The diamond drill., 1921-04-30
| LANSING
LEGISLATORS IN MIGHT
SESSIONS IN FINAL RUSH
Making Every Effort to Clean Up on
Calendar; Appropriation Bills
Get Attention.
tFrom stan oorrespondent)

10 the other In time TO permit action
before adjournment.
Morning, afternoon and night ses-
sions OF both houses were the rule In
the effort TO clean up the calendars.
The mammoth size OF the house list
Of pending bills was such for few
days that members who had been op-
posing efforts TO save time by attach
ing roll calls TO bills against which
there was no particular opposition,
surrendered TO the desire for speed at
: last. AS a result the house cleanup
proceeded rapidly. On one day rec
ord was set for the house when ten
bills were adopted on final passage in
space OF fifteen minutes
voTE JAMES LAW REPEAL.
! Among the big measures coming up
in the house on the final hours sched-
ule for definite action were two pro-
posed by Rep. George w. Welsh, OF
Grand Rapids. The first aims TO re-
peal the James law, passed In 1919,
by which boys and girls under the age
OF 1S who have gone to work before
completing the regular school course
must attend continuation schools for
at least eight hours each week. The
operation OF this law is both costly
and troublesome, declared Welsh. The
law was strongly defended by others,
but the house passed the repeal bill
by a vote OF 81 to 33 and sent II over
10 the senate.
A call OF the house while this re-
peal measure was pending disclosed
that for the first time In the session
every one OF the one hundred mem
bers of the house were present. Three
were granted leave OF absence during
the debate, however, because OF other
important business and 30 did not
vote or the bill.
Welsh's second bill was entitled one
Ito define and prohibit general libel
and is aimed at the anti-Semitic cam
paign OF the Ford weekly. Rep. Frick,
OF Detroit, questioned the constitu-
tionality OF the bill and said that pres
ent libel laws appeared sufficient to
him, causing a spirited debate for an
hour. The house then voted rs to 10
In favor OF the bill.
BUDGET NEED rs SHOWN.
At this stage OF the session appro.
priation bills had the right OF way In
each house and took up much OF the
time. II was thought two years ago
that the passage of the budget bill
would relieve this situation in the
present and all future sessions, but
the failure OF the budget system TO
get into operation has resulted In the
usual crop OF nearly a hundred DIFF
ferent appropriation measures, with
no certainty OF what the actual total
appropriations will be until they all
have been acted upon. Renewed In
terest in the obtaining OF budget
system has resulted.
The senate has adopted the Joint
resolution for an amendment TO the
constitution permitting the enactment
OF legislation to create port districts
at Detroit and other lake points, in
anticipation OF the lakes-to-ocean
waterway program going through and
making Detroit seaport. The house
still has TO act upon this resolution
before II is certain that It Will be
submitted 20 the people next year.
ASK $1,000 SALARY.
The proposed amendment to the
constitution 10 pay members OF the
legislature $1,000 for the session In
stead OF the present $500 was adopted
by vote OF 20 20 "a after having been
defeated and tabled twice. II reQuir-
cd a two-thirds vote TO pass. II the
senate acts favorably on the resolu-
ton II will be submitted the people
at the election In November OF next
year along With the amendment 10
limit legislative sessions 10 one hun
dred days.
Efforts TO get the Strauch bill on
the table I'm the house have failed. IL
proposes tax OF Ave per cent on the
gross earnings OF motor trucks oper-
ating for profit Also on the house
table Is the proposed resolution to
permit the state administrative board
TO dispose OF in legal ways the stock
OF liquor In possession OF the food
and drug department. Speaker War
ner ruled that this matter could not
be disposed OF by means OF resolu-
tion, as Il involved a change in the |
liquor laws.
Another liquor measure. the Hicks !
bill designed TO patch up the present ,
law 10 take care OF the situation I
caused by the supreme court holding
the search and seizure section uncon-
stitutlonal, has passed the senate al.
ter much debate on whether or not Il
nlls the constitutional requirements
laid down by the supreme court in It's
decision.
PRIMARY DATE SET BACK.
The house has adopted the Dunn
bin 20 change the date OF the primary
election every two years from the last
Tuesday IN August 70 the second |
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