Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1891-01-08

plan. Where harmony has pre-, iiled be-
tween the commissioners and the city
| authorities the superiority OF the metro
poIltan police system over the former Ona
| has been especially manifest; and on the
whole the action Of the legislature in the
matter has been indicated by experience.
| The law should empower the commission
ers to appoint an attorney TO prosecute
! cases Tor them, TO be paid ont of the fund
| arising from fines in the police court. In
stead OF being compelled TO rely upon the
| city attorney. who IS lie bic not to be In
sympathy with the efforts of the hoard. or
| unable to prosecute by reason Of his other
| of1cial duties. Other amendments to the
law are suggested, which VIII be brought
| TO the attention OF the proper committees
| IL due time.
P3ICE-RAID CLAIMS.
In 1872 congress appropriated 1886, s17.5s
| TO pay claims against the United states
| growing out OF the Price raid OF 1854, such
claims having been allowed by what was
known as the Hardie commission. The
state treasurer, III making payments, did
not confine himself to the list OF claims so
allowed, but left OF such claims unpaid
SIG, 3j2. A. The state received the money so
appropriated In trust for the claimants. and
good faith demands that provision shall De
made for the payment OF such parties as
were thus wronGed by the action OK the
state treasurer.
\ careful examination has been made OF
all claims not heretofore acted on by the
general government, and vouchers THEREFOR
have been forwarded to the state agent at
Washington for settlement. They amount
to so3 ,s97 IS. all of which seem to be Just,
and there IS coed reason TO expect Lhelr
payment. The pay-rolls OF twenty three
companies OF militia are found not TO be IN
cluded IN the rolls audited by the Hardie
| commission. Certified copies OF these rolls
have been forwarded, and these claims Tor
personal services Will doubtless be paid.
No damage claims have been 1or-
warded, as 1t is well settled that the gov
eminent has never paid any claims OF this
class. confining itself to payment OF claims
FOR services, transportation, supplies, and
property lost IN action
For fuller Information in regard to Price
raid claims, you are referred to the very
comprehensive report made to the last
legislature by General j. Z. Caldwell. COM
missioner, appointed for that purpose,
who, since the conclusion OF his labors as
commissioner, has. without compensation,
devoted much time to the preparation
OF vouchers to secure the settlement OF
all such meritoriouS claims Us remain un-
paid. .
! OTHER CLAIMS AGAINST THE GENERAL GOV.
ERNNENT.
The report OF the state agent embraces q
concise statement OF adjusted and unad-
| juSted claims OF the state agrinst the gen
eral government on account OF Indemnity
school lands, j er centum or the net pro.
ceeds OF all public lands. money expended
and Indebtedness assumed on account OF
volunteer and militia services, Agricultural
college lands, swamp lands, and railroad
land grants. A statement or all lands GER
titled and moneys paid to the state by the
general government through the efforts or
the agent, and commissions paid by the
stete to him, is therein made. Total num-
Der OF acres of land thus secured, 216, 216 81 |;
money, 81 ,29G, 2Sl.O2, for which he has re-
ceived his commissions In full, under the
contract OF 1877, except on the sum OF
sl6O ,O67 81 money received, and 800 acres of
land certified during the current fiscal year.
for which he asks an appropriation by the
legislature. \ direct tax claim OF $50, ISL 80,
and a 5-per- cent. claim of SS,442.34, have
been adjusted, and are awaiting an appro-
priatlon by congress. This direct tax
claim once passed both houses, but failed
through the interposition OF veto
by President Cleveland. The claim is
a just and equitable one, and Will
In all probability be fayorably acted upon
at this session OF congress. The unadJusted
claims include those on account or GUAM
trill raid, Price raid, interest paid by the
state on account OF war expenditures, and
Indian depredationS, amounting In the az
gregate to over a half million dollars, most
OF which, / believe, Will eventually be paid
by the general government.
At my instance, bill was prepared Dy
the agent providing for reimbursing the
state on account OF tie Quantrill- raid
claims. The bill has been reported upon
favorably, the committee on war claims
recommending an appropriation OF SS62,
OH. 46; but the accumulation OF unfinished
business IS so great that there are grave
doubts whether IL VIII be reached during
the present session OF congress.
Hon. s. j. Crawford, WHO has been IN
trusted with the work of prosecuting claims
since 1871 desires to be relieved at once.
but | shall defer action on his resignation
until the legislature makes provision for the
further prosecution OF unadjusted claims;
through an agent or attorney. With over
half a million dollars involved, the neceS-
sity for legislative action is manifest.
THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
An examination OF the reports OF the
superintendent of Insurance Is necessary to
an Intelligent appreciation OF the i'm
portant labors of the department as We'll
as the legislation recommended. The
work OF Kidding the state OF fraudulent in
surance companies has been vigorously
prosecuted ana the superintendent ext
presses the belief that there is now no COM
pany in the state attempting to violate the
laws.
There are now l3l insurance companies
authorized to do business In the state. OF
these eleven are Kansas mutual companies,
ten mutual fire and one mutual life. The
fire insurance companies now doing bust
ness in the state number eighty nine, the
life companies twenty eight, and the mis-.
cellaneous companies accident, plate glass,
steam boiler and surety, fourteen.
These companies paid to the insurance
department In 1889, Si4 ,4l5 81; IN 1880, S44,-
666. 60. They have paid to the state si72,-
625. IS since the department was established
IN 1871. Before that date the money was
collected by the auditor or state. Nearly
all OF this money goes to the school fund
and the general revenue fund. The insur-
ance receipts are turned over to the state
treasurer every month, as required by law.
Insurance business statistics for 1890 have
not yet been made to the department. The
fire insurance written in this state in 1859
was Sl37 12S 80; cost IN premiums, 81 3D.
296 losses paid, 81 ,0Sl ,695; average rate Of
premiums, 81 37-a marked decline.
Life insurance written in the state In 1889,
s4 ,379 .9iS losses paid, $3.50, $50; premiums,
received, $685., Ss3.
During the past year the supreme court
settled the question that mutual fire insur-
ance companies in this state having no
guarantee fund could not do business III
other states.
THE ADJUTAST GENERALS OFFICE.
The national guard IS In a very satisfac-
tory condition. as shown by the report OF
the adjutant general. The guard now coz
sists OF one battery Of light artillery, and
thirty two companies OIi1.antry, organized
into four regiments, armed with the regu-
lar service rifles, and uniformed in the mil
itary fatigue dress OF the United states
army. The general government now fur
nisheS arms and uniforms TO the national
guard.
The adjutant general reports that he has
completed and bound in permanent form
carefully made copies of the muster rolls OF
all the Kansas soldiers in Service during tho
war, the originals being worn out and de-
cayed. He has also completed, 10y Girec-
ton OF the last legislature. an enrolment
OF the union soldiers, their widows and
orphans residing in Kansas, and caused the
SAME TO be arranged by states, regiments
and companies, and well bound. There are
sixty nine volumes OF this enrolment, con-
tanning about one hundred thousand SER
vice records.
on coming into Office IN January. 1889 I
found small body of the guard, under di-
rectlon or General Murray Myers, in Gray