ASSOCIATION OF FARMERS' CLUBS 495' 



Third, That Michigan prisons should in the aggregate be made self- 

 supporting. 



Fourth, That provision be made whereby the estates of the insane, or 

 those parties legally responsible for their support, shall contribute either 

 in full or in part, as the circumstances shall warrant, toward the main- 

 tenance of said insane when confined in the public asylums. 



Fifth, That not more than the regular one-sixth mill tax be granted to 

 the university for the coming two years. 



Sixth, That no changes be made in our road laws whereby the main- 

 tenance of our roads shall be made more burdensome than at present. 



Seventh, That a more economical and effective system for the collec- 

 tion of taxes upon non-resident laud must be devised. 



Eighth, That our tax system be so amended as to secure a more equi- 

 table distribution of the burdens of taxation upon both personal prop- 

 erty and real estate, and upon both corporate and private capital. 



Every thinking person admits that the accomplishment of some of 

 the results therein set forth as desirable will require the best effort 

 of the best intellect on the part of those who legislate, and if the progress 

 seems to be slow, we should be patient so long as we are convinced that 

 men of ability are honestly striving. Honesty of purpose, however, is 

 not enough. 'We have a right to demand that those to whom we must 

 look for the solution of these problems shall possess unswerving hon- 

 esty and large ability. On the other hand, there are among these prin- 

 ciples some which are easily to be accomplished. The simple publication 

 of the facts bearing upon one of them, sustained in some instances by 

 the influence of local clubs, has resulted in a direct cash saving in many 

 counties aggregating more than |55,000. We may not succeed at once iii 

 accomplishing all we desire, but some measure of success already crowns- 

 our effort. Our progress in the immediate future depends in large meas- 

 ure upon how thoroughly the local clubs performed the work recom- 

 mended at our last annual meeting in relation to nominations for legis- 

 lative offices. At our last annual meeting the Association endorsed the 

 action of the State in returning to the original plan of compiling and 

 printing its own laws. Any other manner of procedure is believed to be 

 contrary to the constitution, of Michigan. If the State had never de- 

 parted from the consttiutional method there would have been saved, at 

 a very conservative estimate, at least |100,0()(> to the treasury, while 

 the amount extorted from those who were compelled to own the com- 

 pilation cannot be estimated, but must have been very large. There 

 will doubtless be great influence brought to bear upon the next legisla- 

 ture to induce an abandonment of the wise plan now in process of execu- 

 tion. The completion of the good work will require affirmative action 

 by the legislature. This matter is of great importance to the taxpayer, 

 for its influence extends over a series of years, affecting not only the 

 treasury of the State, but the pocket of every man who buys a copy of 

 our laws. The importance of this matter grows upon one when he re- 

 members that ignorance of the law excuses no one. A copy of them 

 should be within easy reach of every person. For some years past the 

 only way to secure a coy)y has been to pay an exorbitant price to a cor- 

 poration or firm residing outside the State. The new plan, or rather the 

 constitutional plan, is for the State to compile and print its own laws 

 and supply its fitizens at actual cost. The imx)ortance of this matter 



