Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-08-18
SECRETARIES OF STATE.
CAPT. COOKIES ADMINISTERS
TION OF THE OFFICE.
Some False Statements

Corrected by the Last Democratic
Occupant: Does not Believe
the Present Secretary Gave
Ramsey Of the Farmer ANY
of the Misinformation He
Has Published, Etc.
NV attention has been called to
a publication made in the Pro-
oressive Farmer, in its issue OF
April 10th last, comparing the
present administration of the Sec
retary of State with the admins
trations of his predecessors, which
does injustice to the latter. There
have been other references to THIS
subject in the same paper and by
other papers in the State, and un~
inst deductions drawn from the
estimates and figures given IN SAID
article.
The article referred tc gives
what is claimed to be a correct
statement Of the taxes from lnsur-
ance companies collected and PAID
to the Treasurer by the present
Secretary Of State from January,
1897, to April LIST, 1898, and
D this statement with the
amount reported collected and paid
over by Secretary Cooke from
September LIST 1895, to January
LIST. 1897. To one unacqualnted
with the law this comparison
would seem fair. But to one ia"
miliar with the law it would APP
pear, as is the fact, that the period
covered by the time selected from
DR.. Thompson's administration
is for the purpose of collecting the
commission taxes on insurance, tc
which it refers, practically two
years, while the period covered by
the time selected from Secretary
Cookies administration IN respec'
to the same subject matter covers
practically only n year.
The law in respect to the com
mission taxes on insurance COM
panies is: ssThat the commission
tax of 2 per cent on the receipt
of the insurance companies is du'
and payable within 80 days afte'
ae reports Of the companies ar
oo and the reports must be I'll
ed within 80 days after the frs
days of January and July respec
lively. A much larger bushes
is done by the insurance compan
les during the fall months and tn
taxes on the January reports ar
much larger than on the July re
ports. 1t will be seen that Will
there were sixteen months of tn
Cooke administration it only EN-
braced the times for the recelvln
of two semi-annual reports an
two seri-annual taxes-namelJ
January, 1896, and July, 1896
while the 1433 taken from D
Thompson's administration il
cludes the return periods of Jar
uary, 1897, July 1897, and ia.
uary, 1898.
Those who have not invest
gated the development Of the
surance business OF North Car
lima have no idea to what exte
and Low rapidly it has continue
ly grown in recent-years. A re
erence 30 the annual statemer
of Secretary Cooke made in 1e
and to that of Secretary Ihom
son made in 1897 shows that
one year this increase amount
to over a quarter of a mill
dollars for sixteen life com
MES, and the increase in the co
mission tax thereon to more tn
five thousand dollars.
" The license year of insuraI
>mpanies is from April to APP
g of the taxes aggregate o.
ooms ,usand ~dollars-due
Two thC commencing 1st
the year and ending 1st
April, 1896, III we're cole
Aprll, 1897, with '1e administ
aole under The Coo. 4 by SCI
T,on' Dat were collects into
6o thompson after he came n
nee. Some of these were fro
companies which had been d.
BUSINESS in the State for ool-
raae, and who had made tpme
aegaiar report and their so1
~ approved. but the tar 'e