The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-01-26
From Sundays Daily.l
ADEPARTMENT REPORT.
synopsis of the Report Ofthe Com
missioner of Insurance, sta
tistics and History.

The report of Commissioner Spaigh'
of the operations of the department o.
insurance, statistics and history, for thu
year Just past, will show that the receipt!
of the insurance branch of the depart
ment have been $l7,32S for 1881, a:
against $l4, 1893 for 1880, being an In
crease of S2,524 in receipts over the
previous year.
During the year ten insurance com
panics from other states, in addition tC
the plumber heretofore admitted, have
been authorized TO do business IN this
state these ten companies aggregating an
insurance capital in roundinumbers OF
$4,000.
Notwithstanding the aid the commits
sioner has received from the regular III
suraaee agents throughout the state, in
discovering and preventing violations OF
the insurance laws, but one instance OF
such violation has been brought to his
attention, and this one was promptly and
vigorously prosecuted.
Every loss which has occurred has
been paid by insurance companies
promptly, when adjusted and due by the
terms of the contract, except only in one
case, which loss was speedily and salts
factorily arranged and paid in full, on
being laid before the commissioner, with
out the necessity of invokingfhe compul-
sorry process provided by law
STATISTICS.
Immediately after the close of the
commercial year, August 81, blank forms
for statistical information, carefully pre-
pared to elicit all matters of value and
interest touching the resources of the
state, were mailed to the county judges
and commissioners, state senators and
representatives, and many other promin-
ent citizens of every organized county,
and TO many in unorganized coun-
ties in the state. Correspondence from
time TO time, has also been had
with prominent citizens in all parts
of the state, urging responses
Owing,to the fact, however, that no COM
pensation has been provided for
the laborious service of gathering
statistics in the several counties, and no
penalty attached TO the non-performance
of the duty imposed by law, on county
officials, returns have come in very
slowly, although earnest and repeate !
efforts have been made by the commits
sioner to obtain them. Notwithstanding
this drawback, full returns have been re-
ceived from one hundred and twenty-six
counties, leaving forty-one counties still
in default, with assurances, however,
from all but very few of these Of early
returns. Very full and comprehensive
returns have also been received from five
of the unorganized counties, viz: Will
barger, Cottle, Crosby, Hansford and
Motley.
The compilation and publication of
the statistics of the state, as con-
templated by law, have been de-
layed by these causes, but the hope is in
Obliged of being able to present fully and
correctly, at an early day, every county
in the state in the statistical report of
the department. To this end the county
officials and other citizens of the counties
in default have been urgently appealed to,
again and again, to hasten their returns
Interesting and valuable sketches of
many of the counties have been received
HISTORY.
A number of interesting contributions
to the early history of Texas have been
received and filed in the archives of the
department. From time to time, cor
respondence has been had with various
persons who were reported to be in pos
session of historical papers, OF having
personal knowledge Of historical facts,
connected with the early settlement of
q the state, and the commissioner is en-
couraged TO believe that his efforts in
that direction will be crowned with par
,tial, il not entirely satisfactory, success.