The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-01-17

actual residents, execute and file arti-
cles OF Incorporation, secure certified
copy of the same and hasten away to
their foreign homes to commence bust
ness, holding themselves out as full
tiedged corporation, duly authorized
under the laws of Kansas. Their
business is done principally outside of
the state. their property is beyond the
state limits, no taxes are levied there
on, and no benefit whatever is derived
by the state for the corporate powers
conferred. This law, in my opinion,
should be amended so that no corpora
ton should be created or organized
under the laws of Kansas, except those
formed for benevolent, religious or
educational purposes, until the persons
named as incorpOratorS shall have paid
Ito the state treasury a specified sum
or rate per cent on the capital stock of
such corporation, and further sum or
rate per cent whenever such capital
stock is increased; that receipt from
the state treasurer, showing that such
sum had been paid, should be filed with
the secretary of state at the time of
the filing of articles of incorporation
or association; that the sums so paid
into the treasury should become part
of the general revenue and credited to
that fund. By this means the state
would receive a large tribute for the
powers conferred.
FEES AND SALARIES.
There is among the people, demand
for some revision of the law regulating
the fees and salaries of county officers.
Every Office should be on a salaried
basis-no fees. The salary should be
liberal, considering the services re-
quired and the responsibility INSOFAR
able from every pnblic trust.
To apply this measure equitablY in
general act, governing 106 counties,
differing so widely in population and
business, is a task not free from diff
| Guilty. AS between the several county
offices, the present law works inequality
| and injustice in compensation, which
| in some instances should be reduced,
| while in others it could not be done
without great injustice. A re-adjust-
| ment of salaries, on some more equit-
| able basis, is certainly demanded. This
is manifest from few striking exam
pies. The treasurer, in many counties,
receives more pay than the state treas
| urer. There can be no comparison
between the duties, responsibilities and
| qualifications necessary to proper dis
charge of the functions of the respec-
tive offices. To say that the compensa-
| ton should be the same in both cases
would be preposterous.
The register of deeds in many cases
gets more pay than the judge of the
district court or the justices OF the SUI
preme court, positions requiring great
learning, hard labor, and years of eX-
perience and preparation. The pay of
our state treasurer is ridiculously
meagre, that of our Judiciary far from
liberal. and something is sadly out of
| Joint in the matter of salaries OF
| county officers. l trust that further
references to these matters will not
be necessary to secure an early and
adequate remedy.
INSURANCE.
The last report of the superintend-
ent of insurance shows that III insur-
ance companies are authorized to dc
business in this state. Eighty-three
of these are fire companies. twenty
eight life, and six companies are classed
as miscellaneous. About twenty Kan
sas companies have died of exposure
and the number of worthless home
companies has become very small.
The receipts of the insurance de-
partment last year, paid by the com
panies doing business here, were SOL, :
40S.57. The receipts of the depart
ment since it was established, in 1871
have been $3.50, $685.. Most of this
money has gone into the school fund
and the general revenue fund. 1t is
turned over to the state treasurer
every month.
The amount of fire insurance written
in the state last year was S137 ,22S $50
cost, in premiums, S2,030, 1913; losses
paid, 81 ,124 ,726; average rate of prem
iumS, Sl.59.
The life insurance written during
the year was $l2 ,60l ,S43; losses paid
S247 ,4S5; premiums received, $743, 1884
The superintendent believes that
very little new legislation is needed
that there is more need of rigidly Ell
forcing the law we have than of asking
for more law. There should be, how
ever, more stringent provision fol
the arrest and punishment of persons
who act as agents and take Insurance.
, in companies not authorized to d.
business in this state. Such persons
, really rob the innocent people who trus
them, and the law should treat then
as criminals.
Several fire companies having an i'm
paired capital or the habit of not pay
ing losses, were excluded from the stat
at the beginning of the last insuranc
year. The power of the Superintendent
IN such cases has been tested in tn
supreme court, and that tribunal ha
: sustained his action.
BANKS AND BANKING.
We have no law regulating the i'm
portant subject of banks and banking
: Banks of discount and deposit are re
ferred to. as banks of issue are forbid
, den by the constitution, except by
vote of the people. Even the genera
: corporation law does not include bank
, ing as one of the many purposes TO
which corporations may be formed. an
the only provision on the subject is al
ticle Is. chapter %, general statutes
being an act of six sections for thu
organization and Incorporation of saw
: ings associations. The right to incor
: porate banks under this act for tn
: purpose of carrying on a general bank
. ing business has been questioned, an
: even the constitutionality of the act as
sailed in case of Pape VS.. Capitol Bank
: 20 Kas. Rep. 44O.
3 Notwithstanding this, hundreds O
banks over the state have been thu
e organized and Incorporated, not a
i savings banks in fact. but to carry o
q general business. The act i'll its ger
: eral provisions is very meagre and in
. sufficient. 1t requires but ten per cen
: Ofthe subscribed capital stock to b
j paid on organization, the balance sui
g ject to call, with no means whereby tn
= public may know whether it has eve
= been called or not. The capital i
d cash paid in may be strikingly sma
4 compared with the advertised capita
g stock. In justice to those who desiI
q to form banking corporations, theI
!. should be some adequate provision {
d law for that purpose; and in justice
{ them, as well as the business public
o there should be an act regulatiD
s the subject of banks and banking ger
n orally, with some power of examine
l. ton, inspection and supervision, whic
It might be lodged with bank commits
+ siOner, or with the present superinteI
f dent of insurance. This should
r done with care, and wholly with a vie
= to the protection of public interest, an
q in spirit of justice to those legit
r mately engaged in highly-importar
}. business, involving great trust ar
e responsibility.
,. SUPREME COURT COMMISSION.
# The last legislature create
e what is styled a supreme cou
II commission, whose duration W;
e limited to three years, whiC
10 will expire in March of next year, u