The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-12
surance commissioner was asked. .

surdnce commissioner was aSKoQ.
 why simply to enact a law which will require all of the assessment and industrial fire insurance companies to make a deposit with the state treasurer for the protection of their policyh old- ers," Captain Wright replied. And in my opinion that amount should be not less than s1O,ooo."
 Attention was called to the fact that a law has already been enacted under which assessment and industrial life insurance companies are required to make deposit of s5000 with the state treasurer. but no such requirement is made of similar companies which do fire insurance business.
 A few days ago a merchant in south Georgia town had fire loss of 5000. He had a policy in an as- sessment company, and far from secur- ing payment of the loss. his attorney, who came to Atlanta to inquire into the status of the company. could not even find its office.
 It was learned that through friend ship for local agent for the com pdASB PAaSNiS1i4J cNcAJ AASA S4AohS AAA tiic city and many of the owners of homes had taken insurance policies in the same concern; but the man who had the first loss on one of its policies IS still trying to find out where the com pany keeps It's office.
 About three months ago two of this class of companies which failed to pay judgments rendered against them in ( +a% Af hoA | atr licenses cancelled by the insurance commissioners.
 It is true that there are many as- sessment and industrial insurance com panies which are doing an honest bus mess; but under the present laws 1t is pointed out that the public Is protected neither from dishonesty nor from hon. est failures of such concerns.
 A $10,o00 deposit with the state Urea surer would result in protection to the public in both instances. Insurance Commissioner Wright has been trying for years to get the legislature to make such a requirement, but evidently not enough of the legislators have yet been hit.
 Convlcts on the Roads. Within the short time since the new law apportioning the state convicts to the various counties for road building has gone into effect the work has become so popular that many of the 39 counties which did not take convIcts now want them so that they can get busy on their roads.
 The prison commission has already had considerable correspondence-in this direo- ton, but can only answer that such coun- ties may file their applications now or at any time before February 1. 1910, and await ueyt vaar'a anpOrtf0pment. It will be impossible for any of the counties which have no convicts now to get them before April 1. 1910, each ap- portionment <being made for an entire year.
 The prison commission, however, is having data collected by it's force of in- spectors with reference to the work that
 IS geing done. the publicatitn of which il Is expected will be of mateAial assistance to all counties now working their roads. There are 107 out of 146 counties now working convicts on the roads, and in these TOT counties there are 140 convict camps. Although 1t was predicted that the good roads sentiment would soon play out, 90 far as is known or can be ascertained. there ia not now single county work ing convicts but will apply for them again next year. In the short time con- victs have been at work on the roads the results are already apparent. not only in ordinary travel but in the marketing of crops.
 There is a keen rivalry among certain counties on the routes of proposed auto- mobile endurance contests which are to take place in November to have their roads selected as official routes. This
 would seem to discredit the assertion so often made that tho country people arc strongly opposed to the automobile; they 1 are rather opposed to the reckless oper- ation of 1t, as are sensible people every where
 In some Georgia counties the eonvicts