The Detroit times., 1911-02-15
DECKER FEE BILL
PASSED BY HOUSE
Limits Salaried Officers of State To
Salaries-Speaker Baker Is
0verruled.
(From a stan Correspondent

LANSING, Mich. Feb. 15.--Speaker
Baker was oyerruled by the house
again yesterday afternoon, and this
time did not seem to take the matter
at all TO heart. The action came
when Speaker Pro Tenn Perry an
nounced the appointment OF members
TO take the place Of the late Rep.
c. M. Green OF st. Clair county on
various committees Of which he was
member. Speaker Baker had lett
the chair In order TO catch a train,
but fingered In the chamber until the
list was read. Rep Haviland OF st.
Clair county Immediately rose and
protested that another member was
about to be elected from Mr.. Green
district. and that IL would be unfair
to MI up the committee positions held
by him and leave his district unrep-
resented.
Speaker Baker defended the ap-
pointments, saying that Rep. Green
had been favored with choice com
mittee places which a new man could
not expect. He said that the new
member would be properly taken care
Of. Haviland, however. introduced q
resolution directing the speaker to
leave the places vacant. The resolu-
ton was carried viva voce
Rep. Catlin, Democrat, took an op-
posite view from Rep. Daudabaugh
on the reciprocity policy OF
President Taft. Raudebaugh recent.
ly introduced resolution framed
by Senator James II. Lee. endorsing
the move. Rep. Catlin introduced a
resolution yesterday protesting
against the adoption OF the measure
and repudiating the idea the farmer
is receiving an unjusuy high price for
his produce. Catlin became enthus-
iastic over his resolution and asked
that the rules be suspended and 1t be
passed Immediately. He lost by a
vote OF SO to a. Raudabaugh voted
for the suspension of the rules.
The difference between Catlin and
Raudabaugh on the proposition Is that
Catlin Ii a farmer and Raudabaugh
lives In the city.
The house passed several bills, the
most important being by Rep. Decker
taking away the fees Of all salaried
state officers. The others were: BY
Rep. Stewart, allowing action to be
brought for alimony decreed In an
other state; by hep. Copley. relative
to proceedings against garnishees; by
Rep. Yaple. amending the railroad
law; by Rep. Woodruff, relative to
the taking and sale of fish from the
great lakes; by Rep. Ball, regulating
steam vessels: by Rep. Woodruff, le-
galizing the issue OF sewer bonds by
the city OF Wyandotte. and the house
substitute for the senate bill relative
TO the liability Of common carriers.
The last named bill was introduced
by the late G. NJ. Green.
In the senate Senator James's bill,
the purpose OF which Is to tax mineral
reserves, was referred to the commit
tee on taxation after an argument In
which Senators Moriarity, James and
Fowle, the three upper peninsula
members, participated. Senator Mort.
arity, protesting against the passage
OF the measure, declared II would re-
suit In no gains for taxation, and that
Il would bring matters TO stage
where no poor man could purchase a
small parcel Of land In the upper pen
insula, because the big mining com
panies which own most OF the land.
and sell II with the provision that they
keep the mineral rights, would cease
20 sell on any conditions IL they were
taxed as the James bill provides. He
moved that the DILL be referred 10 the
taxation committee. IF the big min
ing companies value the mineral
rights enough TO reserve them. then
they are valuable enough to be taxed, .
said James. 81 have no objections TO
it's being referred to another commit
tee. SO long rs II is not buried" Sen
ator Fowle took James view. declar-
ing that the bin was Of such impor-
lance that II should not he pigeon
holed
Senator Miller's bill, authorizing
the state librarian to furnish the
United States court Of customs sp.