The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-03-20

mittee of the whole the house spent
three hours debating the matter OF
hours OF labor Of workers, with final
consensus OF opinion that industrial
enterprises had better be left alone to
work out their destinies. The fact
that small manufacturers might be
| driven out Of the state. with an g.
hour day in Michigan and not In neigh
boring states, was winning argu-
ment
The house committee let the S-hour
bill pass as 1t came from committee,
applying only to public work. But be-
tween the passage Of the bill in COM
mittee of the whole and its appear
ance on third reading there elapsed
weekend Of the Legislative session.
Over that weekend appeared objec-
tons that the 8-hour day would apply
to all state employees, including eleva-
tor men, clerks and others in the
capitol itself who were making no OBJ
jections to a 9-hour day and whose
pay would go up under an S-hour
schedule, to the decentralization Of the
budget just completed.
The result was that when the house
met again and the 8-hour bill came up
for final passage there was consider
able thought and very little oratory.
Rep. Holland, of Gogebic, introducer
of the original 8:hour BILL which, by
the way, was the first bill introduced
in the house in the present session,
moved to amend the bill so as to in
clude all industries in it's scope. This
amendment was defeated without divi-
sion. Rep. Holland thereupon joined
with others in voting against the bill
in its application to public works only.
Only 10 house members voted for the
passage of the bill, while SO registered
themselves against it, thereby bury
ing 1t for the present session.
Budget bills have been running the
gauntlet in the senate because OF
section five" which appears in each
one of the new style appropriation
bills. This section repeats all laws
contravening anything in the budget
bills. AS the budget bills all set def
mite salaries for all department and
institutional employees, Senator Baker
held that it repealed the graded salary
law. He wanted it knocked out and
the senate did so, but later put it back
in. Then Baker renewed the fight on
every single appropriation bill that
came up. Chairman DeLand, Of the
finance committee, however, lined up
enough votes for the disputed section
to have 1t held in each bill by major
ity Of two of three.
Assertion by Rep. Lewis that he
had been told a concerted effort would
be made to hold the bill back as long
as possible angered the members who
objected to any rush. They denied
holly that they knew anything about
any concerted plan to clog the bills
passage. Then they got into snarl
as to the means Of putting the bill
over on a special order, the question
being whether such action should be
taken in committee of the whole or by
the house itself. When everyone was
tired Of fighting the bill was allowed
to pass the committee and go on to
third reading, bat as a special order
and with an order to reprint it.
Both the senate and house have
adopted resolutions aimed to remove
false impression that 1t reported to
exist In some parts Of the state in re-
regard to the good roads bonding plan
to be voted on In April. 1t is said
some people think that the limit of
SOC, 100000 in bonds Is to be issued
at once. The senate and house resolu.
than 100000 will be issued in the
next two years, this to match money
to be put up by the federal govern
ment and which cannot be had unless
the state does put up an equal amount.
A bill put in by Rep. Ward would
prohibit the erection in the future OF
stump fences along highways in this
state and compel the removal before
November /, 1921, of all such fences
now located within 80 feet of highway
lines. Rep. Pascoe put In bill to
compel dealers in wood and coal to
give certificate of weight with each
purchase so that customers might
have a comeback II short-weighted.
Rep. Byrum has introduced a bill
to require the consent of the state in
spector Of apiaries to the transfer of
any bees or bee products from points
without the state or to points within
the state. the idea being to prevent
the spread of contagious diseases
among bees. The bill would REQUIRE
the registration Of all bee owners In
Michigan.
The senate has passed the house
q n "A