The Detroit times., 1911-02-22
|0UsE J0LTS
FRATERhIT|ES
'ankin Bill Passes, rs to IL, And
Fate Of Greek Letter Societies
Is Up To Sc, ate.


action OF the house last night In pasC'
Ing Rep. Rankin's bill prohibiting the
4 0reek-letter organization is ratified
By the senate. The vote was as TO II.
4 few OF the members "ducking."
The venerable Rep. Rankin, who
has been superintendent OF schools in
Various Michigan cities for nearly half
century, made an eloquent defense
81 his bill. A big bunch of frat mem
bers from the Lansing high school, oc-
f cupied seats near him and made aud
ibIe remarks while he was talking.
Mr. Rankin read letters from l.. l..
Wright, superintendent of public .n-
strtctspn, and from superintendent
5 Of schools In several cities. Rep. Ver-
tier spoke in opposition 10 the bill on
+ the ground that il also lays school
rtachers liable TO arrest and fine or
Imprisonment IL they fail To try TO
suppress the fraternities. Rep. Yer
der drew narrowing picture OF the
Teacher being dragged of to Jail.
Petitions from citizens OF several
titles including Lansing, were pre-
sented opposing the bill, but they did
K not affect the vote. Those who OPP
s POSED the bill were: Reps. Austin,
Burnham, CumInins,. Farmer, Nc
! Bride, McNitt, Martz, Murphy, Sam
uel 0dell, Smith, Stewart and Verdier.
The house also passed. the Waters
bill allowing school boards TO receive
and use requests. IL was introduced
for the benefit of the schools OF Sag
+ fnaw. to which the late Arthur Hill
Z left large sum of money to be used
4 Tor Industrial education.
Among the most important OF the
. bills introduced was one by Rep.
Noble Ashley of Detroit. called the
{ Reciprocal demurrage bill. IL provides
that where railroad company dehv-
ers car OF goods TO shipping point
but neglects TO place IL for unloading.
( Il shall pay demurrage OF 81 day,
4 the same as paid by consignees for
detention OF cars, for every day that
4 the consignee is delayed in getting at
the cargo. IL is said that often cars
Of coal are shipped to points and be-
cause of lack OF switch engines, or
+ Through negligence, are allowed 20
+ rest in some distant part of city or
Yards. until the consignee is obligel
4 TO buy coal from other parties. The
condition Is one for which remedy
+ has been asked.
Rep. James Haviland, of Port HUI
4 ron. introduced a bill to appropriate
$1,000 for the piiing OF Belle river
3 where It makes q horseshoe bend near
the Gratiot turnpike, an extension Oh
+. f}ratiot-ave., Detroit, in Columbia
township, st. Clair county. The river
5 has eaten away the earth toward the
read, until at every high water, the
s highway is flooded. Last Saturday
Haviland said, the water stood four
cfeet deep on the highway, and a farm
81 named Marsh lost his hayrack and
foat Several years ago a mother and
Gcn named Harrington were drowned
there. The road is the main autoTo-
bile highway between Detroit and Port
Huron. Rep. Haviland says that the
place has gotten in such bad conct
lion that the township cannot anord
10 Ak IL, but that il the state will
harness the river. the township VIII
tuild fine gravel road.
Rep. Fralick introduced bill 20
amend the Inheritance tax law, SO as
. ID make the cost of collecting the tax
4 charge upon the estate. Under the
|.t,resent law, the collection is made
charge upon the county, though the
lees 20 to the state. Rep. Fralick saws
+ that In his own county of Manistee. IL
lost S743 to collect the inheritance
tax last year, but that none of the
money went directly to the county.
Rep. Smith introduced bill com
relliug railways to install steel mail, |
| baggage and passenger coaches.
Rep. Leonard, of Detroit, intro
duced a bill to allow insurance com
+ 1anies writing motor car policies, 20
insure the cars while In transit, and
against loss by theft or by collision
or other accident.
Rep. Woodwork has in his hands
4 q bin carrying out one OF the gov
crnor's reform measures, providing
for the encouragement OF forestry Dy
cxempting wood-lots from taxation.
Senator Vaughan introduced bill, !
making IL mandatory for the govern
on to reside In Lansing during his
term OF Office. This bill was prepared
and introduced at the request OF the
xovernor, who favored such meas
IRE I'm his message.
Senator Fowle introduced bill, the
purpose of which Is 10 simplify the
Nomination OF land contracts by re-
. 0uiring that a 30-day notice be served
on the person who is in arrears; that
three months after the notice is
served, the contract expires, IL the
payments are still in arrears.
Senator Guy Miller's BILL making
& two amendments TO the grade separa-
. lion laws was passed on third read
. ing. The law, as amended, makes It.
possible for a property owner to sue
for damages, regardless of the situa-
s ton OF the property. Under the pres
emit law, only the owners of property
abutting on the street which Is sep
arated can begin suit.
Senator Weter's bill, increasing
. bonding limit OF school districts from
SIS to 500 per capita, to enable the
F cifizens OF certain districts to issue
bonds for enough money to build ade-
ouate schools, was also passed on
<hird reading.
Gov Osborn's measure calling for
a committee to investigate the taxa
lion problem and report to the legis.
nature. which was turned down by abe
=house committee on general taxation
and precipitated row between Rep.
ord and governor, found support
< from an unexpected source last night,
when Il was presented In the senate
.1r Senator Newton. Senator Newton
44c ,uon REGARDED as one of the most