Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-13


to for the enforcement Of is is idle The talk
thai should be disregarded and that officers
should facility IL not openly consent to its viola
tion- is vicious Ali laws should have honest
enforcement, the prohibitory law more and
no less than other laws, and the present admin
istration stands squarely and unequivocally in
favor OF the enforcement of all laws, the pro-
hibltory law in no wise excepted
In.ur
Our insurance laws an ord 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
by bis agents. for the purpose OF determining
the solvency of such companies and the wisdom
OF permitting them to do business in this state
No fixed charge is provided for this service
and no report of such exanin ton is required
to be filed The law should Fl x the charges for
such examinations and require full reports of
all examinations to be made and filed. that the
public may have some knowledge of the char
acter and result OF such examinations All in
insurance companies. orders and societies OF
any kind doing insurance business in the state
should be put under the charge of the iusur-
ance department
Banks.
The information furnished in the report of
the bank commissioner is very gratifying.
Our state banks becoming more secure
than ever, and their condition affords reason
for Contamination heartily concur in the
recommendation of the commissioner that
building and loan associations within the state
be placed under the control of that depart
ment. and that outside associations be re-
quired to give security for the protection OF
Kansas investors condition precedent to
doing business in the state The commissioner
also recommends the creation of guarantee
fund for the protection of bank depositors- No
one thing connected with the business Of bank
ing would be more desirable than some pro-
vision securing the safety OF depositors The
plan proposed IS new. it may be practical
commend it to our careful consideration
Pun lG FUNDS
The law provides that the state funds shall
be kept in the vaults OF the treasurer and a
compliance with this law results in the accu-
mutation of large sums of money. at times
reaching near,y million of dollars II a con-
siderable portion of this fund could be placed
in private banks throughout the state at the
best rate OF interest obtainable. it would result
in the double advantage of keeping large sums
of money in circulation that would otherwise
lie idle and increasing the state revenues to the
extent Of the interest obtained.
- Dt ffct-ncy
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 levies and still meet
the ever-lncreaSlng expenses OF our public in
situations. The last administration reduced
the levy from Al to Is. undoubtedly upon the
theory that su n levy would raise sufficient
revenue to meet current expenses: but this
levy insufficient to raise the required
funds. and long before the close of the term
the payment OF warrants was refused by
the state treasurer On the 18th day of Deem
ber 1896 there was on hand belonging to the
Ren .ral fund more than 10000; so that the
last administration had some money with
which to comm"nce business The present ad-
ministration will be compelled to face the situ-
alton with treasury practically empty
There was on hand Decem ger % 1893, little
more than ,CO), or s1j5. 00J less than TWO years
before; but the small balance hand is not
the worst A largs indebtedness is turned over
for payment A great number of officers and en-
10 1fv.ic
the legislature neglected to make sufficient
appropriation for the payment Of their salaries,
and have presented their demands for large
balance, and this, together with the deficiency
resulting from the failure of the last legisla-
ture to make SUN lent preparations for the
payment of the Quantrell raid CLAIMS, the
claims for the care of the destitute insane and
the expenses of the special session, reach the
sum of more than $50 OOo. This will exhaust
all money now in the treasury and leave a de-
ficiency of more than 300. 00J confronting the
new administration. This condition renders it
almost certain that before funds can be de-
rived from a new tax levy the money received
under the o d one will BE- paid out aud the obli-
cations of the state will again be diShonOred
The credit of the state is too important to be
impaired. an tn, neglect to meet the legiti-
mate demands made upon it, even for day.
aft ects its credit.
This whole difficulty could be relieved if the
several assessors throughout the state would
make any reasonable attempt to comply with
the law. TIE law requires that all property
shall b. assessed at its true value. and vet it is
a we'll known fact that each year the assessors
meet in their respective counties to devise
plans by which this provision o: the statute
be violated. A large sssment and
SIN Ill lew is preferable to small assessment
and a large levy. This being so, 1t is difficult
to unde rStand why assessors persist in diSre-
garding the plain statutory requirements above
mentioned suggest that the law be amended
in two particulars: First fixing penIlty for
a violation of the law requiring the assessment
of property at its true value; second. giving
the state board OF equalization the right to
rails the aggregate assessed va ne OF property.
II these fail the state levy must be raised
Convict Labor
The employment Of convicts should be at the
basis of good prison management Keeping
prisoners in idieness would certainly be at
tended with disastrous results To put the
product of convict labor on the open market in
competition with free labor would be unjust
and to the greatest possible extent should be
avoided: but even such competition would
be preferable to supporting the con-
victs in idleness, nothing is
demoralizing as ileness, especially when it is
enforced The fuel nee essary for the state in
situations should be supplied as has been done.
by prison labor. The labor not necessary for
su h purpose could be used in furnishing the
state with its supplies The convict labor
could be used in this way to the fullest extent
In the manufacture of many of the articles for
which the state pays out annually large sums
of money. and after time our prisons coud
be made practically Sc f-supporting BY saving
10 tue SSatc Al Tue prize Vi tnc supplies
nished an amount equal to the cost of conduct
ing these penal establishments
U-ei~ss Offices.
There are several offices which think could
be abolished without loss to the public service.
They are the board Of pardons. state account
ant, forestry com mission and Iaoor commits
siouer Whatever may have been the object OF
the creation Of the board Of pardonS il no
longer serves q useful purpose: for through
this board the granting of pardons has degen-
Grated into an abuse The ONCE of labor COM
missioner was created IL years ago. but If dur
ing all those years it has been of any real ben
Ell to the cause OF labor the benefits are not
apparent Labor is pretty well organized in
Kansas. and inaugurates new methods. and