Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-02-01
would greatly ourtail ths


under the general funding law Of 1879 Under
this law, counties aud cities can issue bonds to
ton % 8 vote OF the people ms mas been taken
advantage OF, and large amounts OF bonds ran
ming thirty yeaEs and bearing six per cent inter
est, have been Issued in payment Tor outstanding
county warrants, Some of the newer counties
and cities haFe eFelieo themselves OF this and
for that reason The act referred to should bs
amended so &c 70 prohibit this lnolsCrlmlnate
RAID CLAN OERTTFICAEEs
Under the set passed at the last Legislature
providing for the payment OF Losses by invasion
Of guerr1tlasl certificates to the amount Of 8s43,
been issued. as shown by the report Of the Aud
itOr. Provision should be made for the payment
cipal which natures February LIST, 1891
So Lar as the PrICe raid claims are concerned,
EeLeF you 10 the rull report or Commissioners
Caldwell, The few thousand dollars transmitted
to the State by the General Government to pay
certain specified claims, and by the State grossly
good 20 the claimants thus wrongly deprived of
STATE OFFICERS.
In making estimates and computations for
revenue and other purposes for the nsCaI year
ending June s0ths 1880 and 1891, the Auditor and
financial officers Of the State, and their knOWl-
edge VIII be valuable on this question. Their
suggestions on other subjects stated in their re
ports are commended to your earnest attention,
aud should be carefully considered. These re-
ports, together with the reports of all State and
bureau officers, fail to receive the careful stten-
ton from Legislators to which they ara entitled,
as can testify from personal experience
ASSESSMENT.
The question Of anne nding the present system
OF assessment lie much discussed. The demand
is that all property shall be assessed at its true
value. The law req1res the assessor. from actual
view and from best sources OF information with.
IN his reach.ito determine as nearly as practice
bic the true value.
Referring to personal property. the law re-
Qu1res the several township and city assessors to
meet and agree on an equal basis OF valuation Of
TT v a IA he n q
Again the oath required from the assessor to be
attached to his personal property return is that
scr1bed by law. This the assessor COnstrues to
mean the equal basis agreed upon at the meeting
OF the several township and city assessors. These
goWnsn1p assessors are elected Dy the people OF
their respective townships, and have their pOlltl-
cal friends and followers. 1t has occurred to
4ne tnaG N amending TINS law, aLGer PtoYlolnB
for the assessment OF all property at Its true
value and imposing penalty on assessors fail
ing TO perform their duties IN accordance with
the statute 1t would be well to make the Office as
nearly non-pOlitiCal as possible. And if instead
OF township assessors as now provided for, the
Office of County Assessor be created, that it be
made the duty of the Judge OF the district court
of the several judicial districts to select and a
point a county assessor for each of the counties
in their respective districts who shall hold Office
Tor the period of two years. that said judge shall
have power to remove for cause and to I'LL va
cancies; such county assessor to have authority
to appoint deputies with the advice and consent
OF such judge. An amendment OF this kind
might remedy the evil complained of and secure
the assessment of property at it's true value.
CORPORATION LAWS,
The attention of the Legislature is called 70
the act concerning private CORPORATIONS. The
llb6raltY OF the State permits the creation OF
pOratiOns for nearly every conceivable purpose,
comforting great powers and valuable franchises
upon them. without any direct charge or expense
whatever. The ease with which corporations are
their creation, induces the formation of a vast
number that exist only in name, the in
that something may grow ont of fling of the ar
tcles of incorporation. Advantage u also taken
OF TINS law by cltlzens OF foreign STATES VINO
come TO Kansas long enough 70 secure the coop
Grafton of sufficient mum Der of actual residents
execute and ME articles OF incorporation, secure
q ceruned copy OF the same and hasten away TO
their foreign homes to commence business,
holding themselves cut as a full-fedged corpora
ton, 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 is levied thereon, and no benefit what
ever is derived by the State for the corporate
powers conferred, This law, il my opinion,
should be amended SO thatnO corporation should
be created OF organized under the laws OF Kan
sas, except those formed for benevolent, religious
or educational purposes. until the persons
named as inCOrpOratOrs shall have paid into the
state treasury speclned sum or rate per cent.
on the capital stock OF such corporation and 8
capital stock is increased; that a receipt from
the State Treasurer, showing that such sum had
been paid, should Re fled with the Secretary of
State at the time OF the ming or articles OF IN
corporation or association; that the sums SO paid
into the treasury should become a part of the
general revenue and credited to that fund: BY
this means the State would receive large tribute
Tor the powers conferred. -
FEES AND SALARIES.
There is, among the people, demand for some
revision of the law regulating the fees and sal
aries of county officers. Every Office should be
on salaEied basls-nO fees. The salary should
be liberal, considering the services required and
the responsibility inseparable from every public
trust
TO ayDIy this measure eouitabIy in q general
act, governing one hundred and six counties
differing so widely in population and business
is a task not free from difficulty. As between
F Nrg- rnAHTr d. Haw orb
inequality and injustice in cOmpensatiOnWhich IN
some instances should be reduced, while in 9TH
ers 1t could not be done without great injustice.
readjustrnenG OF salaries, on some more equ1G-
able basis, is certainly demanded. This is mani
fest from few striking examples. The treas
urer, in many counties, receives more
pay than the State Treasurer. There
can be no comparison between the
duties, response biGties and qualifications neces
sary to proper discharge Of the functions OF the
respective Offices. To say that the cOmpensa-
ton should be the same IN both cases. would be
The register of deeds in many cases gets more
pay than the judge of the district court or the
justices Of the Supreme court positions requlr.
ing great learning. hard labor, and years Of eL
perience and preparation. The pay OF our State
Treasurer is ridicuiOusiy meagers that OF our lu.
dietary far from liberal and something is sadly
out of joint in the matter of salaries OF county
officers. trust that further reference to these
matters viii not be necessary to secure an early
and adequate remedy.
INSURANCE.
The last report of the Superintendent of In.
insurance companies are authorized TO do buei
ness in the State. Eighty-thres of these were
fire companies, twenty eight life, and six com
penies are classed as miscellaneous, About
twenty Kansas cOmpsnies have died of exposure
and the number of worthless home companies
has become very small.
The receipts Of the insurance department last
year, paid by companies doing business here
were e51, A08.57. The receipts of the departing ni
since il was established in 1871. have been $685.
6z9.s6. Most OF this money has gone into the
school fund and the general revenue fund. 1t II
turned over to the State Treasurer every month
The amount OF IRE insurance written IN the
State last year was S187, 228 $50. cost, in premi
ums, S2.08Og2S; losses paid. S1s124,725; averag.
rate of premiums, 81 ,6e.
The life insurance written during the year wal
S12S0l. 84Si losses paid. s24Is485i premiums re-
ceiVed. S54S, SSA.
The Superintendent believes that very little
new legislation is needed; tEa6 there is more
need o rigidly enforcing the law We have thar
Of asking for more law. There should be, how.