The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1915-02-19
LAST WEEKS
SESSIONS FEW
Republican Convention Responsible
For the Small Amount OF
Work Last Week.
MANY BILLS ARE INTRO
DUCED.
Proposed Laws Continue to Pour Into
the Legislative Hopper-Suffrage
Measure Meets With an Obstacle.
BY DOUGLAS D. MARTIN.

hduolHS, MlCu.-WlIH LHo ftepuDu
can and Democratic state conventions
a thing of the past there is now
possibility that the legislature will be
able to get down to work and that
something Of value to the state may
be accomplished.
Lat week the legislature convened
at 8 o'clock in the evening for ses-
sion of one hours duration. It held
sessions Tuesday and Wednesday and
met for an hour Thursday morning.
Then it adjourned so that the Repub-
lican members might attend the Re-
publican state convention in Grand
Rapids on Friday.
Quite naturally there was little
work done last week. The record this
week will be better, although time had
to be taken out so that the eight
Democrats who hold seats in the legis-
lature could attend their party's state
convention, which was held in this
city.
Suffrage Held Up.
One of the features of the last few
days has been the trouble which has
arisen over the partial suffrage meas
ure which was fathered by Rep. Flow
ers. The Wayne man created surprise
by calling back his measure, announc-
ing that he had reason to believe it
to be unconstitutional.
The'proposed bill was drafted along
the lines of the partial suffrage bill
which passed the legislature of the
state of Illinois, but Mr.. Flowers eX-
planned that the constitutions Of Illi-
nois and Michigan differed just enough
to make this measure one which
would not stand the test Of the Michf-
gan supreme court.
Suffrage leaders, however, are not
at all satisfied with Mr.. Flowers in
depreciation of the measure and have
placed the bill in the hands of Senator
Henry Straight, of Coldwater Mr..
Straight has submitted the bill to the
attorney generals Office and has asked
an opinion relative to it's constitutions
ality. If he receives favorable reply
he will introduce the measure in the
senate and will proceed to fight the
question out along wet and dry lines.
AS the bill would give women the
right to vote on the question OF local
option 1t is believed that it would win
the support of the dry members Of
both houses and as they hold the
majority of votes in both houses this
year it seems probable that the meas
ure would go to Governor Ferris for
his signature, which, by the way, 1t
would receive.
New Railroad Bill.
Senator Burrell Tripp, of Kent coun-
ty, is the father of new railroad bill
which offers a novel solution to the
passenger fare problem which is oc-
cupying so much Of the legislatures
attention.
The Tripp bill calls for 2k-cent
fares on all but the trunk lines OF
this state The bill makes this dis
tinction possible by making the in
creased rate apply only to roads
which have terminals in this state.
This means. of course that the Grand
Trunk, the Michigan Central, the Lake
Shore and the Wabash would not re-
ceive the high rate. :.
The question of whether they will
come under the law is left optional
with the railroads. If they agree to
come under the law they must consent
to spend 20 per cent of their passen-
ger earnings in the purchase and
maintenance of passenger equipment.
Senator Trip declares that road
which comes under this provision will
he able to maintain its passenger
equipment and leave them 1.S7 cents
per mile.
Rep. Samuel Daigneau, of Berrien
county, has submitted to the house
resolution calling upon the attorney
general for an opinion relative to the
constitutionality of legislative action
delegating to the state railroad COM
mission the right to fix passenger rates
IN this state. The resolution was
adopted.
Appoints Are Made.
Governor Ferris list of appoint
ments have at last been concurred IN
bv the state senate. After jockeying
over the list for weeks, threatening
To hold il up and to do other drastic
things to it. the Republican members
of the senate finally capitulated.
Governor Ferris in reality held the
whip hand in this matter His reply
to the senate was to the effect that III
his list of appointments was not con-
firmed that he would remove every
Republican now holding a state job.
Realizing that he had the power to
make good his threat the senators
backed down as gracefully as pos
sible.
In revenge, however, they are plan
ming to upset scheme urged by
Major Burkhart, who wants to tie
himself to the Office of secretary of
the state board of health so securely