The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-23
IN THE LEGISLATURE.
Proceedings Open in an Interesting
and Promising Way,
THE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER.
To head a New, Departmout-Tax
Measures, Road Measures and
Labor Measures GalOre-The Com.
mittees have Plenty of Work aud
arc Making Good Progross-A live.
ly Fight or two Promised.
Special Dt.paich 10 M4 Inleltgcnocr.

CHARLEsToN, W, Va, Jan. 22.-The
wheels OF legislation will begin to turn
in earnest tomorrow, aud when the
two houses meet it will be with plenty
Of work laid out for them by the COM
mittees.
The most important measures up to
the present time have been under con-
sideration by heiudicIary and taxation
and finance committees A bill now
before the house Judiciary committee
which is meeting with strong opposi'
ton, and ii it Gots into the house will
be vigorously opposed, is that to create
AN INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
with o commissioner at $4,000 salary
per year aud a corps Of clerks, The
grounds OF tho opposition are mainly
that it is a measure designed to create
new Offices and does not remedy the
evils it seeks to reform.
1t purports to aim at the weak point
in the corporation Law, which permits
the incorporation OF wild cat insurance
companies in this state, and which has
attached so much odium to the name OF
West Virginia. Its best feature is tho
clause requiring that no insurance
company shall be chartered by the
state unless it has at least one hum
dred thousand dollars capital sub.
scribed, twenty-five per cent OF which
must be paid up In cash be-
fore the charter is issued, The
feature, however, which creates IN
insurance department, is opposed as
A USELESS PROPOSITION.
The absence of necessity for it is ap.
parent when it proposes an expensive
department to transact the business
which ia now attended to without over
work by a single clork in the secretary Of
states office.
Delegate Smith, of Marion, has an
amendment which does away with the
provision creating commissioner OF
insurance, leaves the work to be done
by the secretary OF states clerk and
provides for the needed reform in the
matter Of requiring $4,000 of the capt.
tai to be paid up before incorporation.
The revenues from this source would
not be sufficient to pay the salnry Of o
clerk let alone an entire establishment.
THE aovERNon's IDEAS.
There are quite a number OF bills
concerning taxation, and it is more
than probable that q reduction in the
state levy to twenty cent? will be made
in accordance with the governors re-
commendation. All his other recon.
mendationa are receiving consideration,
and numerous bills will come up follow
ing the line OF his ideas.
Mr.. BurHess's pipe line bill, which
fixes the maximum rate that can be
charged for transportation at fifteen
cents, and reduces the price for storage
in West Virginia, will come up in the
judiciary committee for consideration.
The bill is drafted to give West Vir-
ginia producers advantage and en-
courage competing transit companies.
Its fate Is uncertain, but there is an i'm.
preston that it should be reported by
the committee and be allowed to stand
on its merits before the house. 1t will
doubtless prove popular measure
among all who desire to see the work Of
oil development go on in West Virginia.
Many ot the visiting statesmen at.
tracted here by
THE SENATORIAL FIGHT
Have departed. There are still a fow
looking after their chances for federal
places. Those who took sides in tho
Camden. Faulkner episode are busy
hedging and placing themselves in line
To get the joint endorsement OF the two
senators. tits generally believed here