Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-12-08


mercial interests which are clearly ma
tional in character Ny predecessors
have repeatedly recognized that the
foreign business o. these companies is
an important part. Of our foreign com
mercial relations During the admin
istrations OF Presidents Cleveland.
Harrison and Mckinley the state de-
partment exercised It's influence
through diplomatic channels. 10 pre-
vent unjust Ciscrimi nation by foreign
countries against American insurance
companies These negotiations Nus
trated the propriety Of the congress
recognizing the n1tional character OF
insurance for in the absence Of Fed
eral legislation the state department
could only give expression 10 the
wishes Of the authoritic. % the several
states, whose policy was Ineffective
through want of urformity
repeat my previous recomme nda-
ton that the congress should also con-
slider whether the federal government
has any power or owes any duty with
respect to domestic transactions In in
surance Of an interstate character
That state supervision has proved IN
adequate is gener lly conceded The
burden upon insure nee companies and
therefore their policy holsters. OF con-
! fiicting regulations Of many states. is
unquestioned while but little effective
check is imposed upon any able ana
INSCRIPTIONS man who desires 10 ex-
! plot the company in his own interest
at the expense Of the policy holders
and Of the public. The inability NJ a
state 70 regulate effectively insurance
! corporations created under the laws Of
/ other statCs and trsnsgcting the larger
part Of their business elsewhere is
/ also clear As a remedy for this evil
of conflicting Ineffective and yet bur
| densOme regulations there has been
! for many years a widespread demand
| for federal supervision The congress
| has already recogn ,zed that interstate
insurance may he a proper subject for
federal legislation for in creating the
bureau Of corporations Il authorized
il TO publish and supply useful in
formation concerning interstate cor
poratiOns Including corporations en-
gagged In insurance II is obvious
that If the compilation of statistics be
the limit ~ the federal power. IL is
! wholly ineffective to regulate this
form % commercial intercourse be-
tween the states. and as the insurance
business has outgrNvr in magnitude
the possibility Of adequate state su-
pervisiOn. the co" yress Should care
| fully consider wht thcr further legisla-
ton can he had What IS said above
applies with equal force 70 fraternal
and benevolent organizations which
contract for life insurance.
Under the subJec' q national revenues
the presider' makes a rea 10! the e. act
ment Of reciprocal arrangements between
this and other cou 'ries, bu. does rot ask
for any tar;ff legislation a. the present
| time In the same correction he asks for
economy in appropriations.
Business METHODS in Departments.
On the subject Of graf" IN. the several
government departments that nave been
under investigation he says:
At various times ! have INSTITUTED
Investigations into the organization
and conduct Of the business Of the eX-
ecutive departments. While none OF
these inquiries have yet prog -'ssod
far enough TO warrant final c'1"lr-
siOns they have already confirmed
and emphasized the general impress
sion that the organization Of the de-
partments Is often faulty in principle
and wasteful IN results while many
of their business methods are anti
quated and inefficient There is every
reason why our executive govern
mental machinery should be at least
as well planned. economical and
efficient as the best machinery Of the
great business organizations. which al
present Is not the case. To make II
so is task OF complex detail and es-
sentially executive in its nature; prob
ably no legislative body no matter
how wise and able could undertake II
with reasonable prospect Of success
/ recommend that the congress con-
slider this subject with view TO pro-
vide by legislation for the transfer
distribution. consolidation and assign
ment Of duties and executive organiza-
tons or parts of organizations, and
for the changes in business methods
within or between the several depart
ments. that will best promote the
economy. efficiency and high character
Of the government work.
Federal Elections.
On the subject Of federal elections he rec.
ommends that 1t be made unlawful for po'
litical parties to receive campaign con.
tributions from the corporations. and alst
that II be made unlawful for corporation:
to give such contributions, and in this con-
nection he says:
Contributions by corporations TO any
purpose should be forbidden by law
directors should not be permitted to
use stockholders money for such pur-
poses; and, moreover a prohibition OF
this kind would he, as far as IL went
an effective method OF stopping the
evils aimed at in corrupt practices
acts Not only should both the ma
tional and the several state legisla'
lures forbid any officer OF corpora
ton from using the money OF the cor
poration in or about any election, but
they should also forbid such use OF
money in connection with any legisla'
ton save by the employment Of coun.
sci in public manner for distinctly le-
gal services.
The Hague Conference.
The Hague conference and the sub
ject Of arbitration generally Is treated
Of at considerable length. and in this
connection an explanation is given OF
this governments connection with the
coming conference in the following
words:
The first conference OF nations held al
; The Hague in 1899. being unable to dis
: pose of all the business before II, recon-
mended the consideration and settlement
: of number of important questions By
another conference to be called subse
! quenily and at an early date. Thes'
, questions were the following: a. TIT
rights and duties Of neutrals; (D thu
limitation Of the armed forces on lanC
and sea. and Of military budgets; ~ tn
use Of new types and callbers Of militar,
and naval guns; ~ the inviolability o.
private property at sea In times Of war
O) the bombardment Of ports. cities and
villages by naval forces. In October
! 1904, at the instance OF the Interparla
. mentary union. which, at q conference