The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-13
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, N. C., February IL


No department of all in the state
makes a finer showing than
the insurance department of which J..
R. Young is the head. He prepared to-
day a statement from which your cor
res pondent CLEANS some figures. Dur
ing 1902 the Insurance Commissioner
collected from Insurance companies IN
taxes, SOL ,173, in fees, $11, 40S, and 10.
licenses S29, 1874 makinfi a total OF Sl42.-
SIS. The entire expenses for the de-
partment including printing were only
s4,139.
The cost of insurance in the state has
been very greatly reduced since the
formation Of the department in Apri
1899. In 1898 the fire insurance risks !
written in North Carolina aggregated
S61, O44, 514, the premiums on the same
being 81, OO6, 744. In 1901. the risks writ
ten amounted to $113, 544, OPS, the prem
! iums thereon being 81, 524, 1S9. The diff
ference in the everage rate is so great
that if the amount written in 1901 had
| been written at the rate III 1898, the
| year before the insurance department
was formed, it would have cost the
| people Of North Carolina $329,364, more
than was paid last year.
The State Underwriters and Emballn-
ers Examining Board met here today
and examined several applicants. y. Nj
Harry, of Charlotte presided.
The convention of State Guard Off
GERS was held here today the session be-
ginning this morning, Adjutant Gerer
al D.. S. Register presided. The conVen-
ton met in the armory Of the loca
companies. But for the badness Of the
weather, there would have been Il DIRE
parade and review and exhibition drill
by the cadet battalion OF the Agricul-
tural college in compliment TO the COLI
vention.
This morning the senate and house
committees on insane asylum visited
the hospital for the insane here. 1t in
spected the building and met and hat
Il conference with superintendent Nc
Kee and also superintendent Murphy
of the Western Hospital, and Miller, O
the Eastern HOSPITAL.
The railways are making a very earn
est fight against the section OF the ma
l chinery act Of 1901 which gives tn
Il q a w
whatever in arriving at the value Q
railway franchises. The complaint
:, made, and is we'll based that railwa'
property is taxed much higher tha'
other classes Of property. Cyrus 4
: Watson. who is here as the regular at
torney of the Norfolk and Western rail
l way says the people of North Caro!iri
I want to do the fair thing. By this h
means tina they want all prOpert tax
, ed equally. Mr.. Watson says an eX
animation of land sales fer the pas
ten years, compared with the price a
5 which such and is assessed for taxa
ton will show how gross the Unt;arVal
t uation has been. He declares turtle
n that this Undertaking. is deEber'tel
Z done by the counties. so as to kee
down the state taxes, and he make
. an earnest plea for a stoppagc OF a
authority to counties to levy specls
e taxes for their purposes. He say
t as soon as this practice is stopped b
O the tate, the counties will incidental
assess property at the true V~aluatio
and thus the state Will be vastly tn
gamer.
Judge Purnell has not filed his oplr
ION in the Durham right of way cas-
, He is ready to do so, but counsel q
- sired first to present printed brlefs,
l. addition to the arguments which wei
!, made Monday and yesterday.
n A favorable report is made on II
Il bill to make private hospitals and sal
III itariums for insane idiots and inebr
r ates a part Of the state system. tt
II reception of inebriates in the Sta
IL Hospital has not proved a success, ar
iu II is said that these private instit'
III flows will nrnI-a a Orpat relief
ST The Raleigh chamber Of CONNER
nj decides against an extension of r
~ leigh's limits.
l l The legislature will pass a bill allo'
De ing the people of Elm City. WI
county, to vote on the question
whether there shall or shall not be
," 6ispensary there.
o. Some months ago the Board OF E
al aminers of State Institutions in tn
= report to the governor, said the CO
victs at a camp near Dover on the Z
OF lantic and North Carolina railway We
's- not properly fed and qIartered. 1
no legislature sent a committee there
look inc this matter, and this sub-co
mittee is now preparing its report.
1SS the time the charge was made by
board, the penitentiary authorlt
nd made specific denial Of it.
,+a The work of track laying on the L
leigh and Cape Fear railway, progress
lch slowly because of the difficulty of
ms tanning rails. There are now so c.
tu- victs laying track. A large force
- free laborers is at work on the grad
of the southern extension, which
now reached a point n mile his S
Of the Cape Fear river at Lillingt
tie. There is 10 be a new resort on t
nv road. Belts Springs, at which a &C
pany will build a 20 room hotel, pa
ion, etc.
Lee ---