The diamond drill., 1921-04-23
LANSING
LETTER
GOVERNOR SETS MAY 20
AS SPECIAL SESSION DATE
Soldiers Bonus Legislation VIII Be
Enacted At That Time; Both
. Houses Rushing Work.


ment OF Michigan legislative session
set definitely foT April 20 the fna
rush OF bills In both househ Is under
way and daily calendars OF pending
bills have grown to enormous size
CommIt!ees worked overtime TO re
>snest 5tt all insasdfes that they are
not wiling 70 See fshaln in pigeon
holes, As result the end q the
period when bin sill! had 1 * chance
,of psgsag5 found an approximate total
Of 500 measures pending before the
TWO HOUSES, nearly all OF them listed
for discussion In committee OF the
whole. At that stage there were fewer
than 80 enrolled session acts that had
reached the governors ONCE after
si'aasing both houses.
300 Bills NOW PENDING.
Many OF the 800 pending bills are
h9nnd 70 be lost in the shuttle in the
Nnnal days 6f work. much of the time
Of which WIN be taken up with three
main lines OF action. These are ap.
preparations. utilities and the new de-
partmental bills. The appropriation
!. bills have TO go through and there
taLe dozens OF them pending. The uti-
iitles bills are numerous and pfactl.
cally every one Of them Involves a
deteFmilsd fight. with the fate of all
Of them very problematicaI
The only one of these bills on which
either house had acted before the big
final rush was on in earnest was the
Glaspie bill TO fix interurban rates of
Are on the basis OF earning per mile
of road operated. The bill revamps
the existing Smith law and makes
special provision for the maintaining
OF franchise agreements. The house
adopted this measure by vote of 70
TO IL after stormy debate and sent
II over TO the senate.
Legislation to put into effect the
soldiers bonus payments voted for by
the people OF the state In the election
April 4 will go over TO a special ses-
sion TO be called by Gov. Groesbeck
for May 20, the day after the final ad-
Journment OF the present regular ses-
sion is had. This was decided upon
as the safest and quickest means OF
assuring the validity OF the bonds To-
be issued by the state and to get the
bonus money into the hands of the
veterans. No action could be taken
until after May 4. when the constitu.
tional amendment takes effect. Pend
ing the passage OF the necessary leg
islation the many details OF arranging
for the payments and listing those
entitled to them will be cared for. II
Is expected that the bonus distribution
can be under way by July /.
DENoUNcE PRISON AFFAIR.
The special committee investigation
OF Marquette prison was reported on
TO the house in stinging communica-
tion that recommended grand Jury
and court action 10 clear up "the dirty
mess and prevent II from being GOV.
cred up" Enormous losses to the
state because OF bad business meth
ode which cannot be traced complete
Iy because OF the failure to keep the
prison books properly, and petty graft
ing are charged by the committee.
The whole history of the Industrial
operations at Marquette prison is that
of gross inefiiciency, money grabbing,
law violation and intrigue" the report
declares. Removal of local influences
by means OF a central prison board OF
control is recommended, together with
abolition OF the prison revolving fund.
handling the business through direct
appropriations. installation of uniform
accounting. and the building OF new
cell block.
Another special report. made 10.
both houses. was that OF the commit.
tee which investigated the community
council commission. Most OF the
original charges leveled at the com
mission when the inquiry was asked
for are not even mentioned in the re-
port. The principal criticism OF the
commission is because II paid over 10
the national community council SER
vice the sum OF si32.246, which was
Michigan's quota for that service The
payment or Slo,UOO 10 the American
Legion is commended by the report
an being the kind OF service which the
community council commission was
designed 20 give. Other funds were
used for legitimate purposes. the re-
port says. and II adds that no Grim.
inal or dishonest conduct occurred.
II recommends the abolishing OF the
commission, though the bin 10 do that
passed the house a considerable time
before the report was submitted
ASK AID FOR SHIPPERS.
The house has adopted the normal
school deficiency bill. against which
hard fight was made by Rep. Curtis
and others because OF salary raises
Tor faculty members during the pre-
ceding two years.
The senates corporation tax bill
got By the house committee OF the