The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-01-05

grade separation CO steam ra.iroads,
electric railroads and street crossings.
II inauguratcd under wise laws, would
result in great saving OF life and
property. Such a policy. reasonably
pursued, would not inlict impossible
hardship upon either the railroad COM
panles or the public In my opinion,
legislation In this direction should take
more definite and compulsory form.
Other states and countries appreciate
their public duty in this direction.
Michigan should net be recreant.
Stronger Railroad Cars.
Great good could be accomplished by
a reasonable law defining the nature
and strength of railroad carriages. As
fast as fiimsy rolling stock now in
use is worn out and condemned IL
should be replaced by steel carriages
complying with a safe standard fixed
by the state Dinky cabooses on
freight trains should be outlawed.
One Board System.
II IS true that for a short period
Michigan tried a one board system for
similar institutions. The law was
passed by a Democratic legislature
and hastily repealed by a Republican
legislature before its adequacy had been
given anything like a fair trial. | srs-
gest your consideration OF laws that
will place all OF the prisons under
one board. all OF the insane asylums
under one board and, in fact. all in.
situations sufficiently similar in char
acter under the same board wherever
possible. The board system at best,
while il has worked as we'll in Mich
igan as elsewhere, largely leaves the
management Of state institutions 20
their superintendent
Duplication Of Educational Work.
All of our educational Institutions
are in good condition. There is, how
ever, much duplication of work, and
especially by the university, the agri.
cultural college and the college Of
mines. Ideally, all OF these institu-
tions should be incorporated into one
great university A law requiring joint
meetings of the boards controlling the
university, agricultural college and col.
lege cf mines and the state normal
schools should have your consideia
ton. Such a joint meeting at least
once a year ought TO result in better
correlation and collaboration and the
elimination Of much duplication. Elk
cellent as il Is as an institution, ! fear
that the Michigan Agricultural college
IS gradually becoming more Of a tech.
nical than an agricultural and that the
agricultural department OF the college
is already too much of an incident
rather than the chief feature. This
is not communicated to you in any
spirit of adverse criticism, but rather
with the hope that steps NAV be taken
! 10 preserve to this college higher agTi
cultural training as its principal work
making everything else incidental.
Convict Labor.
I desire to especially call your at
| tention 20 the profitable achievements
/ of the Detroit house of correction "a
an illustration Of what may be done In
the way Of prison labor The problem
of convict employment Is one mos
| difficult to solve. In several states
convict labor on the public Highways
is employed to advantage. The Colo
RADIO honor system seems to be espe
| cially good. | hope convict labor OF
( roads will be given a full and fail
trial in Michigan. The contract sys
| TEN seems to have been abused IL
| Michigan Contractors have reapet
| profits at the expense of Michigan
! taxpayers. I hope that out Of thu
especial study Of this ma'te-, directed
by and arranged for bv the last legis
lature, much good shall come.
The States Finances.
No concealment from the people
should be made of the exact flnancia
condition of the state. BY rigorous
economy. a reasonable budget anC
careful analysis of proposed apPrO
! priations, the state should be again
placed on an even financial keel a
/ once. I shall insist that my aDpointiv,
! heads Of departments cut down ex
/ penses to bed rock, end I trust tha
all elective officers will sympathiz'
and aid in the same direction. We are
confronted at this moment with a largt
deficit the exact amount of which
have not learned. but probably amount
ing TO at least million dollars
There should he perfect harmony O
action 10 correct the present dsplor
able conditions.
Reservation Of Mineral Rights.
There is still some state land tina
NAV have stone oil. gas or minera
VaIues apart from their agricultural AM
lumber value. IN all sales By the stat,
hereiter there should be such a resgr
Vatlon OF right to the people as vii
enable them to participate in hidde,
values If ever discovered and devel
oped. In very many instances privaa.
owners during all of the years of tn,
states history, have reserved the min
eral rights in lands transferred b,
them. 10 is often the case that mi,
reservation. while representing a valu,
that 1t is considered wise TO retain Il
untaxed. The tax follows the land
and the holder of the reservation nav
hothlng. The reserved values are al
ways uncertain and intangible. bu
are nevertheless considered TO exis
and should be made TO pay a tax. Al
thls may be comprehended bv the gen
eral tax law, but the law has been In
operative so far as reaching these val
ues Is concerned. and especial legisla
ton is needed TO correct the omission
III these private rescrvatisns ver,
taxed Justly they would i'm some in
stances be surrendered TO the state
which would eventually lead 10 nos
sessions for the people that. might de