454 



MICHIGAN. 



discharged numbered 36,91422,491 on farm and 

 14,423 on vil luge property, representing an aggregate 

 of $26,766,048, $15,102.264 of which was on farms. 



Products. The gold output of the State in 1898 

 is given as $65,000 in value, against $62,700 in 

 1897. The output of coal in the State the past year 

 was 331,476 short tons. The report of the Labor 

 Commissioner says that, although not more than one 

 third of the iron" mines in the State were in opera- 

 tion during the past year, the output has been far 

 greater than during "any year in the history of 

 Michigan. The report not only embodies the 

 mim-nil si at istics, but also includes a summary of the 

 Michigan sandstone quarries' enterprise, which is in 

 its infancy. Four companies quarry red sandstone 

 at Port ago Entry, Houghton County, of which but 

 two were in operation in 1897, and there is one at 

 Marquette which produces brown sandstone, which 

 has been used considerably in the construction of 

 fine buildings. A good stone of this sort has been 

 found in Alger, Marquette, Baraga, Houghton, and 

 Ontonagon counties. 



The wheat crop of 1898 was the greatest in the 

 history of the State. The number of acres of grow- 

 ing wheat in the State last spring was 1,730.224 ; the 

 averege yield per acre is 19.12 bushels, and the total 

 yield in the State 33,083,261 bushels. 



Court Decisions. In an action brought to re- 

 cover $500 lost in abet on an election, the Supreme 

 Court decided that the case did not come under the 

 statute providing that money or any article of value 

 lost by playing or betting on cards, or by any other 

 device in the nature of such playing and betting, 

 might be recovered after having been delivered 

 to the winner ; that betting on the result of an elec- 

 tion is not a device of that nature. 



The Supreme Court decided in December that ex- 

 press companies must pay for the one-cent revenue 

 stamps used on receipts, and not charge them to 

 shippers. 



An action was brought to restrain the State print- 

 ers from publishing a compilation of the statutes 

 ordered by the Legislature, on the ground that it 

 infringed the copyright on a previous compilation, 

 which it was claimed the later compiler had fol- 

 lowed and used. The United States Supreme Court 

 held that the instances cited to show plagiarism 

 were not numerous enough and of such character as 

 to justify interference by the Court. 



Ex-Uov. Blair. On Oct. 12 about 25.000 resi- 

 dents of the State outside the capital visited Lan- 

 sing to witness the unveiling of a statue of Austin 

 Blair, erected on the Statehouse grounds, to com- 

 memorate Michigan's war Governor. Many veter- 

 ans of the civil war inarched in the parade, an 

 impressive feature of which was torn and blood- 

 stained battle-flags, which were brought out of the 

 Statehouse for the first time since they were de- 

 posited there. The statue was presented to the 

 State by Gen. W. II. Withington, of Jackson, Gov. 

 Blair's home. The Legislature of 1895 appropri- 

 ated $10,000 for the statue, and provided for acorn- 

 mission of three for carrying out the work. 



Legislative Session. The Governor called an 

 extraordinary session of the Legislature, to begin 

 .March ', ) ^ > . The call cited ther equirement of the 

 Constitution that the Legislature shall provide a 

 uniform rule of taxation, and that assessments shall 

 be on properly at its cash value, and said further: 



"In violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of 

 these provisions of this Constitution, laws have been 

 passed from time to time by which railroad com- 

 panies, express companies, telegraph and telephone 

 companies now owning, according to their sworn 

 returns, at least one third of the property of this 

 State, are required to pay only about one twenty- 

 sixth of the taxes levied for State, county, and mu- 



nicipal purposes. Taxation has, in many parts of 

 tho State, become in the nature of confiscation, the 

 amount levied being greater than the property taxed 

 can. be made to produce." 



The Governor issued also a proclamation calling 

 the attention of persons and corporations to the stat- 

 utes prohibiting the offering and receiving of gifts 

 to legislators, and warning those who had been vio- 

 lating them that the Governor would do his utmost 

 to enforce them, adding: 



"The acceptance of a pass upon railroads in this 

 State is not only a crime against the statute, but 

 against the school children of the State. Every 

 pass given makes the earnings of the railroad so 

 much less, and as at present we only collect as taxes 

 a percentage on earnings which goes to the school 

 fund, every man who accepts a pass robs that fund 

 of the percentage to which it is entitled. What is 

 said of passes is also true of reduced fares, under 

 whatever pretense they may be offered. Even the 

 clergyman who rides at a reduced rate is expected 

 to make some return to the railroad company, and 

 in riding at the reduced rate he deprives the school 

 fund of the money to which it is entitled, and en- 

 courages the railroad companies to make false re- 

 turns and cheat the State out of its proper dues for 

 taxes." 



Bills were introduced providing for increased tax- 

 ation of corporations, but none were passed except 

 an amendment to the law for licensing and taxing 

 express companies incorporated in other States, rais- 

 ing the levy from 1 per cent, of their gross receipts 

 in the State to 5 per cent. The constitutionality of 

 this bill is questioned. 



The validity of the law under which the State has 

 conveyed lands taken for delinquent taxes was be- 

 fore the courts this year in several suits. The Legis- 

 lature passed an act to "suspend the refunding by 

 the Auditor General of moneys to purchasers of cer- 

 tain tax titles held invalid, and to prohibit proceed- 

 ings for the recovery of the same." 



In all eight bills and three concurrent resolutions 

 were enacted into law. Those not already men- 

 tioned were : 



Authorizing a war loan of $500,000 and providing 

 for the disbursement of the proceeds therefrom, and 

 providing for a war loan sinking fund. 



To promote the efficiency of the Michigan Na- 

 tional Guard and naval militia. 



Providing for submitting to the electors I lie 

 question of a general revision of the Constitution of 

 the State. 



To protect members of the State militia and all 

 citizens of the State of Michigan in the service of 

 the United States and their property from execu- 

 tion, seizure, and levy, and to provide for the con- 

 tinuance of pending suits in law and chancery in 

 the event of war. 



For the protection of homesteaders. 



Political. Municipal elections were held April 

 4 in all cities of the State except Detroit and Port 

 Huron. Republican mayors were elected in Flint. 

 Coldwater, Cadillac, St. Louis, Bay City, Lapeer, 

 Battle Creek, Adrian, St. Clair, Stanton, Ludington, 

 Menominee, Greenville, Tawas City, Sault Sic. 

 Marie, Hillsdale, Eaton Rapids, Gladwin. Holland. 

 Midland, Traverse City, Big Rapids, Belding. Niles. 

 Muskegon, and Alpena. Democratic, Fusion or 

 Silver Party mayors were chosen in Stnrgis, Ionia. 

 Albion, Benton Harbor, Charlotte, Jackson. Kala- 

 mazoo, Ypsilanti, Owosso, Hudson, Marine City, 

 Monroe, St. Ignace, St. Joseph, Marshall, Clare. 

 Manistee, Mt. Pleasant, Dowagiac, Hastings, Grand 

 Haven, Three Rivers, and Saginaw. Non-partisan 

 tickets were successful in Corunna, EscanaU-i. Mar- 

 quette, Gladstone, and Iron Mountain. The Labor 

 party elected a mayor in Ishpeming. 







