to furnish cement because of its shortage of that material and con sequently the contractors were injured financially. The fact is the contractors did not avail themselves of the privilege accorded them by the contract and subsequent to the time that it became apparent that cement could not be furnished each of them signed a waiver of the provision and agreed to an extension of time of completion of the contract for a twelve months period after the first day of December, 1922. Under these circumstances neither the Legislature nor the Board of State Auditors has the power or right to in any way alter these contracts. They are expressly prohibited from so doing by Section 3 of Article 16 of the Constitution.

I, therefore, withhold my approval of the Act.

Respectfully,

ALEX. J. GROESBECK.

May 27, 1925

From Journal of the House of Representatives, p. 1271

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE:

Sir: I herewith return House Bill Number 432, (File No. 250), being, House Enrolled Act Number 212, entitled,

"An act to repeal act number seven of the Public Acts, Extra Session of nineteen hundred nineteen, entitled 'An act to prohibit the taking of grayling from the waters of this State.""

This act was aimed at the repeal of the present law prohibiting the taking of grayling, a species of trout, from state waters. These fish are rapidly disappearing and it will require an intensive effort to stop their complete extinction. Instead of allowing their destruction, an effective campaign for their preservation should and will be undertaken. For these reasons I withhold approval of the act.

Respectfully,

ALEX. J. GROESBECK.

May 27, 1925

From Journal of the House of Representatives, pp. 1271-1272

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE:

Sir: I herewith return House Bill Number 360, (File No. 334), being, House Enrolled Act Number 220, entitled,

"An act to amend section twenty-seven of chapter nineteen of act number three hundred fourteen of the Public Acts of nineteen hundred fifteen, "The Judicature Act of nineteen hundred fifteen', being section twelve thousand six hundred eighty-one of the Compiled Laws of nineteen hundred fifteen."

I withhold my approval for the reason that the act does not provide for the disposition of the moneys collected by the receiver, and for the further reason that the act would permit an added burden upon the mortgagor in every case by requiring him to pay the expenses of the receivership, without at the same time expressly benefiting the mortgagee or purchaser.

Respectfully,

ALEX. J. GROESBECK.

May 27, 1925

From Journal of the House of Representatives, p. 1272

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE:

Sir: I herewith return House Bill Number 361, (File No. 333), being. House Enrolled Act Number 221, entitled,

"An act to amend sections one and eleven of chapter one hundred thirty of the Revised Statutes of eighteen hundred forty-six, entitled 'Of the foreclosure of mortgages by advertisement,' being sections fourteen thousand nine hundred forty-nine and fourteen thousand nine hundred fifty-nine of the Compiled Laws of nineteen hundred fifteen."

I withhold my approval for the reason that the act does not provide for the disposition of the moneys collected by the receiver, and for the further reason that the act would permit an added burden upon the mortgagor in every case by requiring him to pay the expenses of the receivership, without at the same time expressly benefiting the mortgagee or purchaser.

Respectfully,

ALEX. J. GROESBECK.

May 27, 1925

From Journal of the House of Representatives, p. 1272

TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE:

Sir:—I herewith return House Bill Number 404, (File No. 284), being, House Enrolled Act Number 236, entitled,

"An act to amend section two of act number ninety-one of the Public Acts of nineteen hundred eleven, entitled 'An act to provide for the assessment and collection of a specific tax upon the class of credits founded upon and evidenced by mortgages and liens upon real property, and to repeal all acts and parts of acts in contravention thereto,' being section four thousand two hundred sixty-nine of the Compiled Laws of nineteen hundred fifteen."

This act is similar in all respects to one passed in 1923 and which was vetoed for the reason that if allowed to become a law it would result in a very large decrease in revenue and place a premium on the execution of fictitious mortgages. For this reason and also because the present act is so obscure in its provisions as to how and when they can be applied, I withhold my approval.

Respectfully,

ALEX. J. GROESBECK.

1926

February 16, 1926

From Journal of the Senate, Extra Session, pp. 4-6

TO MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE:

The Grand Trunk Railroad Company is now operating its line between Detroit and Grand Haven under a special charter granted in 1834 to its predecessors and for many years had been paying annually the small sum of $25,171.40 into the Primary School Fund as taxes on property conservatively valued between fourteen and sixteen millions, and which, if assessed under the general Railroad Law, would require it to pay annually at least $350,000.00. This so-called charter has been the source of much litigation between the state and the company and has very naturally aroused considerable adverse public sentiment. Until recently it appeared to be a hopeless task to bring about a settlement that would be equitable to both parties. However, at the last regular session, a concurrent resolution was adopted declaring it necessary for the state to acquire the property of this corporation under the option contained in the original charter and directing certain preliminary steps to be taken leading up to such acquisition.

Since the passage of the resolution mentioned, negotiations between the state and the company have progressed to the point where a definite proposal has been made by the company which will require legislative sanction to accept and carry out. In effect, the company proposes to surrender its special charter, remove its tracks from Woodward Avenue and to pay, in addition to the specific tax it is now paying, the full cost thereof at the rate of $200,000 per year if the state will finance the undertaking. The only obligation that the state will assume will be the providing of a fund from which the expense of acquiring a new right of way and rebuilding thereon will be paid. After the cost of moving the tracks to the new location has been defrayed by the yearly payments of $200,000, the company will then come under the general law pertaining to the taxation of railroads and will be paying into the Primary School Fund between three and four hundred thousand dollars a year instead of twenty-five thousand dollars and upwards it pays at the present time.

The reason that this matter is now submitted to your consideration is because this so-called special charter had its origin in legislative action. It constitutes the last charter in the state and the most trouble

some one. It should be abrogated and nullified by legislative authority and the proposed agreement leading up to its surrender should receive your sanction.

HIGHWAYS.

At the last regular session the weight and gas tax bills were passed and given immediate effect. They carry appropriations totaling $17,129,000, exclusive of construction items. The total net receipts from these two sources to January 1st, 1926, were $21,592,544.34, leaving the comparatively small sum of $4,463,544.34 available for construction purposes. Subsequent to their passage, Act No. 17 known as the "Ming Bill" was passed which required the state to assume and pay the entire construction and maintenance cost of trunk line highways and relieve the counties of any liability therefor. In the appropriations contained in the weight and gas tax bills referred to, there were $2,000,000 provided yearly for maintenance. The State now has nearly seven thousand miles of roads to maintain and the inadequacy of the appropriation for that purpose is apparent to anyone having the slightest knowledge of the facts. A very careful survey by the Highway Department of this year's maintenance requirements, including snow removal, indicates that to properly maintain them will entail an expenditure of at least four million dollars. This extra money will necessarily have to be taken from the Highway Construction fund unless some changes are made in existing appropriations. It must be conceded that the paving, widening and general improvement of our trunk line system constitute the most important and useful work the state is engaged in. The capital outlay therefor yields a larger service return than any other class of public investment. The demand that they be paved at once is general and not confined to any particular county or section. Main arteries such as M-10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18 and 21 and others should be hard surfaced just as rapidly as funds for that purpose can be made available. The traveling public is justly out of patience with the inconvenience, expense and hazards incident to the upkeep and maintenance of dirt and gravel roads.

Last year it was necessary to retrench our road building program to the extent of eight million dollars, under what it was the year pre viously. At the present time the state has but eight million dollars worth of highway and bridge construction under contract and in progress on state account and is not in need of any additional funds to meet these obligations. They can all be completed and paid for from the moneys available this year.

If, however, it is the judgment of the Legislature that additional