Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1915-03-18

II looks as IL they had the votes to
do this thing, too. A two-thirds vote
Is all that Is needed to overturn a
veto and at the present writing the
republicans have far more votes than
that In both the house and the senate.
Brewers Are In Bad.
Kent and Wayne county brewers
are not making any friends among the
wet members of the legislature.
They are opposing Rep. Parsons bill
which would permit home breweries
TO operate in dry counties and to de-
liver beer by the case for the simple
reason that II the bill goes through
they will lose the trade which they
have built up in local option counties.
The only wet" member of the
liquor committee in the house TO vote
against reporting out the measure was
Rep. Culver of Wayne. Since that
time the Kent and Wayne brewers
have offered open opposition to the
bill. The result is that fracture has
made its appearance in the ranks of
the vets and the drys are accordingly
very jubilant. Rep. Sours of Grand
Traverse county also votes against re-
porting out the bill, but as he is a
militant dry this was not unexpected
The passage of the Person bill would
allow breweries to operate in dry
counties and sell beer by the case. 1t
would not permit them TO retail il by
the glass, however, and the same re-
strictions as now apply TO clubs and
lockers would still prevail The bill
Is based upon the contention that ii is
not fair to allow outside breweries TO
ship beer into a dry territory while
local concerns are compelled to sus-
pend business.
Cigarette Is Attacked.
The cigarette. that innocent looking
little paper cylinder. is attracting an
unusual amount of attention among
the legislators. Miss Lucy Page Gas
ton. the renowned opponent OF the
cigarette, is here leading the battle
against the 'perp pipes" as they are
sometimes called. and has succeeded
in summoning large number of work
ers to her assistance.
Chiefly through the efforts of Miss
Castor, scientists. physicians. heads of
penal institutions. educators, employ
ers and school boys appeared before
a joint meeting of the house and SEN
ate committees which are handling
the cigarette bills and pleaded for the
passage of prohibitory law.
If the legislators heed the admopi-
tons of the men to whom it listened
il will pass the bill which prohibits
the sale OF cigarettes in Michigan.
Whether il does or not, however, a
branch of the national anti-cigarette
league Will probably be formed in
Michigan. Henry Ford, of Detroit.
will probably be made president and
members of the legislature will occupy
various Offices.
Teachers Pensions Urged
A strong effort is being made to
induce the legislature to pass the bill
providing for teachers pensions. The
committees on education and public
schools have held open hearings and
the teachers association has thrown
its heaviest artillery into action and
brought tremendous pressure to bear
on the Legislators.
School men and women from all
over Michigan were present at the
session and argued in behalf of the
measure which they support.
Senator Verdier's bill, providing for
a teachers retirement fund was re-
ported out by the senate committee
last week. The committee recon-
mended that the measure be passed
Amendments made to the bill provide
that the states share of the expense
cannot be more than $4,000 per year
Wayne County Defeated.
Wayne county has come in for an
nfhar drnhhino a the hundc nf tho
lower house of the legislature. The
most recent battle was over motor car
licenses. Against Wayne county was
array the agricultural districts OF the
state. Their representatives we're per
fectly organized. and they proceeded
to trim the big county with much
neatness and dispatch. Wayne OBJ
jected, as usual, to contributing her
automobile tax money for the building
Of state roads, claiming that her own
roads are completed, and that she
should not be compelled to assist the
remainer of the state. Under the bill
Wayne loses about $37S,O0O annually.
but the roads of the state will profit
accordingly, so the house thought that
the automobile owners of Detroit
ought to be willing to pay for some Of
the roads they ride on outside their
own county.
Liquor Question UP.
Unless something yet unforeseen de-
velops in the legislature, the bill in
troduced by Senator Straight. provid-
ing for the submission of statewide
prohibition at the next general cleo
ton will have a strong majority in
the senate and perhaps almost two
thirds vote OF the house So il seems
almost a certainty that Michigan Will
see a statewide prohibition fight in
1916.
The referendum clause in Senator
Straight's bill, who provides for put
ting the question up to the people,
has made II many friends. Only the
members OF the Legislature who are
constitutionally opposed TO prohibition
can see any reason for refusing TO
ute FOR the measure. AS long as 1t
allows the people to decide. say the
majority of the legislators. why should
we presume to say that they shall not
have the right to decide.
poll of the senate shows that II
members there viii certainly vote for
Capotor CtrofOht'c hill THE fo mara