The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-03-17

cause Of a Lake-to-the-Atl deep
waterway. The senate also has passed
a bill to have the state pay half the
cost of killing off grasshoppers in
places where they become pest.
The governor has signed the acts
raising the city school district tax TO
nine mills for school maintenance and
six mills for new schools; and to pro-
vide for annual June meetings or the
state board OF equalization.
HART BILL REPORTED OUT.
A resolution has been introduced in
the house by Rep. Prick, of Detroit.
TO set April IA as the date of business
adjournment of this session, with final
adjournment May 3. General opinion
is that unless many matters now in
committee are dropped entirely the
latter date will be about the earliest
on which business adjournment can
be taken.
Leading all topics of conversation
in the legislative halls since the open
ing of the session OF 1921 has been the
proposal of Rep. Hart, of Detroit, to
establish the death penalty for MUIR
der. For a few days it was thought
that adverse sentiment expressed at
public hearings had effectually stop
ped the measure for the season, but
then along came the house committee
that had the bill in charge and decid-
ed to report 1t out to the floor or the
house.
The measure came out OF commit
tee without recommendation, but 1t
was out. 1.-THE house will kill it in
hurry. Why should we hold it back!"
was the gist OF statements by commit
tee members. But their report started
all over again the whole argument as
to life imprisonment or the death PEN
atty for the crime of murder. The re-
suit still Is TO be recorded.
WOULD RELIEVE FARMERS.
Next in point of discussion comes
the income tax proposals, the idea OF
Senator Penney of asking the federal
government to whack up with the
states on what 1t gets on its income
tax returns meeting with the objec-
ton in many quarters that there is
small chance Of the federal govern
ment agreeing to do so. Farmers are
demanding that some way be found 10
relieve the tax burden on land, and
manufacturers are complaining that
they are overburdened with taxes
now and that state income tax will
merely be an extra levy on them.
Thus far the argument seems to be
between the farmer and the manu-
facturer, with the salaried man still
to be heard from. Statistics are biting
produced in the capitol regarding
state income taxes in other common
wealths. They exist now In ter
states. Connecticut. Delaware, New
York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ok
lahoma, Texas, Virginia. West Vir
GINA and Wisconsin and range al
the way from direct tax Of one hal
Of one percent on all incomes, to tax
es with exemptions similar to those o
the federal government and to taxe
on corporation profits alone. Definite
action of some sort by the senate ant
house committees is expected to fol
low public hearings at which all com
: ers will be heard on the whole sub
ject.
FEWER BILLS PRESENTED.
Whether by accident or by desigl
, the present body of lawmakers has Sc
record for coming legislatures t,
, shoot at. Fewer bills have been In
! troduced up to the crucial time of mid
March than ever before. From thi
, time on 1t is not to be expected tina
any bill, except it is of great publ
moment, will be showed ahead O
|, those already in committee, and thu
, will have small chance Of getting o.
: the floor OF either house in time 70
enactment. And to date there hav
been less than 300 house bills an
! less than $50 senate bills introduced
where there were more than 600 4
the two houses combined, in the las
legislature. which ran at about tn
average for the time since the neN
constitution was adopted In 1908.
influence of women's organization
IS being felt more In the present Sc!
sion than ever before. This is ma
ural. OF course, now that women hav
the vote, but 1t Is interesting to oil
!. serve that matters with which wome
petitioners concern themselves no.
are principally those which wome
failed previously to get enacted. Blu
no one is disposed to ignore theI
> now. The bills on which petitions c
|. women voters largely are based
date. include the bill to raise the az
. OF consent to eighteen years; the bi
I TO enlarge the benefits under til
: mothers pension act; the CENSORSHIP
: Of moving pictures; and the so-calle
!. "eugenics bill" There is the usui
/ battle on every one Of these mea
!. ures. all OF which have been up
y previous legislatures, but the chance
;. of all are enhanced appreciably by tn
i force OF the women behind them nov
ASKS PRISON BOARD CHANGE.
Nna of tho new hills IN carry m