The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-02-05
SLOW WEEK IN
LEGISLATURE
ABSENCE OF SENATE MAKES THE
BODY ONE-SiDED-6UT VERY
LITTLE WORK DONE.
LIQUOR FIGHT SURE
Senator Straight Surprises Drys by
Announcing That He Will Intro
duce a Bill Calling for State
wide Prohibition.
BY DOUGLAS o. MARTIN.

Lansing. Mich (Special) With the
genate doing no business whatever
owing to the fact thai all but 'hree OF
four members were away VISITING
state institutions, the past week III
legislative circles was not busy one
The house marked time for several
days, indulgng in short sessions only.
and on Thursday asd Friday had
scarcely enough members present to
make a quorum.
Beginning this week. however. the
real work OF the legislature starts
with a rush, and from now on Gntil
the closing day of the session there
will be pretty steady grind OF busi
ness.
The senate was not left entirely out
of the weeks news columns however
for Senator Straight. of ColdWaier
surprised both the prohibition and
anti-prohibition factions in the iecis-
ature by announcing that he would
soon introduce a bill calling for state
wide prohibition. II was believed,
previous to this announcement, that
no such movement would be attempt
ed this year. Senator Straight. who is
member of the liquor committee Of
the senate. felt convinced that this
session was the opportune time for
introducing such a measure and an
nounced his purpose without consult
| Ing heads of the nti-Saloon League.
Wants Public Service Board.
Seymour H. Person, of Lansing, in
troduced what promises to be one of
the most important measures OF the
session. His bill provides for the
| al Inn N OF nf hn
commission and for the formation of
public utilities commission which will
have authority over not only the rail
roads but over all public service cor
porations in the state.
One of the most radical features of
the bill is the section which places all
street railways. interurban lines and
steam roads under the proposed com
mission. 1t is certain that this will
meet with opposition from the munic
ipal ownership faction in Detroit
The bill also provides that all
municipality owned public service
plants must come under the commits
sion's ruling and be subject to the
same rules as those governing pri
vately owned utilities Physical con
nection of telephone companies. some
never gained is proposed bv the meas.
ure and the schedules of all rates
charged by public utilities are to he
subject to the commission approval
In order TO make provision for
municipal ownership the bill provides
that any municipality shall have the
power to purchase by agreement any
public utility providing the terms Of
such sale shall be approved by the
commission. after a hearing at which
the desirabilty of the change shall be
convincingly set forth
Van vorce Case
Governor Ferris upheld the action OF
the Jackson prison board i'm refusing
a pardon TO Merle Van Norce. a con.
vict. after two-hour hearing which
he gave Mrs Van Norce The con
vict's wife tried for week to get an
audience with the chief executive and
finally succeeded Following the in.
terview Governor Ferris gave ont
statement in which he declared that
nothing had been revealed which
changed the aspects OF the case and
that he must positively refuse TO in.
.erfere in In" matter.
Mrs Van Norce then took her case
before an unofficial meeting of the
Jackson prison committee of the lower
house of the legislature Just as the
bearing was well under way Speaker
Smith appeared and informed The
members that they had no right TO
investigate the case and that any re-
port which they might make would
| be without standing
The committee then adjourned the
hearing, but re-opened it in Jackson
on Monday when the members visited
that city to look over the prison and
consider its appropriation needs
Representative Sheridan Ford.
member OF the prison committee. an
nounced that he would stand on his
rights as a member Of the house and
| ask for Legislative probe of the whole
Van Norce case. He declared that he
was not directing an attack against
| the governor. the pardon board or the
prison. but that he believed all the
! facts had not yet been made public
and that il was his intention to spread
| them on the records where all may
| read.
II is said that new developments In
| The case. which will be more or less
| nnfavorable to Van Vorce. will be
| brought out by those who are standing
| by the governor and the prison board
Feeris on Option.
Governor Ferris broke his silence
regarding his stand on the liquor ques-
| ton during the week and issued a
statement in which he declared that
he favored local option in counties
where the law could be enforced.
The governor refused, however. to
state where he stands on the. Straight
bill, which prohibits the sale of liquor
in any township, city or coupt3 which
harbors state educational institu.
ton. The Odell resolution, calling on
| the governor to set forth his views on
the liquor question, was left with the
committee when the members depart
ed to visit state institutions and IL is
expected that an effort will be made to
have II called out and passed.
Private Bankers Barred.
Private bankers cannot hold the
position Of banking commissioner OF
Michigan. according to a ruling made