Charlevoix county herald., 1921-04-15
car changes hands the certificate of
ownership must have the change re-
corded upon it. The penalt yfor violat-
ing the law is set at $4,000 fine and
Imprisonment up to ten years.

corded upon it. The penalt yfor violat-
ing the law is set at $4,000 fine and
Imprisonment up to ten years.
PenaIize Negligent Autoists.
The house also passed the Johnson
bill defining as negligent manslaugh.
ter the killing Of any person with an
automobile recklessly driven. The
bill failed to get the needed 81 votes
when first up on third reading, but
was passed when amended so as to
leave to juries the question of the
speed of car at the time of a fatal
accident.
A public hearing was given on Rep.
G. F. Miller's proposal to place all
churches, hospitals and charitable in
stitutions on the tax rolls at which
arguments on both sides of the ques-
tion were made by interested parties.
The senate has adopted the house
bill to create the department Of indus
try and labor and 1t now goes to the gov
ernor. The measure nearly went into
the discard in the senate because of
efforts to make the salaries of the
three department commissioners S.,
900 year. The salaries are left at
$4,000 in the bill as adopted.
Another salary argument is in pro-
gress among senators over bill in
troduced by Senator Brewer to have
the auditor general, state treasurer
and secretary Of state paid $4,000 a
year extra compensation for their ser
vices on the state administrative
board. Their salaries now are $2,500
Auditor General Fuller has stated that
he does not believe such extra pay
ment would be legal unless voted by
the people and that he would not ac-
cept it from the legislature.
The house has reconsidered the vote
by which 1t failed to pass the bill in
creasing mothers pensions and tabled
the measure for future reference.
To Discuss Utilities Question.
With legislative lines tightening in
anticipation Of the rush that will pre-
cere the closing days. of the session a
few weeks hence, the fate Of the num-
erous public utilities bills before both
houses is beginning to attract much
attention. This week there will be
held big public hearing on all these
measures and Immediately afterwards
will come the tug-of-war which will
settle the utilities legislation Of the
present session.
Held in committee since the session
was young are two bills, one In the
senate and one in the house, which
would strengthen the power OF the
state public utilities commission to a
considerable degree. The senate bill
was introduced by Senator Don Os'
born, of Kalamazoo, and the house bill
by Rep. Rafoe, Of Alpena. Both bills
have drawn the fire of the League of
Michigan Municipalities and the effect
was observable when the Osborn bill
was reported out finally to the senate.
Amendments made to 1t aim to safe
guard all franchise agreements still
in existence between municipalities
and utilities corporations; to have
local representation for the state utili-
ties commission where that is deemed
necessary; to place bus lines under
the control of the state commission;
and to exclude Highland Park from
the Jurisdiction of the commission.
The city of Detroit already was ex-
empted. The prospects are that the
big battle will come over the Osborn
bill and that the house will mark time
until the senate disposes Of it. If the
senate adopts the Osborn bill the
house may consider 1t in connection
with the Dafoe bill.
Change In judicial Circuits.
The house killed the bill to increase
bill to place Tuscola county with
Lapeer in one judicial circuit and
leave Huron and Sanilac to form an
other. The senate also adopted the
Vandenboom resolution calling on
Congress to speed up the lakes-to-
ocean waterway project as a means of
relieving the congested transportation
situation In the central western states.
The house has approved the plan to
make a rate of interest of five and one
half per cent on good roads bonds In
stead of five per cent, in order to
make the bonds more attractive to
investors. The bill providing for this
also permits the issuance Of maxi
mum of ten millions Of dollars worth
of road bonds annually and places the
financing in the hands of the state
administrative board.
The Byrum bill to prohibit local
agents and dealers from receiving
commissions on road material which
does not pass through their hands was
killed by the house in the belief that
the state would save nothing and the
agents lose.
The senate has passed the Wood
bill to restore party enrollments and
the Smith joint resolution to submit
an amendment allowing cities to ac-
quire for park purposes by condemna-