The Detroit times., 1913-04-22
STATE SOLONS y
ARE SATISFIED
WITH RECORDS
Gov. Ferris Joins Those Who
Uphold Progressive AID!
vancement
JAMES PRIMARY BILL
is LEADING MEASURE
All State Departments Have
Greatly Benefited by New
Legislation
From a star Correspondent.

lANSlNG. Mlcn., April Zl,-Meh'
bers OF all three political camps. m
Guiding Gov. Woodbridge n. Ferris, SUD
acribe 10 the Judgment that the recofi
OF the 1913 Michigan Legislature winch
viii cease its labors April 20 Is uH'
equaed in the history OF the state III
respect 10 the enactment of advanced
egis aton.
First OF all To be mentioned are the
constitutional amendments submitted
; 10 the people and adopted In the
spring election making possible q
workable initiative and referendum
and the recall OF all elective officers
except Judges OF courts OF record
Prominent among the statute re-
forms is the James primary bill
abolishing the Objectionable features
OF the old law which were in part re-
sponsible for the discomfort which
swept Michigan into the third party
column In the last presidential cleo
ton In conjunction with it was pass
cd the Copley corrupt practices bill to
require the filing of an itemised ac-
count of expenditures by candidates
and political committees; to regulate
the use of money In campaigns and
limit the amount each candidate may
spend.
Other measures enacted intof law
are. a blue sky bill to require the
listing securities offered for sale in the
state: bill calling for the semi
monthly payment OF wages in all lines
Vt employment; modification of the
Mobile bill giving the insurance COM
missioner authority TO inspect the
books OF fraternal insurance organiza-
..H m, N
Duct OF their affairs on solvent basis
bill to authorize the sterilization or
mentally defective and epileptic per
sons In state institutions; and several
amendments to the home rule law for
cities aimed chiefly 10 facilitate NUM-
cipal ownership.
Separate plans for the election OF
state central committeeman OF the dit
ierent parties by popular vote have
passed the two houses and one OF them
viii be agreed upon Several import
tant matters which have been through
the senate and which are expected 10
receive the approval OF the house in
the closing days of the session are.
mothers compensation. an amendment
10 the juvenile court law TO allow
public support of destitute children
under the care OF their mothers.
stringent anti-lobbying bill; proposal
for the construction Of trunk-line
system of high ways on statewide
scale, and two bills to provide Tor
commissions to report to the next
legislature, one to draft wholly new
primary law and the other to investi-
gate as TO the advisabilty of MINI
mum wage law for women
Departments Strengthened.
Numerous departmental bills nave
cen PASSED strengthening the admin
istrative branches of the state govern
nent, especially the railroad commits
sion. state board of health, and the
insurance. banking the dairy and FOOD
departments.
hank guaranty bill modelled upon
the Kansas law aud the short ballot,
CT appointment OF all state officers
except governor and lieutenant-gov-
crnor. were killed. \ resolution 10
submit statewide prohibition, amend
ment to the constitution failed of pas
sage, while woman suffrage was SUD-
mitted and defeated at the polls
Although the Republicans had ma
iority in each house there has been
little party voting and friction with
the Democratic administration has
been conspicuously absent.
The fate of the Gittins anti-lobbying
bill i'm the house is predetermined ex-
oept as may be judged from the COM
mon Discrimination TO oppose progress
sive suggestions Of any sort. The bill
was introduced early in the session
and reposed peacefully in committee
till the persistent activity OF persons
Interested i'm various legislation spur
red the committee to report II out. In
the meantime, Il had been given up
as dead and received no attention.
The house members. however, have
been scarcely less pestered by lobby
lists than have been those Of the SEN
ate and many OF them have uttered
complaints about IL. Some OF the third
ard fourth termers say they never
saw so much lobbying In any previous
session
Speaker Currie is strongly in favor
Of the bill and SAYS that he will do
I'll IN his power 10 obtain it's passage.
The Republicans OF the senate are
concentrating themselves as having
already completed the main tasks laid
out for them. I'VE have fulfilled every
single promise OF our PLATFORM" said
Senator James. OF Hancock. In Sun
Cay resume Of the sessions accom-
,lishments
n will be remembered that the SEN
ator frcm Hancock was the permanent
chairman OF the Republican spring
convention and for that reason per-
laps felt himself peculiarly RESPONSE
BE for the pledges made D yit. In
any case. he has consistently put his
shoulder to the wheel in the effort to
carry out the platform, and has been
large factor In the results which
have been achieved.
And not only have we dom all We
rromised 10 do" he said. "buf we
have thrown In n half dozen or so
matters like the Gittins bill and the
short ballot for good measure
Senator Gittins Is q progressive and
the short ballot was plank In the
Democratic platform. SCOTT.