Charlevoix county herald., 1921-02-18
State Police in
Charge at Ionia
Five Year Term of Office To Be
Considered As Cure For
Prison Abuses.
MAY ADOPT CORPORATION
TAX.
Senate APPROVES Governors Ad-
ministrative Board Plan.

Lansing.-That the Michigan Re-
formatory at Ionia was conducted as
a workhOuse instead of a reformatory
is the conclusion of the legislative
committee, accompanied by Governor
Groesbeck and Attorney General
Wiley, after a personal investigation
and examination of the institution
and its inmates.
Otis Fsller, warden for 27 years.
handed in his resignation to the Gov
ernor early last week and the resigna-
tions of Jerome Walker, acting war
den, Walter Rich. captain of the night
guard, DR.. E. F. Beckwith, reforma-
tory physician and two members of
the board of control were announced
soon afterward.
Dungeons and Stripes Discarded.
Major Robert E. Marsh, head of the
State Police, was placed in charge as
temporary warden and several mem
bers of the state police force replaced
guards against whom charges of
cruelty and mistreatment of inmates
are now pending. Major Marsh has
announced several changes which
were put into effect as soon as he
took charge. Dungeons and stripes
were discarded and the educational
facilities of the institution are to be
expanded. DR.. Richard II. Olin, state
health officer, will remain at the re-
formatory to direct the medical exam
ination of the inmates, something that
has been sadly neglected according to
the testimony before the investigating
committee.
Following his return to the capitol
the Governor announced that re-
port Of the investigation would not
be made 60 the legislature until Otis
Fuller, former warden, and his attor-
ney, George E. Nichols, have had an
opportunity to go over the testimony.
Mr.. Fuller has issued statement in
which he promises to submit testi
mony which will show up the matter
in it's true light. Il simply ask that
the public await the time of full hear
ing before passing judgment either
way" said Mr.. Fuller
Limitation Of the terms of prison
wardens as means of preventing
conditions that developed at Ionia, is
now being discussed by the committee
and other representatives, who be-
lieve that the present system of un-
limited terms units the head of
penal institution for the work he has
to do by hardening his nature through
constant contact with convicts.
Combine Corporation Acts.
The new corporation act, which is
a >recodification of Michigan's corpora
tion laws, was introduced by Rep.
George LORD Detroit. The act covers
113 pages oi typewriter copy, being
drafted in the attorney-generars de-
partment, part OF it having been
drawn up under the administration of
Mr.. Groesbeck and completed by Mer-
lin Wiley.
Rep. Danz offered an amendment to
the general motor tax law, raising the
tax on weight from 35 cents to 81 per
hundred.
The existence of the Michigan COM
mission to the Great Lakes-St. Law
renee Tidewater congress would be
continued under the provisions of a
bill offered in the senate by Senator
Vandenboom. 1t carries an appropria-
ton of $4,000 year for two years,
ITO promote the establishment of a
deep sea route from the Great Lakes
to the Atlantic"
The joint legislative committee
named to investigate the activities of
the Michigan Community Council
commission returned from Grand Rap
ids without having anything definite
to report. Senator Herbert Baker,
chairman, was informed by Carol
Sweet, head of the community council,
that all the cash the committee has
handled, 1890, was turned over by
the Women's Council of National De-
fense to the state Of Michigan.
Senator Hamilton Has Bill.
Michigan's first lady senator. Sena-
tor Eva Hamilton, Grand Rapids. in
troduced her first bill of the session.
II would allow the state to contract
with child caring agencies for the
care of dependents.
Senator Davis would amend the
general tax law to permit city and
county treasurers or other collecting
officers to charge two per cent extra
on taxes paid any time after January
"a