The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-11

present position: otherwise. his friends think he is entitled to a promotion. There is a possibility of two candidates from Ebert county. That is Captain Wright's home, and Hon. L. H. 0. Mar tin, for several terms a representative | from Ebert in the legislature, has prac- ucally stated that 1t is his purpose to 1 make the race for commissioner. He is a farmer and as a member of the legis- l lature has held for two terms the chair 1 manship of the general committee on ag- riculture in the house. He has been closely allied with the farming interests in all of his public work
 The third tentative candidate is also l from the northeastern section of the state-W. L. Williamson of Commerce, | Jackson county, a well-known dairyman and president of the Georgia Live Stock | and Dairymens association. His friends | are putting him forward for the office [ of commissioner of agriculture, and 1t is said they will urge him to make the | race whether the present commissioner ! runs or not.
 ] And there are others, all of which creates the prospect for a lively race for this office next year, whatever hap 1 pens
 Handling Explosives.
 The railroad commission has taken hold
  gerous explosives in Georgia. and Chair man & G. McLendon is now in corre- spondence with a number of railroad of 1 fioials with a view to determining if some rules and regulations cannot be adopted which will conduce to greater safety in the handling of dynamite, giant powder and other substances of this kind. Since the United States government has taken hold of the interstate side of this question, and has placed an army officer in charge of bureau devoted to the mat ter of safety in the transportation of eX- plosives, large interest has been aroused among the states few of which have ade- quate laws or regulations on the subject.
 It is said the Georgia laws are far from adequate though accidents in this state have been exceptionally rare. Sew eral years ago there was an explosion of some dynamite in car near the South ern freight depot In Atlanta, in which one railroad hand was killed and consid erable property damaged. But under the Georgia regulations it is said accidents might easily happen which with more stringent rules could easily be prevented. Chairman McLendon thinks agreement can be reached with the railroads where by such transportation can be conducted with far greater safety than at present.
 Insurance Companies Out. Seventeen insurance companies which have been doing business in Georgia for the last year or more, have, through their failure to comply with a law well known to them, forfeited their right to continue in business in the state for a period of six months.
 This law requires that each insurance company doing business in Georgia shall file with the governor semi-an- nual statements of their condition, within SO days after January l and July 1 each year. and these statements must be published in at least one news paper of general circulation
 Executive Secretary c. M. Hitch has just notified Insurance Commissioner w. A. Wright that IT insurance com panies which have or have had of fees In Georgia. have failed to com ply with this law This failure of itself operates to exclude them from business for period of six months and there is no appeal.
 The companies in question are Queen City First Insurance company of Sioux Falls, s. D.; Southern Insurance com pany of New Orleans, United Firemen's Insurance company of Philadelphia, Pa; Great Western Life Insurance company of Kansas City, Mo-; Great American Life Insurance company of St Louis Mo; Louisiana National as-
 
 Life Insurance company of Fayette vile, N. C.. Washington Life Insurance company of New York; Cherokee Mu- tual Fire Insurance company of Can ton, Ga; Mutual Fire Insurance com pany of Cordele, Ga. Southern Life and Health Insurance company of At lanta, Ga.; American Bank Insurance company of Minneapolis, Minn.; Metro politan Surety company of New York; United American Life and Accident 1n- surance company of Philadelphia; Union Health and Accident Insurance company of Denver. Col; Woodmen's Casualty company of Indianapolis, Ind.
 Scarcity of Hospitals.
 Although hospitals have multiplied more rapidly in Atlanta In the last few years than moving picture shows, there is serious scarcity of hospital room which threatens hardship in many cases.
 Several years ago the Grady hospital. supported by the city, abolished its pay wards and became solely public charity hospital. This gave 1t practi- cally a third more room for charity patients.
 Now, it is stated, within the past month 100 patients have been turned away from the city institution solely on account of lack of room Not only is the hospital full in all it's wards, but to accommodate the increasing num- Der of patients cots have been placed in the railways until these are over crowded
 The matter has been brought to the attention of the council which will have to provide early relief to prevent efa.t