Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-03-13

10000 and less than 100000, five; in
counties of more than 100000 seven.
Under this amendment the county
would be taken as a unit OF assess
ment instead of ward or township,
would do away with the necessity of
equalization by township or ward
and prevent abuses that are possible
where ring or group of supervisors
can put through equalization schemes
to the detriment of one part of a
county over another. Under the
present method local interests are
often paramount. to the interests OF
a county at large, but 1t is argued
that under the proposed method the
abuses now possible would be made
impossible. The commissioners
would have all the powers of board
of county auditors, where such boards
are not otherwise provided.
Speaker Currie has discussed the
plan with many members of the house
and says it is favorably considered.
The resolution will be introduced by
Rep. Newell Smith of Gratiot county.
Opposition to Trunk Highways.
Senator Allswede's state trunk lire
proposition received a serious setback
at public hearing in the sena te
chamber, where the merits of his plan
were thoroughly threshed out. His
scheme provides for three highway
trunk lines running north and south
from the southern boundaries of the
state to Mackinaw City The senate
is not taking the bill especially seri-
ously as it involves a proposition 10
bond the state for 100000, and this
latter is being taken very seriously
indeed. Objections are most vigor-
Gus from the sections where counties
have already bonded for. state i'm
provements. In spite of the fact the
governor and many of the members
of the house and senate favor the
trunk line idea as general propo-
sition the arguments against 1t seem
to have thrown cold water upon the
bill, although its fate is by no means
finally jeapordized.
House Saps Tipping Evil.
Travelling men especially and the
public generally have watched with
interest the course of Rep. Stevens
anti-tipping bill. An effort was made
to send it back to committee when it
came up for final passage in the house
but there was such vigorous objec-
ton that the objections were ungrace-
fully withdrawn and the bill passed
with few dissenting votes. 1t was
argued by various interests that their
business would be ruined by the law,
but the members believed that the
interest of the public at large was
paramount to that OF any private con-
Germ.
Senate Agrees to Short Ballot Bill.
Concentration Of government is the
essence of Senator O'Dell's short bal
lot bill, which was agreed to by the
senate without dissenting vote.
This measure provides that only the
governor and lieutenant governor be
elected, the other state officers to be
appointed by the governor and to
form the cabinet of the states chief
executive. The majority of the sena
tors picked out this proposition in
preference to the state primary.
Senator Allswede's horse power tax
on automobiles, an auxiliary or pre-
liminary to the highway trunk line
measure now pending, met the ap-
prevail of the senate on third reading.
It provides a tax of SO cents per
horse power on pleasure vehicles and
25 cents on commercial cars. The
difference is accounted for from the
fact that commercial vehicles are lin
tied to use in the cities and do not
materially contribute to the wear on
country roads.
Purity In Water Systems.
Rep. Monteiths bill providing for
control of waterworks and sewage
systems by the state board of health
excited much debate in the house
committee of the whole and bids fair
to attract statewide attention from
the ldCJ tHdl IL gives ulTSCl dutHOT-
ity to the state board of health that
promises to restrict the authority of
local boards.
Honest Fruit Packing Measure.
Fruit growers throughout Michigan
will be interested in the fate of the
Jakeway so-called honest fruit pack
ing measure, and consumers will be
equally interested 1t most directly
affects the development of the fruit
industry and Michigan's standing In
the outside fruit markets. 1t had
been suggested that an effort would
be made to kill the BILL but on the
contrary it was amended to cover
commission merchants, who open or
close fruit or vegetable packages
which come under the meaning of
the bill. Besides demanding that the
name of the producer be placed on
the package II makes 1t unlawful to