Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-09-30

under me, than he has rendered during
the past four years. One of my recon-
mendations to the legislature was to give
the attorney general added assistance
funds to the stafes
trespass cases and enforce railroad legis-
lation. The extra cost of thus properly
equiRping the attorney generals office
been $4,000 in the four years. You are
entitled to know if the expense was war
ranted. Judge for yourselves. The tim
Der trespass collections alone amount to
1922 900. The disputed tax claims col
lected amount to $147,0 Tax judgments
recovered and not yet collected approx
mate 100000 more. Judgments recovered
in timber trespass cases and uncollected,
pending appeal, reach $4,000; while tim
Der cases in process Of trial approximate
the further sum of 100000. BY compari-
son, the report OF the attorney generals
department for the two years preceding
responsibility" amounted to $4,000, or
less than five per cent Of the collections
Of the past four. years.
What kind OF economy and public policy
would that have been had the Legislature
and myself opposed an appropriation suf-
ticient to properly equip the attorney
generals department? In trying to save
$4,000 of expenditure we would have lost
over $500, 1000 of revenue. Would you have
called that either business or statesman
ship? But the extra equipment and spe-
clai counsei furnished the attorney gen.
eral were Of vast service to the state,
not only. in the trespass and taxation
cases which yielded direct revenue to the
state treasury. but were Of equal or per-
road and federal injunction cases, which
are of vital import to every shipper and
producer in the state, and not only that,
soveresn poWer Of this eSri9 W 1fS
and its rights under the constitution.
Reorganization Of insurance Department.
One of the achievements Of my admin
lstration in which 1 take, believe, par
donable pride, is the reorganization of the
insurance department, placing it on SAL
state treasury, making it tor the he first t
time in the states history a department
thoroughly able to cope effectively with
insurance problems and concentrating a
number of practicable insurance reforms
that have received national attention.
The efficient equipment of this depart
ment costs the state for official expenses
ABOUT $1,000 year more than it did four
years ago. This, Mr.. jacobson may deem
democratic extravaganza; so let me in
troduce you to the other side of the
account. First. there was the reorganiza-
ton of the northwestern Life Insurance
Company, at that time practically insolv-
ent owing to mismanagement, and
threatening the. assessment policy holders
to the company. Second. there was the
enactment of complete code of laws
governing life insurance and fully pro-
tecting policy holders: and like enact
ments governing mutual fire insurance
companies. assessment accident and
health companies. and hail and cyclone
insurance companies: The exclusion from,
Minnesota Of number Of fraudulent and
financially unsound companies was worth
the support OF the department.. In four
insurance companies in this state. com
pairing 1907 with 1903, have been in
creased. in part through the normal
growth of business and in part through
efficient department supervision, in the
sum of $4,000, and the tax collections
nave increased approximately $124,O0O
Nor have included on the credit side of
the ledger the moral and practical value
of Minnesota's participation in national
insurance reforms which received the en-
dorsement of President Roosevelt
II this Is Extravaaance, Make the Most
OF It.
1t may be that my opponent looks
upon 1t as an extravaganza, that the leg
stature has seen fit to appropriate about
100000 more per annum than was the
former custom for. added force, equip
ment and salaries in the department Of
are entitled to know whether the invest
ment has paid. Therefore, 1t gives me
pleasure to report that In the past two
years alone the department Of public ex-
aminer has recovered an. paid into the
state treasury, in round numbers, $50 900
OF gross earnings taxes from railroad, ex.
press and telephone companies. $500
from state departments, and paid Into the
treasures OF counties, cities and school