The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-01
HOUSE HAS A BIC
JOB ON ITS HANDS
Speaker Baker Agrees To Steering
Committee To Push Needed Leg
islatiOn Through.
(From a staff Correspondent

(From q STAFF Correspondent
LANSING Mich, April with a
few strong bills and bunch of pet
measures which their introdncers re-
gard as strong yet 70 be disposed Of
and a trifie more than two weeks In
which to do IL. great interest centers
in the makeup OF the steering com
mittee. agreed to by Speaker Baker
I'm conference with w. Frank Knox,
yesterday, and provided for In a reso-
luton introduced by Rep. Flowers.
The resolution was laid over under
the rules, and will come up for action
probably. Monday night. The resolu-
ton calls for 10 members. and II Is
the understanding that they shall be
selected so as 10 represent all the
principal interests IN the house.
The budget for institutions and a
large number OF big bills are still to
be provided for, and they are to be
sorted out from grist OF probably
so bills, many OF which have not yet
come out OF committee The com
mittee will ask the more important
bills and place them TO the front, and
much OF the rest will get lost
There is danger OF the trouble OF
two years ago in getting bills proper
" printed and enrolled before the
time expires when they should be
signed by the governor. A member,
yesterday. asked that a certain bill
be printed at once for the use OF the
committee, and II became known that
the printers had a large bunch OF
work ahead. Enrolled bills must be
printed In special type, and at the
end OF the last session, il was neces-
sary TO evade the law TO get all the
bills signed.
Speaker Baker failed TO hold the
members for a Saturday session, and
there was scarcely quorum Friday
afternoon. This brought hitherto
unnoticed decision that Ii Is neces-
sary 10 have a quorum OF the men,
bers-elect in order TO transact busi-
ness in committee OF the whole, and
also that the committee rooms are
not within the bar OF the house. The
sergeant-at-arms was sent 20 wake up
some members sleeping on the set
tees and drag others out or commit
tees, and work proceeded.
Two important bills, the Lord state
accountant bill and the Giles tele-
phone bill, were among the dozen APP
proved by the committee OF the whole,
out OF 80 considered.
The Lord bill provides for auditing
the accounts of all state and county
officers. and involves the establish
ment of a uniform system or account
ing. The bill provides for state ac-
countant at $1,000 and several assist
ants at $1,000, whose first duties shall
be TO establish a uniform system N
all similar state Offices and all coun-
ties of a similar grade. The account
ants department would then make at
least annual audits Of such accounts.
Special assistants may be engaged at
81 day, and where they 20 into coun-
ties, the services are paid for by the
counties at that rate.
Rep. Lord said that the aGdits
would go deeper than the auditing by
county accountant, and that IL the
bill had been a law four or five years
ago, there would have been no need
for the $4,000 audit of the books Of
former County Treasurer Forbes Rob-
ertson.
Ills 10 the lullu DlB Wy iSNp.
Lord to pass the house this session.
The others provide for state board
OF equalization and for giving the
state tax commissioners power TO en-
gage experts and adequately appraise
the mining properties of the state.
The Giles bill gives telephone COM
panies the status OF common carriers,
places them under the supervision OF
the state railway commission, and
forces competing companies to ex-
change service. An amendment was
added by Rep Flowers providing that
the state railway commission should
decide in each case whether exchange
OF service was necessary, and another
by Rep. Giles, compelling promoters
of new companies to get a permit
from the commission.
Rep. Dunn of Sanilac introduced il
bill for the direct nomination of dele
gates to national political conveh-
tons, with directions as to choice or
candidates. Rep. Fitzgibbon, of Port
Huron. by request of Judge Mitchell,
of that city. who Is "a years old, in
troduced bill for non-partisan nom
nations of judges and school officers.
A new home rule bill was introduced
by Rep. Verdier of Kent.
Among minor bills approved by the
committee Of the whole were one By
Rep. Henry, making 1t mandatory for
the state labor department to estab-
lish employment bureaus and the
committee substitute for the Austin
and other employers liability bills.