New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1907-09-14
MR.. MiCHtI.'S PLATFORM.

| the Democratic party aoi ptcTtbhfN
of State, The announcement was
accompanied by platform In which
Mr.. Michel entered into dis
cnssiOn OF the record Of bl,
official service aud showed what
had been accomplished during the
period of bis iucumbency. 1t is
general Y recognized by the people
Of Louisiana that lie Secretary of
States Office mas never been more
satisfactorily conducted than has
been the case during the iucumben-
cy of Mr.. Michel.
He has proven himself to be
courteous, painstaklng, a trained
worker, systematic iu his methods
enterprising and progressive. In
the brief review contained in the
platform announcing his candidacy
some interesting Iufpr matiOu is
given concerning the development
Of that Office since the present iu-
cnmbent took charge of it, s<-I Of
the steady Increase Of the reVTnues
coming into the State Treasury rs a
result of the wise laws enacted af-
ter patient aud exhaustive study of
the conditions, and of the laws of
those States having made the great
est advance in the matter Of regula.
ting corporations.
Mr.. Michel found the office in an
almost chaotic state with regard to
the important questions OF llcens-
ing, supervising and regulating
corporations aud by patleut indus
try and intelligent effort he has
brought it to q point of efficiency
second perhaps to no similar Office
in the country. In other words,
be built up and perfected system
which has placed this State in the
front ranks of the most advanced
States in the country in the matter
of the regulating insurance corpora
tions. The salary fixed by the
Constitution is only 81, 800 per an
nun, which Is not as much as many
bookeepers aud clerks in private
stores receive. But the Constitu
tional convention, realizing thesin-
adequacy Of this compensation, left I
it with the Legislature to supple
ment this meager salary by certain
fees to be collected from indivi-
duals and corporations for services
rendered to them.
Gradually, as the State became
more prosperous and corporations
began to multiply, lcs" fees have
increased Nov tha! he system
has been firmly pSiablltli,d and The
revenues of the office are refpctiug
the general pro, perlty of the State,
and demonstrating the wisdom Of
the regulations devised by Mr..
Michel, be believes the time has
arrived when the Office can properly |
be placed upon a salary basis, and
he pledges his efforts in that direc-
tion. The system which is now
operating SO satisfactorily was
built up at infinite cost of time, in
dnstry, technical knowledge aud
without the fees which the law al
lowed to the Secretary of State that !
perfection could never have been
for the State was unwil-
ling to appropriate outright the
necessary money to conduct the iu- !
vestigations necessary and to put
the system into successful opera.
tion.
In the light of the results already
and of those yet to be rea-
lized, it would seem that this was
one OF the best aud cheapest invest
ments. the State has ever made
Mr.. Michel's special aptitude for
such work enabled him to succeed
where others failed, and to his ef-
forts the State is largely indebted
for the wise, practical aud success.
ful system now in profitable opera
ton.
la the matter of the fiscal agency
MIR. Michel is ia line with the
sentiment of the people, and with !
The views expressed by all of the
for Offices which involve
membership on the fiscal board. |
He therefore fiiugs his banner to
,he breezes. giving his record IF
having achieved something in the
past as an earnest of what can be
expected of him for the future =
States