The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-01-20

,luivocally in favor OF the enforcement OF all
avs the prohibitory law in no wise excepted.
Heretofore the executive department has been
in a measure charged with the enforcement of
this law in cities OF this first class, and many
honest and vigorous attempts have been made
by some OF my predecessors to accomplish this
purpose, These attempts have in large meas
ure resulted In failure, and whatever may be
the reason the failure has been largely at
tributed to the metropolitan police system.
Without discussing the reasons it may be
stated as fact that the metropolitan police
system has been a failure, and in more recent
years a scandal and disgrace. The influence
OF these failures has TO q certain extent reached
many other communities, so that at this time
the prohibitory law Is not successfully en-
forced. The metropolitan police system has
failed to meet the expectations OF its friends
and It's abolition meets with my approval The
end Of this system will place the enforcement
OF this law in the hands OF the people through
the judges, county attorneys, sherifs and con-
stables elected by them. A reasonable number
OF citizens in any community can secure the
enforcement OF any law with reasonable GER
tainty.
\ Ihave great faith in the people. The aboli-
I ton of the Metropolitan police system leaves
the enforcement OF the prohibitory law, like
other laws, in their hands, through the agency
| leave 1t for an honest trial
/ Insurance.
| Our insurance laws afford ample protection to
our people, and their honest enforcement is
much to be desired The law gives the COM
| missioner the right to make an examination of
the books, assets and business Of all companies
doing business in the state, either himself or
| by his agents, for the purpose OF determining
the solvency Of such companies and the wis
dom of permitting them to do business in the
state. No fixed charge is provided for this SER
vice and no report Of such examination is re-
quired to be filed. The law should fix the
charges for such examinations and require
full reports of all such examinations to be made
and filed, that the public may have some
knowledge of the character and result of such
examinations All insurance companies, or
ders and societies OF any kind doing insurance
business in this state should be placed under
the charge Of the insurance department.
Banks.
The information furnished in the report of
the bank commissioner is very gratifying. Our
state banks are becoming more secure than
ever, and their condition affords reason for
congratulation. l heartily concur in the rec
ommendation of the commissioner that build
| ing and loan associations, within the state, be
placed in the control Of the department, and
that outside associations be required to give
security for the protection OF Kansas invest
ors as condition precedent to doing business
in the state. The commissioner also recon-
mends the creation Of a guarantee fund for the
protection of bank depositors No one thing
connected with the buiness OF banking would
be more desirable than some provision secur-
ing the safety of depositors. The plan pro-
posed is new it my be practical commend
| it to your careful consideration.
A Deficiency.
Each administration has been reluctant to
raise the levy for state taxes over that of pre-
ceding administrations, and numerous devices
and subterfuges have been practiced to keep
within the limit of former leveS, and still meet
the ever increasing expenses of our public in
situations. The last administration reduced
the levy from four and one-fourth to four and
| two tenths mills undoubtedly upon the theory
that such levy would raise sufficient revenue to
meet current expenses; but this levy was in
sufficient to raise the required funds, and long
before the close of the term the payment or
warrants was refused by the state treasurer,
| On the 2Sth day Of December 1896, there was on
hand belonging to the general fund more than
$40 900; so that the last administration hal
some money with which to commence business.
| The present administration will be. compelled
| to face the situation with treasury practically
empty. There was on hand December 2S, 1875, |
a little more than S!6,J0J or $4,000 less than
two years before; but the small balance on
hand is not the worst large Indebtedness IS
turned over for payment.
A great number of officers and employees
under the last administration claim that the
legislature neglected to make sutll lent appro- |
priations for the payment of their salaries and
have presented demands for large balance |
and this, together with the deficiency resulting
from the failure of the last l, gislature to make
sufficient appropriations for the payment OF the |
Quantrell raid claims, the claims Tor the care |
of the destitute insane and the expenses OF the |
special session. reach tAe sum of more than
$3.50 OO0, which will exhaust all money now IN
the treasury and leave deficiency of more
than slOJ 0OJ confronting the new admlniStra-
ton.
This condition renders it almost certain that
before funds can be- der we'd from new tax
levy the money received undsr the old one Will
G paid out and the obligations of the state Will
again be dishonored. The credit of the state is
of too much Importance to be impaired, ana the
neglect to meet the legitimate demands m2ue
upon it, even for a day affects its credit. The
care OF our public institutions is necessarily
growing more expensive. The state must have
larger revenues. know of only two ways to
raise Them one by increasing the assessment,
the other by raising the levy. All OF the de-
partments and institutions of The state should
be conducted with the StrlCteSU eCOnoHly Gull
sistent with efficiency, and no one can purchase
us cheapy as 4 prompt paymastcr
This whole difficulty could be relieved II the
several assessors throughout the state would
mako any reasonable attempt to comply with
the law The law requires that all property
shall be assessed at its true value, and yet III Is
q well known fact that each year the assessors
meet in their respective counties to devise
plans by which this provision of the statute
can be violated. A large assessment and a
small levy is preferable to u small assessment
and a large levy This being so, it is difficult
to understand why ASSESSORS persist in disre-
garding the plain statutory requirements above
referred to-
1 sug rest that the law be amended IN Two
PARTICULARS First fixing penalty for a vio-
lation of the law requiring the assessment OF
property at its true value; second, giving the
State Board of Equalization the right to raise
the aggregate assessed value Of property II
these fail the state levy must be raised
Useless Offices.
There are several Offices which, think could
be abol shed without loss to the public service
They are the Board OF Pardons, State Account
ans, Forestry Commissioner and Labor Com
missioner Whatever may have been the OBJ
i,ct of the Board of Pardons, it no longer
serves q useful purpose; for through tnis ooaro
the granting of pardons has degenerated into
an abuse The law creating this board should
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