The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-12

Senator Newton revived his bill, en-
powering the governor and the attor-
ney-general TO employ secret service
men TO investigate state institutions
and the conduct of their officers. AT
ter the smoke of a mighty debate
had cleared away, the men who had
defended the governors right to en-
gage the fly cops saw their measure
defeated, and one substituted instead
which cut the governors name out
almost entirely, and gave him the
power to employ this kind of air only
with the consent of the state board
OF auditors. Senator Miller was the
author of the substitute.
Newton's bill was branded as un-
fair, inhuman, unAmerican, tyranni-
cal and swarms OF similar terms. Sen
ator Murtha took q hand in the ar
gument, declaring 1t gave too much
power to a single official, and that
such action led 10 the government OF
tyrant. Senators Collins, White,
and Miller. also declared that the
measure was more appropriate for a
government like that in Russia.
In the face of these orators, the
state constitution reads. in article 8:
Section z. The governor shall
have power and Ii shall be his duty
at such time az the legislature
may be In session, TO examine into
the condition and administration OF
any public Office and the acts OF any
public officer. elective or appointive;
to remove from the office Tor gross
neglect of duty or for corrupt con-
duct in office, or any olher misfeas-
ance or malfeasance therein, any cleo
tive or appointive state officer, except
legislative or judicial, and report the
causes of such removal TO the legiS-
lature as its next session.
The Watkins bill, placing the game
wardens department and the fisa
commission under the control OF
commission of five mem
bers, passed the senate committee OF
the whole.
Employers liability and working
mems compensation was thrashed out
I'm the senate committee of the whole
for more than an hour. Tuesday af-
ternoon, Wits the resdlt that the sen-
ate substitute for tie various bills
OF that nature was passed. or the
agreement that several changes will
be made Wednesday wlIon II comes
UP for third reading.
The changes, which were propos-
ed by Senator Mapes, provide that
the maximum compensation in case
of death shall be raised from $4,000
to $4,000; that the maximum compen-
sation in cases where the employe is
totally disbaled shall be sixty-six and
two-thirds per cent of the regular sal
ary for a period of 300 weeks, instead
of so per cent; and that in other
cases of injury the weekly payment
shall be not more than $l2 nor less
than six dollars, in place of not more
than $40 nor less than four.
Senator Murtha, OF Detroit. rep
resentative of the Detroit Federation
of Labor, declared that the bill gives
everything to the employer and prac-
tically nothing to the employ; that
Il was a one-sided contract. and that
the only way in which the question
could be properly settled was 10 ap-
point a commission to look into it
thoroughly. Senators Mapes and Lee
raised the point that while the bill
apparently is optional, IL will work
as a compulsory measure, as employ
ers can refuse to engage men who
do not agree to work under its pro-
visions.
Senators Moriarity, James and
Fowle, the upper peninsula members,
delivered concerted orations in favor
OF the bill, declare IL was the one
thing that would save the men who
work in the mines OF Michigan. Sen
ator Leidlein. like Murtha. declared
he had received numerous letters OF
protest from laboring men. Leidlein
moved to kill the bill, but was IN
successful after the upper peninsula
men had agreed TO Mapes' amend
ments. Opponents OF the measure de-
clare IL will not be passed Wednes-
day, even though It does carry the
amendments. SANFORD.