The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-01-13
The Governors
Message.
Continued from Third Page.)

should be transferred to that building.
The state library now needs the room
occupied by the commissioner of Ava
and printing.
Under our election law provision Is
made for the certifcatiOn by the
clerks of the superior courts to the srC-
rotary IF state of tie permanent lOll
of registered voters and it requires
this roll to be copied alphabetically Ly
townships in the secretary of states
office. The secretary of state in send
ing out books and blanks to the clerks
of the superior courts for the list of
registered voters bad the books ar
ranged by townships and the certIfi-
ed lists returned to him are arranged
alphabetically by townships in each
county. 1t would Seem to be unncc-
cessary to require these lists to be
copied in the secretary of states Of
flee. To copy them would cost between
81, 900 and $1,000. | recommend. there
fore, that the law be so amended as .
make the certified list now in the sec
rotary of states office the permanent
roll of registered voters without re-
quiring the same to be copied. l con-
cur in the other recO lamentations made
by the secretary of state.
THE STATE TREASURY DEPART
MENT.
The report of the state treasurer ac-
cCmpanylng this document will give
you full information as to the condition
Of the treasury; its receipts and dis
Soon after the present
treasurer came into office he discover
ii that the institutional clerk OF llS
predecessor was emheZzling the funds
Of the state. He thereupOn set to work
to ascertain. if possible. the amount OF
the embezzlement- The last general
assembly appointed d committee to
make a thorough investigation. This
committee aScertained that the en-
LezzIement amounted TO $16,55O-52:
SIG, O5O.O4 thereof having been taken
under Mir. Worth administrat ion.
and s374.Sf under Mir. Lacy's. To be
more explicit S1,249.52 was taken after
January -. 1901, but to balance TIE
deaf and dumb inStrtutiOn'S account
Mr.. Martin deposited s759.03 Of that
O to the credit of that institution.
He also paid prison warrants out of
the same money, TO the amount OF
S115.65. This shows that MIR. Worth
should pay 10000 "a, and Mr.. Lacy
S274.S4 Mr.. Worth has made good the
full amount of the defalcation unGer
his administration. The present treas
rrer was both by custom and necessity
led TO keep the old clerks until The
Low clerks under him could be train
ed. He was in no way to blame for The
loss WHICH, ne SuIleltd IOl N'I1u liz ~
any foresight and ARE have prevented
it. indeed his watchfulness was SO
thorough that he detected it immedi-
&.teIy after it occurred, and thereby
saveL to the state the sum which
heretofore had been taken. In view
of this fact it appears to me that Mr..
Lacy should be relieved from the pay
ment of the sum taken during his term
of office
O. 1k-TT- tT-DITnp'S nE-P p MI
The reports of the auditor of the
state accompanying this document
furnish complete information as
to the sources Of our revenue,
the purpose for which collected and
the amount and purpose of the eXpen
ditures together with the
datiOns which appear to him to be wise
after his experience in his Office. !
commend his reports to your mos
careful consideration. 1 concur in III"
auditors recommendations.
ATTORNEY GENERALS DEPART
MENT.
The work in this department has
been unusually heavy. due largely IL
the new provisions contained IN the
last revenue and machinery acts
Great demand has been made upon the
lime of The attorney general for Opln-
ions in relation to 2 great many OF TIE
provisions IF these acts. His report
accompanying this document gives "ll
usual statistical an l
shows. not fully however, the amOud
of work which falls to that office. i
recommend 1T the suggestion of the
attorney general the gathering of aC-
dit;OuaI satisfies in the future.
Heretofore the statistics while showing
the number of crimes committed by
white and COlOred people separately
do not how the particular crimes
which each race commits. The char
acter OF crime committed by any race
is valuable in the study of that people.
Provision ought to be made also 70.
the collection of statistics by the clerks
of the courts showing the number OF
crimes committed by the illiterate rs
compared with those committed by The
l~iterate.
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
The insurance department. estat
Iished by the Legislature in 1889 is one
OF the most important and valuable
departments of the state government
Up To that time the supervision of in
SuTanCe companies and the collection
of taxes from them, was in charge 81
the secretary OF state. The supervision
exercised by the secretary of state was
because of his other duties, necessarily
limited. while the largest amount col
kttltI III I-CGLl~tS anu ~ stA.N viz
year was SS4.S79.2S.
The legislature OF 1899 in establishing
the insurance department. also enacted
the most comprehensive insurance laws
ever placed upon our statute books
The wisdom of the newly enacted in
sUrtuc@ legislation has been vel
shown not only by the super
vision and management OF this large
class OF corporations so as 20 guard anG
protect the interests of the citizens o
the state. but also by the collection OF
Increased revenues from them in IL
CcnSeS and fees. During the past three
years there has been collected through
the insurance department. and paid INTO
the state treasurer:
For 1879 $500 =
For 1900 9l.072 q
For 1901 132,0S4 D
To+ol s2r5 97S =