The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-03-05
SOM F LAWS THAT
|G0v. TRAMMEL[
WANTS PASSED
WILL PUBLISH HIS RECOMMEN-
DATIONS FROM TIME TO TINE.
Wants Interest Reduced; Abolish.
ment of Office of County Treasur.
er and Other Measures Passed.

upon the policy OF publishing from
time to time before the Legislature
cOnyenes, for the information bOth
OF the legislators and OF the people,
an outline of some OF the policies
which he will recommend in his for
NAL message to the Legislature that
will assemble in Tallahassee April 5.
The governors object in doing this
is to invite discussion upon his rec
concentrations, which he believes to
be the best way OF stimulating
helpful public sentiment with regard
tn the merits or defects OF his pro-
pOsals; also, to acQuaint the legis-
lators with these recommendations,
az they have but little time after the
session cOnvenes to consider the gov
ernor's message
Among the recommendation
which Governor Trammell will make
are the following:
Il respectfully recommend that
law be enacted changing the legal
rate OF interest from s to & per cent,
and that the rate which is allowed to
be charged by contract be changed
from 10 to s per ment. 1t has now
been twenty-five years since the
present law fixing the legal rate OF
interest in this State was enacted.
Within this time conditions have
wonderfully changed. Our State has
quadruplcd in population and devel-
opcd remarkably in tae scope and
value of all her industries and re-
sources. The rate OF interest sug-
gcsted by me is equally as reason
able in our State at the present time
as the rate now allowed was when
fixed In 1891. AS evidence Of the
fact that the rate suggested by me
is reasonable, a large majority of the
banks and individuals leaning money
ON contract now require not exceed
ing per cent. In fact, much cap
ital is now loaned in Florida at
slightly lower interest charges, and
business men generally consider
return of 6 to s per cent upon money
loaned Il good investment. 1t is not
believed that the amendment of the
law here suggested would in the
slightest degree retard the invest
ment of capital or the extension OF
loans. 1t would merely be adjusting
the statutes of the State to the
changed conditions of the times.
Most of the Southern States now
have lower legal rate of interest
than is fixed by Florida, and it has
come to be generally recognized that
both in business practice ana as q
governmental policy. lower interest
rates should prevail-large enough
to give reasonable returns to the
lenders, but on the other hand, low
enough not to work hardship on
those who have to borrow, and also
to encourage those who would bor-
row capital and invest II in indus
trial development"
Abolishing Office of County
Treanrer.
"A constitutional amendment to
abolish the Office of county treasurer
az the expiration of the terms OF the
present incumbents, should be sub
mitted for ratification or rejection
by the electors at the next general
election. In my opinion. the amend
ment should provide that the county
TAX assessor shall perform the duties
now incumbent upon the county
treasurer. It Is well-known fact
that the duties connected with the
ONCE OF county treasurer require but
little time and work from the person
Milling the office. and that the COM
pensation paid therefor is entirely
out of proportion to the responsibili-
ties assumed or the work actually
done. These duties could be dis
charged by the tax assessor without
interfering with his duties as asses
scr. The change could be made
without Injustice to the assessors
and without impairing the efficiency
of the public service; yet with a very
considerable economy in the admin
ietration of government. This being
true, why should the taxpayers Of
all the counties be required to con-
tinue paying salaries aggregating at
Continued on page 81