Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1921-03-18
Home Rule for
Counties Fails
Lacked Three Votes for Two
Thirds Majority in Senate.
Crrom stafr Correspondent

From stafr Correspondsnt)
Lansing.-The county commission
form OF government struck a snag in
the senate when that body took up
final consideration of Senator Phillips
Joint resolution to submit a constitu-
tional amendment to a state referen.
dunn at the November, 1922, election
that would allow counties to vote on
adopting a commission plan. Nineteen
votes was all that could be mustered
for the Phillips resolution and it re-
quires %, twothirds vote of the en-
tire senate, to submit constitutional
amendment. Ten votes were cast
ators were absent.
Cities Would Dominate Counties.
Senator McNaughton, of the rural
districts Of Kent, the county in which
the idea originated, led the fight
against the resolution, declaring that
| it meant counties would be dominated
entirely by the cities in all counties
like Kent which have large cities. A
call of the senate was resorted to in
order to keep senators in their seats
for what was considered the most i'm
portant roll call of the session up to
that time.
The vote was: Yes, Senators Baker,
Bolt, Brewer, Condor, Eldred, Engel
Forester, Hamilton, Hayes, Johnson,
Macarthur, McRae, Penney, Phillips,
Riopelle, Smith (2nd Dist.), Smith
(11th Dist.), Wilcox and Wood-19
No, Senators Anon, Bryant, Clark,
Davis, Henry, McNaughton, Osborn,
Ross, Sink and Vandenboom-10. Alb
sent, Senators Hicks, Lemire and
Tufts-3.
Following its failure of adoption the
resolution was tabled after a recon
sideration and it's sponsors will make
an effort to corral some more votes
for it before endeavoring to take II
from the table.
Agricultural Bill Passed.
The bill to create a state depart
ment of agriculture, third OF the
series designed to remodel the con-
duct Of state business, went through
the house of representatives the same
day that it was reported out from the
committee on agriculture, being
passed both in committee of the whole
and on third reading, under suspen-
sion of the rules.
In the new department, the bill pro-
vides, there will be consolidated all
state bureaus that concern agricul-
tural, livestock and horticultural mat
ters and the state fair will be under
it's control. The department also is
designed to bring closer relations be-
tween producer and consumer. The
bill now is before the senate commit
tee on agriculture. 1t is to be follow
ed by two more administration mea-
sures, the conservation bill and the
labor department measure.
Along the same lines there also is
being prepared a measure to wip out
state institutional boards and have
their duties transferred to the state
administrative board and the depart
ments under which their institutions
naturally come. 1t further is planned
to have one master accountant to
keep track Of the financial affairs of
all the institutions and state farm
er" who will look after the farms and
the livestock owned by many Of the
institutions. Some of these farms
now lose money for the state.
To Adjust Budget System.
The budget system that so far has
not functioned as 1t was intended to
will be looked after by the sNtte ad-
ministrative board as well and the SER
vice of the budget director will be dis
pensed with II is planned to extend
the system to include even the state
university and agricultural college,
The bill to cover the deficiency
budget of the state has been COM
pleted and introduced in the senate,
cut down from $2,4O0.0OO to s1,62s,-
900. Part Of the saving is the result
of the drop in general market prices,
institutional requests for funds all be.
ing based on last years prices. I'm
authorized salary raises helped ma
terially to create the deficiency, ac-
cording to the statement from the ad.
ministrative board to the Legislature.
II is thought the present bill will
carry the state through this year nice.
ly, but there may he the necessity Of
a special session OF the legislature
next January to meet conditions then.
To make the state administrative
board still more like a governors cab.
met, Rep. Dunn, Of Highland Park, in.
troduced a bill In the house to have
the secretary of state, the state treas
urer and the attorney general appoint
ed by the governor, instead OF elected
Real Supervision Lacking.
One of the reasons for the move,
ment to abolish institutional boards
of control is found in the frequent
] Investigations by legislators into