Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-03-31
BATTLE ON STATE
UTILITY CONTROL
LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES Is
FIGHTING ATTEMPT TO RES
TRIcT CITIES POWER.
SENATE PASSES DEAD" ISSUES
Votes to Submit County Home Rule
to Voters and to Abolish
State ConstabuIary.

utilities has come to the fore in tn,
legislature and determined battle
is in progress over the bill introduced
by Senator Don Osborn of Kalamazoo
TO give the public utilities commits
sion absolute control over all public
service corporations. The latter are
reported TO favor the Osborn bill ant
the league of municipalities is openly
fighting the measure.
The league adherents will be salts
fed with nothing except city contlu
Of utilities and declare that if the
Osborn bill gets through the legis
lature ii Will only do SO with a ref
erendum clause attached and that il
will be defeated at the polls when the
city people get chance 10 vote on it,
Some members are threatening to put
in bills to abolish the public utilities
commission.
Senate Log-RoIIing Charged.
Vote trading and logroling were
charged to the senate after one after.
noon session in which two apparently
dead measures were taken up and
passed along with the Bryant bill to
abolish the state constabulary. The
latter measure went through with
scarcely any comment except that DC.
casioned by the fact that the new de-
partment of public safety bill is 70
dispose OF the present state popce
body and supplant it with another
The constabulary has many deter
mined foes, however, and they re.
jolced over the senate action on the
repeal bill.
In connection with the passage OF
this bill opposition was dropped to
the proposed constitutional amend
ment TO allow counties to establish
commission form of government if
they so elect. The joint resolution
providing for the submission of this
amendment was taken of the table
where it has reposed since its failure
10 get the needed two-thirds vote and
was passed with several votes to
spare Then the senators put through
the bill to reduce auto license taxes
one-quarter on all licenses purchased
after April l OF each year. The house
already has gone on record as opposed
TO this idea.
Department Of Safety.
The administration bill for the de-
partment Of safety would place in the
l,ord- of .1,;c iarortr,ort ,bo o,forco
ment of prohibition, the duties of the
state fire mashal and OF the state oil
inspector 1t would abolish the con
stabulary next June. The bill pro-
vides for $4,000 a year commission
or 10 have charge of the department.
The house was the scene OF a pretty
battle when the proposed state in
come tax plan came up for discussion.
1t would require an amendment to the
to have such a tax and
it takes a two-thirds vote to submit
an amendment TO the voters. After
much heated debate and with the
Wayne delegation standing solidly
against the plan the house vote
showed Ga members favoring the in
come tax, just three less than two
thirds. The matter then was tabled
temporarily while the advocates of the
tax started to campaign for the nee
essary additional three members sup
port.
The house adopted the Groesbeck
administration bill 10 substitute a new
of labor and industry for
the present state labor commission.
The bill is the third OF the series OF
administration measures. II calls for
a commission of three members who
will be paid $4,000 year each and
who must devote their entire time to
the work Of the department.
Propose Welfare Commission.
The bill to establish a state welfare
to supplant the present
boards of all state institutions has
been introduced in the house II pro-
vides for a $4,000 year welfare COM
missioner, with four commissions |
under him. One would have |
charge of all prisons, another of state
hospitals, a third of corrective institu
tons and a fourth of charitable in J
stitutions. Each commission would |
consist of five members to be appoint
ed by the governor and TO be paid SO |
4 day each for time devoted to state
work.
Both houses have passed the Len
non bill to prevent aliens from own
ing firearms and it has gone to the |
governor for his consideration.
There is much interest in bill be- !
fore the senate to establish a new |
trunk line highway across the state |
from the Indiana line below Kalama
ZOO to Port Sanilac, via Ionia, Stan
ton, Ithaca and Saginaw and to be
known as the Colgrove highway in
honor OF Phil II. Colgrove. of Hast |
ngs, an ardent advocate Of good |
roads.
An unusually heavy number of petit |
lions concerning censorship of NOV
ing pictures is coming in to the SEN
ate from all parts of the state. This
subject appears to have more interest
IN N than anv other matter 1