The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-06
Foreign Corporations Begin to
Pay Charter Fees.
Supreme Court Decision Means
Thousands Of Dollars to State.
THE FIRST is $1,527.5O.
Central Coke Company Puts Up
the Fee.
Insurance Companies Must Pay
Large Sums.

The Central Coal and Coke company,
of Kansas City, has forwarded to the
secretary of state a check for 81, 527.5 81
in payment of the company's charter
fees under the recent decision of the
supreme court in the American Book
company case. This is the first COM
pany to advance the fees.
The company has been doing bust
ness in the state for several years with
out paying charter fees. in company
with hundreds of other foreign corpora
tons. w. c. Perry, general attorney
for the company. writes that they wish
to comply with the laws of the state,
and as the supreme court decision seems
to be very explicit in the matter they
forward the amount of their charter
fees.
Immediately after the decision was
BANDED down and published the office
OF the secretary of state was hooded
with requests from foreign corporations
asking II they would be compelled TO
pay charter fees. The inquiries came
all in a bunch and seemed to come from
corporations which were anxious to
comply with the requirements of the
law. Those which proposed to wait for
IDENTIFY did not write, for all of the in-
quiries came within a few days and
then ceased.
Secretary of State Clark was in New
Il
tary Hill P. Wilson had copies of the
supreme court opinion printed and for
warded to the inquirers. 1t was one
of these opinions that brought the re-
Spouse from the Central Coal and Coke
company.
If this opinion is enforced against
all foreign corporations now doing bust
ness in the state, and there seems to be
no reason why it should not be, it will
bring thousands of dollars into the
state treasury Only a small portion of
the money will go into the general rev.
enue fund, however. The fees of the
capital stock, amounting to $500 on the
first million dollars of capital in big
corporations, and 5000 on each succeed
ing million, all goes into the permanent
school fund. This money is paid di-
rect to the state treasurer. The regular
fee for the charter of $27. so, which is
paid regardless of the amount of CAPT.
tai stock, is paid to the secretary Of
state and goes into the general revenue
fund. If it all went into the general
revenue fund the charter fees might
states expenses for the next few
months.
The big insurance companies alone
will have to pay in thousands of dollars
under the new decision. Their capital
aggregates hundreds of millions of dol
lars. Then there are some railroads
and ether big corporations which will
add largely to the fund. The new char
ter which the Rock Island recently
took out in Iowa will cost the company
sc5.127, so as filing fee in Kansas under
the rev supreme court decision.
The Kansas fees are not nearly so
large, however, as those of some other
states. For instance, the Iowa charter
cost the Rock Island over $125,0O0 in
fees. The Kansas fee is only about one
fifth as much.
The task of enforcing the payment Of
the fees against the foreign corpora
tiers will probably devolve upon At
torney General GODDARD. At present Mr..
GODDARD is in California. He left the
day the supreme court decision was
handed down and will not return for
three or four weeks, SO it cannot he
told what course he will pursue.