The Detroit times., 1915-04-29
MICHIGAN
4 LAWMAKERS
SPEND WELL

ator James Murtha. OF Detroit-ha.
been passed. IL provides an appro
priation Of 100000 annually for tn,
use OF the state health department
for the study and prevention OF Ia
berculosis. Two or three mtnol
amendments 20 the public health
laws have been passed.
The judicsture act will come al
for final consideration In the hous,
today. The original intention wa.
TO smother this bin In committee
and II was reported out 90 late thAl
house members complain that they
have had little time TO consider a
and 10 inform themselves upon II.
provisions.
Few. n any. OF more than q score
OF labor bills presented In both
houses, received anything like tav
orable consideration
Mediatio nand arbitration legisla
ton Jared much better when. de
spite determined opposition. the Hi
sendegen bin. creating the once OF
mediation commissioner and pro
viding a method OF ending strikes
and setting lesser Industrial dis
putes. was passed In the closing
days OF the session. The McPhil
lips bili. which provided that the
governor. attorney-general. chief
justice OF the supreme court and
two others to be chosen by them
should constitute an arbitration
board. died In the senate.
The fate Of statewide prohibition
LEGISLATION Il too well known TO need
comment here. the Straight bill hav.
ing been loaded with amendments
50 Objectionable to It's introducer
that even he voted against Il. Sew.
eral minor amendments to the local
option laws were passed but none
OF these were OF any consequence
save perhaps Senator Damon's bin
prohibiting the sale OF liquor in
logging camps and the Sours bill
empowering township boards to re
fuse to grant liquor licenses. IRE
spective OF whether or not they
were In wet or dry territory.
Another fact OF note In connec-
tion with the present legislature has
been that. although no less than 81
resolutions proposing amendments
TO the constitution were introduced.
but two were finally passed.
stili anohtre interesting fact is
the disfavor into which the referen-
dunn has fallen. Scores OF attempts
TO attach referendum clauses to
bills have been voted down during
the present shession, while two
years ago m yattempt to use the
referendum was hailed with joyous
acclaim as q means Of escaping per
sonal responsibility for any meas
ure.
But pass the appropriation bills"
the present legislature most certain.
ly did.
Failure OF the Newell Smith auto
mobile tar law would have necessi-
tated appropriations Of approximate
~ s1s.ceo. 900. Az II IL. with a $3.50
split OF the receipts between state
and county the figure win be in the
neighborhood OF 1900. o0o--and
perhaps more.
The largest state appropriations
prior TO this year were made two
years ago. when they were approx
mately s14.7so.ooo.
Another source Of objection to
the work OF the ways and means
committee-made especially strong
by the already huge appropriations
for much less useful things--is the
fact that no provision for q state
once building was made. although
two bills involving appropriations OF
100000. each for once work. we're
introduced
Approximately IS bills in the SEN
ate and Is In the house await &C
ton this morning. the beginning Of
the final day OF the present session.
House and senate members. al
though devoting considerable time
to jollity and mirth yesterday, did
big days work In the two ses-
sions.
Practically half OF the afternoon
session was taken up In presenta.
ton Of parting gifts to the more
prominent OF the oflcers or both
bodies and some OF this yet re-
mains TO be done today.
n the senate Lieut.-Gov. Luren ID.
Dickinson was presented with a
splendid silver tea service OF Ave
pieces. senator Walter r. Taylor.
Of Kalamazoo. president pro tenn. OF
The senate, received a diamond
stickpin.
Presentation ceremonies in the
house were far more elaborate,
Reps. Sheridan d. Ford, OF Detroit.
Albert z. Peterman. Of Calumet. and
George p. Palmer. OF Detroit. pre-
senting gifts from members and
house employees to Speaker Charles
smith. OF Lapeer. and Rep. Charles
Flowers. OF Detroit. expressing the
general goodwill OF the house To-
ward the presiding oficer. Speaker
smith received a gold watch and
chain a suitably engraved seal ring
q travelling bag and camping out
Rep. Wayne r. Rice. Of White
Cloud, speaker pro TEN, was n,e-
sented with a gold knife. the rif,s
OF members. by Rep. J. Frank stew.