The Detroit times., 1913-04-03
HAPPENINGS IN MICHIGAN
PROPOSES STATE
own TELEPHONES
Long Distance Rates Also said
To BE Excessive in Probe
Report
From a Stan Correspondent.


LANSING, Mich, April S.-Oratory
and speech-making were the order OF
the day In the house. "Wednesday, In
long-winded sessions Of much discus
sion and little accomplishment. With
figurative blare or trumpets ana
waving Of flags two bills affecting old
soldiers were disposed OF. In the
forenoon. Senator Fftzgibbon's bill TO
pay the railroad fare OF veterans OF
the battle OF Gettysburg TO the COM
Ing celebration OF its anniversary
passed without difficulty.
Soon after lunch the bill OF Rep.
Newell Smith, OF Gratiot. relative TO
the exemption Of old soldiers home
steads from taxation came up on gen.
eral order. Rallying their cohorts TO
the roll OF unseen drums and the rum
BILE Of verbal artillery. O. A. X. SYM
pathisers charged upon an imaginary
foe lurking in the bill and valiantly
bore It down to defeat. Rep. Smith
insisted he was not suggesting any,
thing inimical to the interests OF the
veterans, but without avail.
The effect OF his proposal would
have been TO shift the burden OF the
exemption from the local communi'
ties in which the property Is located
to the state. The present arrange.
ment. he contended. works hardship
on the small towns where most OF the
men live.
Rep. Moore, OF Lenawee. one OF the
chief opposers Of the bill condemned
q mt Ia
of the cost on rural communities.
Rep McPhillips. OF Saginaw, made q
motion to strike out all after the
enacting clause and It prevailed.
II there are any subjects more pro-
life of wordy debates In the house
than q patriotic theme, one Of them IL
game legislation and the next bill on
the calendar was that OF Senator Yer
der. Of Grand Rapids, to require .
license for hunting. The considera-
ton OF it occupied the remainder of
the day.
Forty members took turns singly
and by pairs In Offering arguments,
and emendations and
some seemed intent upon speaking 20
times. The chief outcome Of the a.
most endless wrangle was TO exempt
persons hunting only within their own
A the bill passed the committee.
1t requires citizens wishing to hunt
In other counties to pay fee of 81,
while alien residents Of the state and
residents Of other states must pay
so.
The Oakley boiler inspection bill
which has been twice defeated va!
again taken up and on = call Of the
house passed 81 to g. Tuesday, It
received only ~ votes.
Two telephone bills representing
the opposing Views OF = division OF
opinion on the question Of telephone
were reported out Of COM
mittees. The chief bone Of contention
In the matter II section seven OF the
present Giles Law which given the
railroad commission the power to say
q new company shall be or.
zanixed In any particular community.
This feature IL retained In the Bayliss
bill. Endorsed by the commission,
which was reported by the commit
ZEE on private corporations and made
\ special order for Wednesday.
April 3.
On the other hand . substitute for
he Martx bill reported by the special
committee appointed ITO investigate
ong distance rates, provides for the
repeal of the section. II would
'urthsr require q majority OF the
board Of directors Of each line oper-
ating In the state 70 be residents OF
L and that the books b kept within
he state, and also AZ q schedule Of
,ates based on 10 cents for the drSt
Is miles.
In presenting the bill, the commit