The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-01-09

the Secretary of States office. The Sec
rotary of State in sending out books
and blanks to the clerks of the Superior
Courts for the list of registered voters
had the books arranged by townships ana
the certified lists returned to him are
arranged alphabetically by townships in
each county. 1t would seem to be unne-
cessary to require these lists to be copied
in the Secretary of States office To copy
them would cost between 81, 500 and 81,
coo. / recommend, therefore, that the law
be so amended as to make the certified
list now in the Secretary Of States office
the permanent roll of registered voters
without requiring the same to be copied
I concur in the other recommendations
made by the Secretary of State.
THE STATE TREASURY DEPARTMENT
The report of the State Treasurer ac-
companying this document will give you
full information as to the condition of
the Treasury; it's receipts and disburse
ments. Soon after the present Treasurer
came into office he discovered that the
institutional clerk of his predecessor was
embezzling the funds of the State. He
thereupon set to work to ascertain, If
possible, the amount of the embezzle-
a
pointed a committee to make a thorough
investigation. This committee ascertain
ed that the amount embezzled was S16,-
060.04 under Mr.. Worth's administration,
and $374S4 under Mr.. Lacy's To be more
explicit $1,249.52 was taken after Janua-
ry Is, 1901, but to balance the Deaf and
Du-b Institutions account, Mr. Martin
deposited $759.03 of that money to the
credit of that institution. He also paid
prison warrants out of the same money,
to the amount of $115,65. This shows
that Mr. Worth should pay $t6,060.04 and
Mr. Lacy $374.S4. Mr. Worth has made
good tire full amount of the defalcation
under his administration. The present
Treasurer was both by custom and neces-
sity led to keep the old clerks until the
new clerks under him could be trained.
He was in no way to blame for the loss
which he suffered nor could he by any
foresight and care have prevented it. IN
deed his watchfulness was so thorough
that he detected it Immediately after it
occurred, and thereby saved 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
payment of the sum taken during his term
of office.
STATE AUDITORS DEPARTMENT.
The reports of the Auditor for the
State accompanying this document fur
nish complete information as to the
sources of our revenue, the purpose for
which collected and the amount and pur-
pose of the expenditures, together with
the recommendations which appear to
him to be wise after his experience in
his office. l commend his reports to
your most careful consideration. con
cur in the Auditors recommendation.
ATTORNEY GENERAL DEPARTM EMIT.
The work in this department has been
unusually heavy, due largely to the new
provisions contained the last Revenue
and Machinery Acts Great demand has
been made upon the time OF tbs Attorney
General for opinions in relation 10 a
great many Of the provisions of these
acts His report accompanying this docu
ment gives all usual statistical informa-
ton and shows. not fully however, the
amount of work with falls to that office.
l recommend at the suggestion of the At
torney General the gathering of addi-
tional statistics in the future. Hereto
fore the statistics while showing the num-
Der of crimes committed by white and
colored people separately do not show
the particular crimes which each race
commits. The character of crime com
mitted by any race is valuable in the
study of that people. Provision ought to
be made also for the collection of stats
tics by the clerks of the courts showing
the number of crimes committed by the
illiterate as compared with those COM
mitted by the literate.
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
The Insurance Department was estab-
lished by the Legislature in 1899 and is
one of the most important and valuable
departments of the State Government.
Up to that time the supervisions of in
surance companies and the collection of
taxes from them, was in charge Of the
Secretary of State. The supervision exer-
cised by the Secretary of State was.
because of his other duties, necessarily
limited and the largest amount col
lected in licenses and taxes in any one
year was $34, 379.2S
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 insurance
legislation has been we'll shown not only
by the supervision and management OF
this large class of corporations so as to
guard and protect the interests OF the
citizens Of the State, but also by the
collection of increased revenue from them
in licenses and fees. During the past
three years there has been collecteu
through the Insurance Department ana
paid into the State Treasury:
For 1899 ''P "H''"''-h