The Marshall republican., 1908-10-09

charge and control Of the public buildings
at the seat Of government; is a membe
Of the State Board of Equalization, which
equalizes the assessment of real and per-
sonal property between the several coun-
ties Of the State, and which assesses rail-
roads, street railways, bridges. telephone
and telegraph lines; receives and complies
the annual reports and antitrust afl-
davits required Of each corporation au-
thorized to do business in the State.
The issuing Of a charter to a domestic
corporation. or of a license to a foreign
corporation. permitting 1t to transact busi-
ness In Missouri. is not a mer) perfume
tory ministerial act, but one cha requires
familiarity with all the laws relating to
corporations and a strict and honest en-
forcement OF them. Mr.. Swanger has
given to this department painstaking,
careful and impartial administration. and
has endeavored at all times to protect
the interests Of the State by seeing that
all the laws were strictly. complied with
before granting charter or license. As
business Is being done largely now by
corporations the work OF this department
has multiplied, and the many questions
that have daily confronted the Secretary
Of State have required much labor and
research of the laws bearing on the
same, The one purpose being to give force
and effect to all the laws governing this
important branc of the State Govern
ment, and to give assurance to the peo-
pie that every charter Issued by the State
to a corporation was issued In strict con-
formity with the law.
AS has been stated, It is the duty Of
the Secretary Of State to receive n COM
pile the annual reports and antitrust
afiidavits Of all corporations chartered or
licensed to do business in this State. This
is a department requiring q vast deal of
work. When the present incumbent came
into Office he found thousands Of corpora
lions that were not complying with these
laws and the law was virtually a dead
letter On our Statute books. He has re-
vived this law and has insisted on the
Prosecuting Attorneys OF the State en-
forcing 1t in their respective jurisdictions,
and through the cooperation OF these
officers corporations have been made to
comply with It's provisions, and those not
complying have been subjected to fines
in the Courts. 1t can be ~truthfully said
that these laws are being more generally
observed by the corporations of Missouri
than ever before since their enactment.
The Secretary Of State is ex-officio ex-
aminer of banks and trust companies.
The law requires that he shall examine
every bank under his supervision at least
once a year. When Mr.. Swanger came
into office he oun hat there were over
200 banks that had not been thus exam
ined. The number of bank examiners
then provided by law was four, an In
sufficient number to perform the work,
At the first session OF the Legislature the
number was increased to six and at the
last session two more were added to the
force. The number Of banks has In
creased since 1905. While the number o.
examiners has been increased from four tC
eight, yet there has not been added 0
dollar Of expense to the State, as the
fees collected for the inspection has more
than paid the expenses and salary con-
nected with the examinations. so that this