When apportioned. tion of com in counties where such valuation does not exceed ten millions of dollars; such tax shall not exceed four dollars on each one thousand dollars of assessed valuation according to the assessment roll of the last preceding year in counties where such valuation is more than ten million dollars and does not exceed twenty millions of dollars; such tax shall not exceed three dollars on each one thousand dollars of assessed valuation according to the assessment roll of the last preceding year in counties where such valuation is more than twenty million dollars and does not exceed forty millions of dollars; such tax shall not exceed two dollars on each one thousand dollars of assessed valuation according to the assessment roll of the last preceding year in counties where such valuation is more than forty million dollars and does not exceed one hundred million dollars; such tax shall not exceed fifty cents on each one thousand dollars of assessed valuation according to the assessment roll of the last preceding year in counties where such valuation is more than one hundred million dollars. At the annual meeting of the board of supervisors, held in October, the county clerk shall lay such determination before the board of supervisors, and such board of supervisors shall pass upon the said determination, and if a majority of such board of supervisors agree therewith, then such tax shall be apportioned among the several townships and cities of said county If determina- according to their equalized valuation. If the determination of the board of county road commissioners shall not meet with the approval of a majority of the board of supervisors, then the said board of supervisors shall proceed to decide upon the amount of tax to be raised for such year in such county for the purposes aforesaid and may allow or reject in whole or in part any or all of the items for the sections of roads thus submitted for its consideration; and it shall not be lawful for such county road commissioners without the consent of such board of supervisors to expend any such moneys upon any other roads than as thus specified. It shall be the duty of the board of supervisors to raise a sufficient tax to keep any county roads or bridges already built in reasonable repair, and in condition reasonably safe and fit for public travel. After the said board of supervisors shall have decided upon the amount of tax to be raised, the said board shall thereupon apportion such tax between the several townships and cities of said county according to their equalLevy and ap- ized valuation. The supervisors or other assessing officers portionment. in such townships and cities shall levy and apportion the taxes so apportioned as provided in this section, to their respective townships and cities respectively, upon which the county taxes are assessed. The taxes so assessed shall be collected and paid to the county treasurer the same as other county taxes. All the provisions of law relating to the assessment, levy, collection and return of county taxes and the sale of property delinquent therefor, shall apply to taxes to be missioners not approved. Duty of supervisors. Collection. raised pursuant to this act. The county treasurer shall keep Accounting. a separate account of the taxes collected and moneys received under this act and shall pay the same out only upon the order of such board of county road commissioners and upon warrants signed by the chairman and countersigned by the clerk of the board. In counties having a county auditor or board of county auditors the warrants shall pass through the hands of such county auditors and be further countersigned by them when payment shall be made thereof by the county treasurer. All moneys raised under the provisions of this Expenditures. act shall be expended by such board of county road commissioners exclusively for the purposes herein mentioned. Approved May 2, 1917. [No. 158.] AN ACT abrogating the common law disability of married women insofar as to make and render them competent to bind themselves and become liable with their husbands upon any written instrument, so as to subject the real estate of the husband and wife owned by them as tenants by entirety, or the real estate acquired by either as survivor of the other, and all crops, rents, profits or proceeds thereof or taken therefrom, to the payment and satisfaction of judgments and decrees of courts rendered upon such written instruments and providing for the enforcement of such liabilities, and to repeal all acts or parts of acts contravening the provisions of this act. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. The common law disability of married women Disability to make and enter into the class or kind of contracts herein abolished. after specified in section two, is hereby abrogated and abol ished. instruments. SEC. 2. Hereafter married women shall be possessed of Joint liability the power and capacity, and it shall be competent for them on written to bind and make themselves jointly liable with their husbands upon any written instrument as hereinafter provided. Such instrument shall contain a statement that no undue influence or constraint has been exerted against the wife in the execution thereof. Said liability to extend, however, only to the property described in the following section. SEC. 3. Hereafter the real estate of the husband and wife On real estate. owned by them as tenants by entirety, or the real estate acquired by either as survivor of the other, shall be liable to seizure and sale on execution in satisfaction of any judgment Enforcement of judgment. Property exempted. which has been recovered against the husband and wife jointly on any instrument signed by both and on which such husband and wife have been found jointly liable. SEC. 4. Such judgment or decree shall be enforced in all respects as now provided by law, except this, that in all cases where such liability is sought to be enforced as against the real estate of the husband and wife owned by them jointly as tenants by entirety or the crops, rents, profits or proceeds thereof or taken therefrom, the judgment or decree shall recite and it shall be the duty of the court to determine in such suit or proceeding whether such judgment or decree is rendered upon any written instrument and whether the parties defendant in such suit or proceeding and against whom such judgment or decree is rendered, were at the date of delivery of such instrument husband and wife, naming them, which recital of fact for the guidance of the officer shall be endorsed upon any writ of execution or other process issued thereon or for the collection thereof, which recital shall be conclusive as against the husband and wife and authorize the enforcement of such judgment or decree as against all