The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1903-11-04

present not utilized with any pIoI H. q
the State. The only argu5 for ths
could possibly be ~ now idle
holding Of this land, which IS ho
is the possibility Of the esIapol;nal in
of a University of South Cai.inns y,
GLIDING all the State lnstltus1 mos,
higher learning, in when ettanta 90,
Of it might be utilized 70 az ~ thi.
but even in that event enous hou1e Fl,
land could be set apart TOT ~ "a tn
the governor without detfAn
proposed university. q nav,
South Carolina shouid na o IN keen.
home for hel chief executivs oaress a.
ing with the growth u 2,on an.
the State, and T suggest Una. ste a96
point a committee OF q ~ matte
Of the house to look into tns o,, mo-
and report a plan by VINCE ~ mar
arrange for the erection Oh
sion. ao1,nrs
Tho 1ae;slat,1re of 1900 passed an act
providing for special nc no,
manner of obtaining them. Ine pay
Of the special Judge was fixed, y. .o
find was provided out Of which 70 pay
him The attention of the leglsiat mIe
of 1901 was called to this matter Inc
rer diem Of these special JUGS LAY ~
| been paid out Of the contingent l1nu VI
the governor, and up to the pas..ysat
this has been done without exhaas.lis
this fund. The past year, however
the demand for special courts nay peetl
So heavy that the contingent TUNA was
| exha1 listed. and claims for reWasos III 10
i other matters to the amount oI:si,f'I;Io
| have not been paid. These VII oe
placed before the committee on c!si tus
| and T ask that you make proVlsipn iuI
their payment, as it will not ps.ttsnt
| to charge them to the next cohtllseHt
fund. In this list there are clalms tor
| special Judges amounting 70; S.,As'.i4'
| and T have paid already TOR thls;puf-
pose 81, 305.O 9. If the law proYiulIls
for special courts is to remain ~ force
a fund should be provided for the pay
ment Of the judges. 1t seems Y me
| however, that there are cases Ia Wnlcn
| special courts are asked WhereE mere
! is no necessity for them, for ave 90
! served. that in some instances aiSer
| the special court had, been held the reg
ular term was called OH. II, hoHeVei'
| there is a. demand for these extra
courts, and the demand is increasing
f.! it would be better to increase tns huia-
Der of circuits and do away VIII Ine
| call for extra courts. It lawyers n
| litigants were always ready 70 go 70
trial and there were less delay u the
| dispatch. of the business before u
| courts, the congestion which It Is now
| Gained exists would be removed anu
| the present machinery could transact
| the business in less time+than ~ nc"
| occupied, even with the aid OF extra
courts. It should be rememoered,
however, that the State is increasing In
population and In business, ana in.pro-
/; portion to this increase there Will De
additional litigation In 1870 the popu-
| lation Of the State was 705,69o. NOW 1t
is twice that number. In 1870 the
number of circuits were eight, the same
number that we have now, then
we had only thirty-one counties while
now we have forty-one, The <argu-
ment seems to be strongly IN favor OF
an increase Of the number Of circuits.
INSURANCE LICENSES
T trust YOU have examined tie inSur-
ance report issued from the Office Of the
comptroller general and have read the
recommendations made by that officer.
There were i27 insurance companies, in
Guiding one mortgage company doing
business in this State in 1901. These
companies collected in premiums from
the people for the year 1901, $2,8ee,789.4I.
They paid back in losses for the. same
time 1881, 64S.81. It will be seen from
these figures that the tax upon the
people for insurance is three times the
amount Of the State taxes, and yet no
one complains Of this burden. The
license fees paid byssthese@insurance
companies amounted to $26,7l3.S for
the year 1901. In addition to this the
gross premiums paid in each county
are the basis for assessments upon
which taxes are paid. They also pay
a tax Of one-half Of one per cent. 70
the State treasurer On the gross bust
ness done. The comptroller general
suggests that in lieu of this tax Of
one-half Of n per cent, and State,
county and school tax, that the COM
panies be required to pay direct to the
State treasurer two per cent. on the
gross premiums collected in South
Carolina. The suggestion is asgood
one, and I commend it to your favor
able consideration, It will simplify
the work Of the insurance department
Of the State and be at the sa1ne time
a great convenience to the companies.
The suggestion Of the comptroller
general that each agentor representa-
tive Of an insurance company be re-
quired to secure a license before solicit
ing business in this State and that a
small sum be charged for this license
should also receive favorable action at
your hands. It would prove a protec-
ton alike to the reputable agent and
to the people. ~
The comptroller general also calls at
tention to the fact that the insurance
laws Of this State do not require insur-
ance companies organized in this State
to furnish the insurance department
with any evidence Of their standing or
reliability, nor is any provision made
for their examination, or any reouire-
ment that they shall make annual
statements or returns. This defect
should be remedied so as to protect our
people against unreliable insurance
companies. s..5
PENSIONS.
That it is right and proper that the
State should do all it can to care for
the deserving and needy Confederate
soldier, no one will question. It should
be the patriotic concern Of all trne citi-
ZenS Of the State to see to it that no
man who upheld the cause Of South
Carolina in the troublous times from
81 to IS shall be SEN to the. county
home, but that all who need the
u - w. ~ ~ -