THE STATE GRANGE. 661 



manded a continuance for a time, and under different supervision if need 

 be. Much valuable data relative to taxation is, however, now a matter of 

 record and will aid much in the movement for a more just collection of 

 taxes for public expense. It was a long step backward to discontinue 

 the investigation. The question involved will, however, continue to agi- 

 tate the people until all people and all interests are subject to the same 

 provisions and enforcement of law in the payment of general taxes. 



Other measures petitioned for by the Grange and their passage urged, 

 were the Kimmis County Salary and the Wagar State Official Salary 

 bills. The Kimmis bill, after some amendments, passed the House by a 

 large majority and was passed over to the Senate, and there referred to 

 the Committee on State Affairs, and was never reported out. The pro- 

 visions of this bill were based upon good business common sense. It 

 recognized the County Board of Supervisors as the logical authority to 

 govern county expenses, and to fix the compensation of county officers, 

 and to so systematize and husband receipts and regulate expenditures as 

 will not only be economically just, but at the same time will enable all 

 to know the real receipts, and pay of county officials. That justice to 

 taxpayers that the bill aims to establish is of the popular kind, and will 

 come up for consideration again at no distant day. 



The Wagar Salary Bill was unpopular with state officials whose 

 salaries it sought to regulate and their influence seemed strong enough to 

 prevent action by the Senate, in which body the bill originated. It should 

 be remembered, however, that the farmers and a large majority of the 

 taxpayers of the state are in favor of an adjustment of official salaries on 

 a basis just to the employer and the employed, and in reasonable com- 

 parison with the commercial value of the service demanded. 



The bills presented in the legislature to repeal the Mortgage Tax and 

 Farm Statistics laws, and to indirectly establish the Township Unit 

 School System in Michigan, were petitioned against by the Grange, such 

 action being in line with the principles and past declarations of our order. 

 We are pleased to record that the action of the legislature on all of these, 

 with slight modifications in the Farm Statistics law, possibly for the 

 better, was favorable to our petitions. For our success along legislative 

 lines we should be grateful, and should not be discouraged because of our 

 failures. The experience is of much value to our organization, and all 

 our members who watched legislative proceedings, and will aid us in 

 future efforts. The members of legislatures are zealous for the general 

 interests of the state and people, and if questions can be laid before them 

 in a way to show justice and the general good in their favor, hearty sup- 

 port is generally secured. But it is also true that human nature is 

 inclined to selfishness, a*nd this sometimes leads to strong opposition to 

 worthy measures. Sometimes a combative spirit will control men, and 

 then they seem to oppose without justifiable reason. 



BILLS WERE LOST IN THE SENATE. 



From the record it will be remembered that the Senate proved to be 

 the executioner an 1 undertaker in disposing of all our bills petitioned for 

 and lost. While the measures lost had warm supporters in the Upper 

 House, the majority opposed. Upon the whole the Grange has no com- 

 plaint to offer regarding the treatment of its wishes in the last legislature, 

 for in most cases that bodv concurred with our views. 



