The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-01

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forced commercial isolation Of any
people by their government are gone
by. The probable outcome is the
creation in Venezuela of govern
ment which will recognize that in
ternational relations are matters of
give and take, and not, as appears
to have been the notion of MI Cas-
tro, of just do as it may please a
ruler personally.
Insurance Commissioner BasfOrd
has issued a supplemental report,
in which he gives his views in re-
gard to insurance affairs in the state
for the benefit Of the Legislative
members. He calls attention to the
need of new law covering the prop
osition of gross premium taxes of
2R per cent on gross premium re-
ceipts, as Judge Garland has
held this law to be unconstitu-
tional. He takes up the suggestion
of changing the standard policy form
in the state, and suggests that if
a new form is adopted, that the
question of what riders will be
placed upon it be we'll considered.
He recommends the repeal of the
law requiring surety companies to
deposit $4,000 each with the state
treasurer before they can do bust
ness in the state, as the asking of
security which is inadequate. and an
unnecessary restriction upon the
companies. He recommends the re-
peal of the law requiring insurance
companies to publish annual state
ments and a substitution Of some
method by which the money paid for
this purpose would provide a return
of greater worth to the public and
the companies. He argues that fra
ternal companies should be COM
PEELED to place themselves upon a
basis of greater safety to their mem
bers. He devotes considerable at
tention to the demand on the part of
life insurance companies that they
be relieved from state taxation and
announces himself as opposed ito
such relief; that such companies
have no more right to ask it than
has the man who has accumulated
property has to ask that he be re
relieved on the ground that such a
method is tax on his savings.
The days Of the cattle rustler in
Lyman county are passed. At the
term of court there last week there
wasn't case of this kind up before
the court. Quite contrast with
few years ago when about all the
court work in the county consisted
of cases against cattle rustlers.
Senator Knox of Pennsylvania,
has accepted the secretary of state
portfolio in President-elect Taft's
cabinet. Secretary Knox, while at
torney general, successfully prose-
cuted the case against the Northern
Securities Company which was the
first victory for the state government
against the large corporate inter-
ests.
China can never go back into the
dark. 1t has been brought too far
into contact with the world Of ideas
and action now to revert to the an
cient type. 1t may be several years
before western ideas are firmly
planted in the Chinese soil, but,
nevertheless, there has been great
work of preparation there to insure
an eventual roofing of civilization
as the west conceives the term.
Parliament house, Melbourne,
which has been rushed by the "un-
employed" of the commonwealth
capital, is the costliest legislative
palace in Greater Britain. A mill
lion has been expended on it and it
is not yet completed. 1t belongs to
the parliament of Victoria, but since
federation 1t has been the meeting
place of the parliament of the COM
mon wealth, its owners moving to
wing Of the exhibition building close
by.
Several young men down in Can
ton thought that it would be mighty
clever to set fire to buildings and
then plumber them while assisting
the fire department in extinguishing
the fire. They were caught in the
act however and 1aat woek wara
sentenced to the penitentiary at
terms ranging from seven years to
Iteo. By the time they get out they
will have learned lesson that may