property subject to the satisfaction thereof by virtue of this act. SEC. 5. The provisions of this act shall not be construed to apply to any property otherwise exempted under the constitution or laws of this State. SEC. 6. All acts or parts of acts contravening the provisions of this act are hereby repealed. Approved May 2, 1917. Criminal cases. From judgment upon indictment. [No. 159.] AN ACT to provide for writs of error in criminal cases on behalf of the people of the State of Michigan in certain instances. The People of the State of Michigan enact: SECTION 1. A writ of error may be taken by and on behalf of the people of the State of Michigan from any court of record in said State direct to the Supreme Court thereof, in all criminal cases, in the following instances, towit: (a) From a decision or judgment quashing or setting aside any indictment or information, or any count thereof, where such decision or judgment is based upon the invalidity or construction of the statute upon which such indictment or information is founded. (b) From a decision arresting a judgment of conviction From decision or directing a judgment of acquittal for insufficiency of the directing indictment, where such decision is based upon the invalidity judgment. or construction of the statute upon which such indictment or information is founded. judgment (c) From the decision or judgment sustaining a special From plea in bar, when the defendant has not been put in jeopardy. sustaining SEC. 2. The writ of error in all such cases shall be taken special plea. within thirty days after the decision or judgment has been When taken. rendered, and shall be diligently prosecuted, and shall have precedence in the Supreme Court over all other cases. SEC. 3. Pending the prosecution and determination of the Bail. writ of error in the foregoing instances, the defendant shall be admitted to bail, on his own recognizance: Provided, Proviso. That no writ of error shall be taken by or allowed the people of the State of Michigan in any case where there has been a verdict in favor of the defendant. Approved May 2, 1917. [No. 160.] AN ACT to provide whole family protection for members of fraternal beneficiary societies, permitting the payment of death or annuity benefits upon the lives of children between the ages of two and eighteen years at next birthday, for whose support and maintenance a member of such society is responsible. The People of the State of Michigan enact: or annuity SECTION 1. Any fraternal benefit society authorized to do Death business in this State and operating on the lodge plan, may benefits upon provide in its constitution and by-laws, in addition to other children. benefits provided for therein, for the payment of death or annuity benefits upon the lives of children between the ages of two and eighteen years at next birthday, for whose support and maintenance a member of such society is responsible. Any such society may at its option, organize Optional. and operate branches for such children, and membership in local lodges and initiation therein shall not be required of such children, nor shall they have any voice in the management of the society. The total benefits payable as above pro- Benefits, vided shall in no case exceed the following amounts at ages to exceed. at next birthday at time of death, respectively, as follows: Two, thirty-four dollars; three, forty dollars; four, forty-eight dollars; five, fifty-eight dollars; six, one hundred forty dollars; seven, one hundred sixty-eight dollars; eight, two hundred dollars; nine, two hundred forty dollars; ten, three hun what not Certificate, when effective. dred dollars; eleven, three hundred eighty dollars; twelve, four hundred sixty dollars; thirteen to fifteen, five hundred twenty dollars; and sixteen to eighteen years, where not otherwise authorized by law, six hundred dollars. SEC. 2. No benefit certificate as to any child shall take effect until after medical examination or inspection by a licensed medical practitioner, in accordance with the laws When issued. of the society, nor shall any such benefit certificate be issued unless the society shall simultaneously put in force at least five hundred such certificates, on each of which at least one assessment has been paid, nor where the number of lives represented by such certificates falls below five hundred. Contributions, The death benefit contributions to be made upon such certificate shall be based upon the standard industrial mortality table or the English life table number six, and a rate of interest not greater than four per cent per annum, or upon a higher standard: Provided, That contributions may be waived or returns may be made from any surplus held in excess of reserve and other liabilities, as provided in the by-laws: And provided further, That extra contributions shall be made if the reserves hereafter provided for become impaired. how based. Proviso. Further proviso. Reserve required. Proviso, surrender, etc., of certificates. SEC. 3. Any society entering into such insurance agreements shall maintain on all such contracts the reserve required by the standard of mortality and interest adopted by the society for computing contributions, as provided in section two, and the funds representing the benefit contributions and all accretions thereon shall be kept as separate and distinct funds, independent of the other funds of the society, and shall not be liable for nor used for the payment of the debts and obligations of the society other than the benefits herein authorized: Provided, That a society may provide that when a child reaches the minimum age for initiation into membership in such society, any benefit certificate issued hereunder may be surrendered for cancellation and exchange for any other form of certificate issued by the society: Provided, That such surrender will not reduce the number of lives insured in the branch below five hundred, and upon the issuance of such new certificate any reserve upon the original certificate herein provided for shall be Nomination of transferred to the credit of the new certificate. Neither beneficiary. the person who originally made application for benefits on account of such child, nor the beneficiary named in such original certificate, nor the person who paid the contributions, shall have any vested right in such new certificate, the free nomination of a beneficiary under the new certificate being left to the child so admitted to benefit membership. Proviso, reduction. Separate financial statement. SEC. 4. An entirely separate financial statement of the business transactions and of assets and liabilities arising therefrom shall be made in its annual report to the Insurance Commissioner by any society availing itself of the provisions hereof. The separation of assets, funds and lia |