The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-03-24
To End Session March 81.


March 81 and adjourn as far as busi-
ness is concerned. on that date. the
senate and house have suddenly be-
come busy with the bills in front OF
them. The lawmakers express belief
that they can dispose OF all matters OF
before April showers start.
The house has passed a resolution
to set March 81 as the date for bust.
ness adjournment, with April 10 and
20 as the dates for final adjournment.
And although special session looms
up as a strong possibility the effort
is to be made to get through work on
the date set.
To accomplish the result desired the
legislature still has to handle prac-
tically the entire business OF the ses.
sion. The prohibition bills, which the
general public thought would be the
first to appear In either house as the
result OF the November majority in
favor OF statewide prohibition, had not
yet appeared when the house adopted
the adjournment resolution and sent
II over to the senate. Ii was the next
day after that new bills appeared from
the joint liquor committees to care
for the prohibition situation.
Three bills came forth as a final
statement from the committees as to
what they desired in the way of pro-
hibition legislation. One was intro
duced by Rep. Wiley, who had intro
duced earlier in the session the bill
prepared by the Anti-Saloon league at
torneys. II had eliminated all refe--
ence to the importation OF liquors for
personal use in Michigan. and in its
search and seizure provisions and It's
enactments against possession OF In
'oXicants was as bone dry as the origi
nal bone dry measure. The second
bill was offered by Rep. Macarthur. au-
thor of the original bone dry bill. 1t
differed but little from the Wiley bill.
except that the latter put the enforce
ment OF the law in the hands OF the
food and drug commissioner. while the
Macarthur bill left enforce ment 10
prosecuting attorneys OF the various
counties.
The third bill was put in by Rep
Lewis, chairman of the house liquor
committee. 1t changes the title OF
the dairy and food comm issioner to
that of food and drug commissioner:
invests him with the enforcement OF
the liquor laws; extends his term OF
two years TO four and raises his sal
tnr ha y
to $4,000. Also 1t is provided that -
special deputy attorney general shall
assist the food and drug commission
er as far as the legal part of his work
is concerned.
The significance of the decision 10
vest the power to enforce the law in
the dairy and food department rather
than in the attorney generals lies in
the fact that the dairy and food COM
missioner can be removed at will By
the governor and the latter as the
chief executive officer of the state.
cannot escape responsibility for law
enforcement, Governor Sleeper there
fore insisted that the enforcement b"
placed in some department that he
COulu control
In order to get through work by
March 81 the legislature not only has
TO care for the prohibition bills ard
the 30 or more appropriation bills
but has the insurance code. the rail
road rate bill. the game law amend
ments, the budget commission bill. and
many more measures that are con-
sdered important by some section or
other of the membres
On the insurance code alone there
have been allowed five separate hear
ngs. to take care of the various inter.
ests involved. All o, them promise
to be well represented as their causes
are taken up. judging from advance
notices.