.
On Rep. Dunn's concurrent resolu-
tion for an amendment providing for
the recall, the only objection was
raised by Rep. Clark, who tried to
insert an amendment making 1t inn
possible to recall a member Of the leg
islature within four months of the
time when he : took office. allowing
him to go through the whole legisla-
tive term.
Ii Is expected that the resolutions
will come up on third reading at the
earliest possible date, and that there
will be fight. Concurrent resolu-
tions require 81 votes In the house
and % in the senate.
Following the disposal Of the spe
cial order, Rep. Stewart brought up
the central board bill on reconsidera-
tion under call of the house. The bill
was defeated Tuesday
Rep. Lord substituted section,
making the bill apply only to penal
and reformatory institutions, cutting
out charitable institutions and insane
asylums. Rep. Stewart finally en-
dorsed the substitute, stating that he
was willing to yield something to get
the central board system tried out for
people would then demand q central
board for all the institutions men
toned In the bill. The bill was re-
referred to the committee, however,
the vote being 4S to AZ, and a recon
sideration being defeated. II was
agreed that when the bill Is reported
out of committee, ii will be placed at
the head of general order, 80 there is
possibility that 1t will 90 through
in its amended form before adjourn
ment.
The bill regulating chiropractic
doctors died shortly after the noon
recess. The amendments tackled on
in committee were SO drastic that
Reps. Flowers and Warner, who had
consented to make the fight for the
chiropractors, acceded to the striking
out Of all after the enacting clause.
The committee substitute for the
Martz holiday saloon bill. the Stew
enson bill, allowing administrators to
carry on business under the license
of deceased saloonkeepers, and the
Kemmerling bill, allowing transfers
from one location in a city to another,
were put over for the day.
These matters were given some
hard work by the house in committee
of the whole. In addition, the Miller