The L'Anse sentinel., 1921-03-25
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LETTER
NEW DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE APPROVED
Now Awaits Governors Signature;
Rush Work On Other Changes
In State Departments.
N{From Stan corre.,ondent.)

IN otste departments.
tFrom Staff Corresoondent.)
One OF the greatest constructive
steps Of tLa present legislature was
made when the senate adopted with
LIT amendment tho bill, which had
already passed the house, to create
state department Of agriculture, and
sent 1t to the governor for his sigma
ture. This Is one ,of the series of so
called administration bills designed to
systematic the handling OF the work
OF the state. In the new department
will be drawn all present bureaus and
boards which deal with agricultural,
livestock. breeding. apiary, horticul.
tural, state fair and kindred matters.
The department OF agriculture will
be under single commissioner. Aid
ing him there will be a board OF TWEEN.
ty men. designed mainly. to take care
OF that many divisions OF affairs in
the state fair. These men will be
named from all parts OF the state and
will have no salaries, but be allowed
ten dollars day for time actually
given to state service. Their main
service, according to the legislators,
will pertain to the actual conduct of
the state fair while it is open for it's
annual show.
LABOR BILL NOW UP.
Coincident with the passage of this
bill, the next one of the series. that
to create state department of labor
and industry, was reported out of
committee In the house, pushed on to
consideration in committee Of the
whole and quickly advanced to third
reading, where 1t passed and went to
the senate. In this department are
to be included the present state labor
department, the state accident board,
state oil inspection and numerous new
duties pertaining to the advancement
OF Michigan in the Industrial world.
At the same time comes the an.
nouncement that still another bill of
the administration series is being
drawn up in the attorney generals Of.
fees. 1t contemplates consolidating
the work Of the present numerous
boards Of control of state institutions
into four institutional boards. one for
state prisons, one for insane asylums,
one for corrective and Industrial
schools and one for charitable institu.
tions. Gov. Groesbeck has announced
even further plans in connection with
prison control. These aim to suppress
the wave of banditry in Michigan
cities by having all telephone and tele.
graph services cooperate with police
and sheriffs by instant and widespread
alarms Of all crimes 30 that even
criminals attempting to escape in
high-powered cars can be headed of
no matter how many miles start they
may get before their crime is dis
covered.
DEATH PENALTY DEFEATED.
Gov. Groesbeck is dissatisfied with
the new state office building in Lans.
ing, declaring 1t to be cheese box"
which will cost the people of the state
three million dollars or more. He
believes that state architect could
save the state many thousands On pub
lie work of that character.
Along with the new constructive
measures are others which enjoy more
attention from the galleries and bask
in the limelight while they are up for
consideration. Probably the greatest
of these was the Hart bill to restore
capital punishment In Michigan for
first degree murder. II. attracting the
most interest of any measure before
the present body of lawmakers. The
day 1t came up In committee Of the
whole the house galleries and side
lines were SO jammed with spectators
that the door sergeants finally had to
refuse entrance to any more. Z,
The bill got by committee Of the
whole without amendment and came
up the following day on third read
ing for final vote. Again the house
was jammed. Orations were made by
the score. mot only, were the merits |
Of the death penalty az compared with |
life Imprisonment in the matter Of de-
terring crime gone into by the speak
ers, but statistics Of all sorts were |
produced, authorities from Theodore
to prison wardens quoted:
and many old tragedies retold in all
their gruesome details.
4FvLL CREW" coNTEsTEp.
For an entire afternoon the house
debated the-bill and the clock was
close TO the hour OF six when roll call |
was begun in the midst Of the most
tense silence had on any house vote
Tor many sessions. It showed - rep
In favor Of the death
Densitx and - opposed. i've meubers