The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1913-09-19

pubIicans and had betrayed their
Own platform by voting for the
regular Democratic Election Bill,
which deprived the Republican
party Of ell voice in the elections
of the State.
Nor does Mr.. Taylor stop on
that for he goes to show that the
most Objectionable men possible
such as Morley, Cox, Swan,
Stewart and Others served as
back tar officials under Dibrell,
while they were members of the
Legislature. Repres entative,
Brown, another one Of the elect
under Dibrell, was elected IS .
Republican and proved traitor to
his platform, az did Harry Swan,
an independent Democrat from
Sullivan county.
Commissioner Taylor shows
that the expenses of the Fire
Marshal's office under Tom Tay-
lor for the last year Of that dis
tinguished adjunct Of regular
Democracy, were, including sala-
ries, SIS, 0S9 81, while the cost in
the first six months Of the pres
ent incumbent was but SO, 972,
and Commissioner Taylor prom
ises to further cut down the mum
Der OF Fire Marshals and the
general expenses of the office.
10 his closing expose Of regular
tactics" Commissioner Taylor
says:
During the last six months
certain regular members Of the
General Assembly, and particu-
larly Representative Cox, have
heroically endeayored to place
the Fire Marshal Bureau Of the
Insurance Department in bad
odor and repute. In order to do
this, the Fire Marshal fund has
been misrepresented and exag.
gerated, whether designedIy OF
not, to ridiculous proportions. !
have repeatedly observed in the
press Of the state that Represen.
tative Cox has yariously estima.
ted this fund from thirty-five to
forty thousand dollars. | welcome
this opportunity to give the ex.
act facts relative to this matter,
Ia 1912 the gross Fire Marshal
fund collected only aggregated
1913, S20.08. In 1918, up to the
present date. we have collected
1924, 294.32, and all of the fund
has been collected for this year.
In addition to paying the salaries
and expenses of FIRE Marshals,
loot of this fund is paid the fees
to the Sheriffs of the state, which
amount to bout 81, 900 annually,
and the fees to attorneys who
represent the department in the
prosecution Of incendiaries,
which will amount to in the
neighborhood Of a thousand dol.
lars annually.
Concluding, | desire to call
the attention of this committee
to the fact that the Insurance
Department of Tennessee is one
Of the greatest revenue prodnc.
ing sources in the state. In 1912
the gross revenue collected by
this department. amounted to
s4O5, 1859. During the current
year we have already collected
$43l 1886 80, and we will probably
collect $4,000 additional before
the year is ended. In this con-
nection ! desire to call this COM
mittee's attention to the further
fact that, Notwithstanding the
great increase in the business of
this important department, my
administration is saving the
state $4,000 per annum in office
expenses alone; and the office
expenses of the department are
not paid out of the Fire Marshal
fund, but are paid indirectly out
of the public treasury Of the
state.
II am endeavoring to give to
Tennessee faithful, efficient
and economical administration
Of the Insurance Department :
an administration based upon
business principles and rugged
honesty, aud free from graft in
any form. In this undertaking
! respectfully solicit the aid and
co. operation Of all Tennesseans
alike.
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