The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-02-14

should become a law, and Representa-.
tive Morris, Of Schuyler, has a bill
creating a state rate board, which
shall have power to fix insurance rates
above which no company doing bus.
ines in the state shall charge. These
two bills, taken in connection with
Senator Zevely's bill providing for pub
llcity OF the affairs of the insurance
companies in every county in the state.
would place the insurance situation in
excellent condition.
The alum question, which was
thought to have been compromised,
was again thrashed over for two hours
in the senate Tuesday, Senator N. M,
Bradley standing firmly for the orig
inal bill. Senators Rubey and Dowell,
seeing they we're likely to be beaten in
the end, were willing 10 stand for a
formula amendment as presented by
Ruby, and which was beaten. The
Farris amendment for branding baking
powders with the name of the active
agent in the powders was carried by
the same vote as reconsideration last
week.
The bill of Hams, of Saline, reducing
the legal rate of interest from s to 6
per cent was debated for six hours in
the house. kilograms were received
from every bank in St. Louis asking
for the defeat of the bill but 1t was
engrossed by a vote of SO to 81. The
bill will be up for passage about Fri
day, when the big fight will take place.
Tuesday a bill was presented in both
houses providing that the governor,
auditor and treasurer shall constitute a
board to contract for all supplies OF
all the state elemosynary institutions,
the feeble minded institution and the
pe%nl.entiary. The governor is 10 APP
point a secretary of the board, through
whom The business is to be done and
who is to visit the various state Insti-
tutioDs under the direction of the gov
ernor. Ten thousand dollars is appro-
priated for salary and expenses to the
secretary.
The foot ball question was given
unexpected prominence by a FIVE hour
debate last week. The enemies Of
foot ball wanted to pass a law placing
the game on a plane with prize fights,
and the friends of the game had a
hard fight killing the bill.
The fact that the federal court has
held the Missouri beer tax law to be
constitutional has cleared the financial
atmosphere and insured the state get
ting some S30O,O0 per year revenue
which might have been cut off. This
means quite a bunch of money to the
different asYlums in the state. Nearly
all this money goes to the asylums and
homes of different kinds and little Of il
is used for needs at the capital, as the
revenue that comes into the state
treasury through the secretary of
states Office is sufficient to meet nearly
all the expenses of state around the
capitol building.
During the month of January Secre-
tary Cook received in fees of various
kinds and turned into the state treasury
$22, 175. 55, and when it is considered
that the appropriation for his Office
help is only SI9, 900, the office is found
to be one of profit to the state. In
this connection it is also found that
during the year 1902 the secretary OF
states Office received in fees and turn
ed into the state treasury the sun Of
S214, 704 16, which IS considerable of
q nest egg.
The twine factory at the penrentiary
is hoped to, II a measure, solve the
convict labor question. Certainly if it
brings down the price of binder Irvine,
as 1t has in Kansas and Minnesota, it
it will be a direct benefit to the farmers
Of the state.
The house has passed a bill which
will require farmers having hedge
fences along public roads to trim their
fences down to lour of five feet every
Two years.
The house bill providing that county
courts may publish assessment lists
will prove a fine thing for every county
treasury. If it works as 1t has in john