Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-02-03
DAHL PROPOSES
TO BRING SUIT
SUGGESTS TO GOVERNOR THAT
REINSURANCE COMMISSION
ERs BE INVESTIGATED.
PROPOSAL CREATES DISCUSSION
AND MUCH INTEREST AMONG
LEGISLATORS.
Madison. Ian. 2

troversy and the charges made against
the latter by the former was accentu-
ated yesterday when State Treasurer
A. II. Dahl suggested in a letter to
Governor Davidson that any investi-
cation of the insurance department
that may be made should cover not
only the term of Commissioner George
q. Beedle but should go into the rec
ord of the transactions of the depart
ment during all the time since its es-
adjustment in 1878 Senators and
assemblymen talked freely upon the
subject yesterday and there seemed
to be general agreement among the
few who were present that if an in
Ssstigation is made with a view of
securing the return to the state treas
ure of the fees in question, then, as
cold blooded proposition, devoid of
sentiment or politics, the inquiry
should go back to the beginning.
There have been seven commits
sioners of insurance since the office
WdS CT6dISu DIS lOilUWS.
P L. Spooner, Jr., 1873 to 1887.
Philip Cheek, Jr., 1887 to 1891.
Wilbur M. Root. 1891 to 1895.
William A. Fricke, 1895 to 1898.
Emil Giljohann, 1898 to 1903.
Zeno NJ Host, 1903 to 1907.
George E. Beedle, 1907
1t is said that the amount of fees
that might become subject of in
curry if the investigation is made to
go backward to the first commission
er will be some 100000, possibly
more. The exact amount is not known
but in the last two years of the adj
ministration of Zeno M. Host it is
said the fees of the Office amounted
to some $4,000.
OF course the fees have not been
so much since Mr.. Beedle came into
office as the law of 1905, effective be-
ginning 1907, requires the fees for
policy valuation to be turned into the
state treasury instead of into the
pocket of the commissioner. This
amounts now to some $4,000 for the
Northwestern Mutual alone. But all
this has been diverted from its former
course and Mr.. Beedle is thereby de-
prived of the benefit that accrued TO
his predecessors. All that was left to
him in the way of perquisites was the
oompensation for examination of COM
NAMES and this is the subject in
question.
The proposition to delve into the
ancient history of the subject and
possibly demand return from former
commissioners recalls the history OF
the treasury suits in 1891 that rent
the fabric of state politics and made
two democratic administrations ia
nous in the annals of the common
wealth. 1t is said that those cases
and the ones that now loom on the
horizon have many points of similar
ity. Treasurer Dahl assures Governor
Davidson that if investigation shows
that fees have been unlaWfully re-
tanned he will not hesitate 40 bring
suit for their recovery. Following Is
the text of his letter:
"Sir:-Section 1872 of chapter 80,
wisconsin statutes of 1898, provides
as follows:
ssThe commissioner of insurance
shall make daily payments to the
state treasurer of all fees and taxes
received and shall on the first day OF
each month report in detail the re-
ceipts of his department during the
preceding month TO the governor,
secretary of state and state treasurer,
together with the dates OF such pay
ments to the treasurer
"The attorney general. in an opin-
ion rendered under date of January
22d, 1909, with reference TO the
charges made by Mr.. Waite against
George E. Beedle, commissioner OF
insurance. says in part: The pre-
sumption is that all fees and charges
belong to the state and are payaple
into the treasury, and any offlclal OF
emnloye claiming the right to retain
such fees in addition to charges, must
he able TO show clear and expllclt
law relative to the said right
ut would appear from the section
of the statutes above quoted, namely
that all fees collected by the lnsur-
ance department shall be paid over TO
the state treasurer and the opinion
of the attorney general that 'tne
presumption is that all ices ana
charges belong to the state tnat the
state Is entitled to a recovery OF the
fees collected and retained by former
commissioners of insurance; | fall 10
find in the books or records OF TINS
department, the payment OF such lees
by the commissioners for severai
wears past. 1 would respectfully rec
ommend that if you order an inves-
tigation by the Legislature of the IN
surance department, that you extend
the investigation to cover the RECORDS
Of former commissioners. to the enc
that proper steps may be taken 10
recover what is due to the state.
"The amounts thus due the state
is no small matter. as Mr. Beedie s