Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-04
A NEW DEPARTMENT
Biennial Report Of Auditor Mer.
riam Recommends a Depart-
ment OF Insurance.
Insurance Interests Alone SUI.
ficient to Eneross One Mans
Entire Attention.
Auditor Might Be a Candidate
for the Position Of Com.
missioner.
missioner.

Des Moines, Dec. Auditor of State
Merriam filed his biennial report with
the governor Monday. In it he recon-
mended the establishment OF an insur-
ance department of state on the same
basis that such departments are man
aged and maintained by other states.
The auditor says:
1.-THE insurance interests alone are
more than sufficient to engross the en-
tire attention of the auditor, and espe-
cially is this more apparent when 1t is
considered that those at the head OF In
surance interests operating in Iowa
spend lifetime in the study Of ques-
lions which must daily arise and receive
attention in such department. Surel.
the peoples interests could be better
conserved by handing all matters OF In
surance over to one whose entire time,
energy and ability might be concen-
trated on this one subject. The estab-
lishment OF such department would
give the auditor the proper time to bet
ter supervise the other and not less I'M
portant interests now placed under his
control Most Of our sister states have
already established departments for the
sole supervision Of insurance interests.
Ohio. Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, South Da-
kota, North Dakota, most Of the eastern
states, and several OF the states west OF
Iowa have such departments, the Wis
been fully demonstrated. The objections
urged against the establishment OF such
department In former years have been
based upon the matter Of expense to the
state. Conceding that the expense TOT
such supervision will be greater than
heretofore the additional dement's de-
rived should more than compensate Tor
the increased cost The insurance COM
panies transacting business In Iowa are
taxed and, as do most other properties,
contribute, and that to a liberal degree,
their proportion toward maintaining the
government OF the state In the proceed
ing ten years insurance companies nave
paid $1.293,S 17.36 in taxes and $360,05S 80
in fees to the state. The collection OF
the above fees has been justified on the
ground that they were for the mainte-
nance OF the supervising department
and on this basis the companies have
been contributing more than has been
needed to pay the expenses OF the entire
auditors department In all its branches
including printing OF all kinds. binding
postage, salaries and all expenses OF
every nature. The entire expense to the
state for conducting the auditors office
FOR the eighteen months commencing
Jan. 1, 1900, to July !, 1901, was sss,s54.11,
,r at the rate Of less than $4,000 per
year. Surely the people, as we'll as the
companies. have right to demand the
BEST supervision and the best attention
TO these interests obtainable. and espe-
tally is this true since the companies
pay the entire expense in addition to
their proportion Of taxes for the general
revenue of the state. 1t seems to me
that under the above conditions the
question OF expense does not enter
greatly into this question
1t is rumored that if such depart-
nent were created Mr. Merriam would
be a candidate for commissions instead
If for reelection as auditor OF state.
Ben Blanchard, Of Des Moines, has been
working up a proposition to give the
fraterna1 and assessment companies
separate bureau and administration
The two plans will not be allowed to
conflict.
The auditor calls attention to the fact
hat cooperative and tontine associa-
| long and partnerships which mature
,ontracts in the order they are made
md on maturity, furnish a diamond. a
somA or some other consideration. are
springing up in numbers in the state;
IN the opinion Of the auditor they should
ne made the subject Of controlling laws
DRESSED LIKE WOMEN.
| A Degenerate Crowd Arrested in Mex
City of Mexico, Dec. Ain spite of the
secrecy Of the authorities, certain details
have leaked out concerning the sensa-
tional raid made by the police on
L 10 al hvof n IA