The Red Cloud chief., 1899-02-24

low tie enforcement OF section %. We
showed Illinois and Kansas supreme
our decisions TO prove that section
33 was good law. But again the aud
itor fatty refused to let me collect the
money due the state under this law.
When the auditor was safely out of
the way last fall campaigning 1 went
ahead defiantly and sent bills 10 many
Of the outside companies and proceed
cd to collect what belonged to the
state under section SO.
I succeeded In collecting into the
state treasury nearly $4,000 before I
was found out. To hedge against
trouble / called on Deputy Attorney
General Oldham, whom I knew be-
lieved in the enforcement Of section
80, and the collection Of money due
the state from eastern corporations.
Mr.. Oldham told Mr.. Cornell and my
self that an auditor and his bondsmen
sould be held, IL section 30 were not
enforced, and thus the money lost to
the state. Thus 7 was not abused for
disobeying orders to the tune Of Si2.-
300. There the matter dropped. At
ter that the regular annual rush OF
work came into the office so 7 could
nat give further attention to collection
VI olu dtNpNlllSs III uiAllVo Ilt
that has been quiet. even so quiet that
he never says n word about irving to
get some OF the half million due the
state. When I stand ready 10 make
affidavit to the above and also prove
1t if the auditors appointees will tel
the truth, 1t will seem q little laugh
able to read in Cornelrs forthcoming
report, which l am told will appear
therein: 81 have made a faithful eff
fort to enforce section 33, the recip-
rocal feature in our insurance law, and
have collected and placed into the
treasury about $4,000 as a result OF
such action" i argued with Mr.. Cor
nell hat some people believed ais pre-
-decessors received cash in hand for
letting a law lie as a dead letter that
might bring $4,000 u year into the
treasury; and whether guilty or not,
we will go out under the same cloud
IL we don't make an honest effort to
enforce section 80.
But the fact remains that q popu-
list state auditor on this subject is
just like a republican auditor. He is
at heart opposed to collect that $780,
600 due the state. He is not working
Mt it now, never has worked at it q
minute, but has always bitterly ou-
posed at. He and Deputy Pool con
tinually deprived me of the services
of the office stenographer when I
needed her TO aid in those collections
and obliged her 10 do bookkeeping
and other work in the auditing depart
ment which should have been done by
Price and Whitaker. II is for the leg
~islature to say II this kind OF work
and loss OF money shall go on. If the
legislature a%djourns without passing
some such bill as house roll 1o1 or sem
ate file "A then there is no hope fir a
change. What the state needs Is an
insurance department in a good sized
room by itself, with the governor to
supervise 1t and appoint people to do
the work according to law. II the
legislature %adjourns and leaves the
state insurance business in the audi.
tors office. it will be hard on Ne.
braska. The same number Of men
with the same salaries can do the
work In some other room under direc.
ton OF the governG il the legislature
says they don't want the work done
better o more promptly than in the
past. And the same men and salaries
will do 1t better for the governor,
for then all law will be enforced md
all funds due the state will be col.
lected. Two Of Nebraska's auditors
got away with what they collected
from insurance companies under sec
ton 80, and none in the history Of the
state has collected n dollar under sec.
ton 33. Or if any have. 1t failed to
reach the treasury. The governors OF
Kansas, South Dakota and some other
states supervise the insurance depart.
ment and n scandal from those de.
partments has never been heard OF.
hope our legislature will see fit to
make this greatly needed change in
this state. SAMUEL LIGHTLY.