The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-04-28


present time and might result In
smaller primary votes being cast In
the agricultural sections. The bill has
gone to the senate.
Friends OF the bill for a moving
picture censorship have begun to des-
pair that it will ever get out of the
senate state affairs committee, where
II has been held since 1t passed the
house. Another bill of uncertain fate
in a senate committee is the Olmsted-
Watson bill to permit state banks 10
engage in the trust business. Some
trust companies actively opposed this
bill at a hearing before the senate
committee, but others favored It,
Refeated once, the bill to permit the
state administrative board to sell the
old state block in Lansing finally was
adopted by the house after being
taken from the table.
RESTRICT PAROLE POWER.
The house has passed the Glaspie
bill to restrict the paroling OF life
term prisoners, without waiting for
the report of its committee inquiring
into paroles given in the past. The
committee has asked former Govern
ors Albert E. Sleeper and Woodbridge
N. Ferris to appear before it and tell
about paroling prisoners.
Gov. Groesbeck has sent to the SEN
ate for confirmation the appointment
Of Nathan F. Simpson, Of Hartford,
former warden of Jackson prison, as
a member of the state tax commission
to succeed Orlando F. Barnes, of Ros-
common.
The Byrum bill creating a state
welfare department has been pass
ed by the house and transmitted
to the senate. The bill abolishes the
state board of corrections and chart
ties and all boards of control for state
institutions. The new department Is
to be headed by director at salary
of $4,000 year, with commissions ap-
pointed for each variety of state in
situations coming within it.
A hospital commission Of seven
members would look after the Pontiac,
Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Newberry
and Ionia hospitals, together with the
state home and training school and
the farm home for epileptics. A pris-
on commission of five would look after
the state prisons; corrections COM
mission of five would oversee the In
dustrial and training schools: and an
other commission of five would have
charge of the schools for the blind
and the deaf.
GOVERNOR GETS TAX BILL.
BY a vote of SO to IL the house
adopted the corporation tax bill,
which. previously had passed the SEN
ate and sent the act to the governor.
Nearly all of the members who voted
against the bill made speeches explain.
ing their votes. They regarded the
, bill as discriminatory in regard to the
small corporations. Supporters Of the
bill declared 1t to be a fee measure
instead of a tax bill and declared the
corporations were willing to come un'
der it as it stood, while they might
knock it out in the courts IL the fees
were made so high as to appear like
additional taxation.
The legislators and state officials
estimate that the corporation bill will
bring in enough funds this year to
take care Of the existing deficit OF
nearly six million dollars.
Coincident with the passage Of the
bill they became generous towards the
University of Michigan, which has
been appealing ever since the session
began for building fund Of $3.50, 00(
: with which to provide modern build
ings. The senate finance committee
reported in favor of allowing the uni
versity $5,300,000 during the next two
! years, provided the state administra
tive board finds that the corporation
5 tax is producing the estimated amount
4 of revenue.
u The house ways and means com
j mittee, at the same time, reported il
favor of allowing the university mil
d tax of three-fifths of mill, instead o
the present rate of three-eighths of ;
mill. 1t is figured that this tax will
give the university revenue of 49,
e 100000 a year. At present 1t is get
e ting slightly less than s1,700,000 from
l. it's 1919 mill tax.
d PASS PENSION ALLOWANCE.
Public utilities bills bid fair to kee]
= before the lawmakers until the las
day of the session. The Osborn bill
: in the senate, was revamped in al
!. effort to make it agreeable to hom
= rule advocates and at the same tim
strengthen the state utilities commits
sion, and vote on 1t was delaye
9. while 1t was being reprinted. TIL
). Dafoe bill, in the house, was held Il
= committee because the Osborn bill
. had been given the right Of way.
The newest of the pending utilize
= bills is one that would empower tn
= state commission to order the connet
u ton of two electric lines for throug