The Forrest City times., 1913-01-17
SECRETARY MAKES REPORT
Recommends That Old Statehouse Be
 Preserved as Relic.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
 Little Rock.-1n his biennial report just completed and made to the gov ernor, Secretary of State Earle w. Hodges, treats of the business of his office during the last term. Several recommendations are made and i'm provements asked for.
 Secretary Hodges is emphatically In favor of preserving the old statehouse and in his report says:
 Il am heartily in favor of the pres ervation of the old statehouse, I be- lieve it is the one sacred landmark Of the states greatness, and to barter It for few sheckles with which to replenish our depleted coffers is not only to forsake the teachings and tra- ditions of our fathers, but is to sell our birthright for a mess of pottage'"
 The report calls attention to the fact that the old state capitol for the last two years had not carried any in- surance and had been without even a night watchman and had been in constant danger of fire
 A more liberal pension for Confed- l crate veterans also is advocated by Secretary Hodges. He believes each member of the thinning line of gray should. receive the maximum amount, S100.
 Mir. Hodges calls the attention of the legislature to the fact that the new library at the new state capitol has not been finished and that the books are all mixed and in danger of being damaged. He asks that an appropriation be made for the purpose of finishing the library
 Although Mir Hodges asserts the af fairs of the penitentiary have been as tutely managed in the last two years, he says membership on the board has proved a hardship for the secretary of state because of his many other duties and he recommends that he be reliey- 1 ed from service on the penitentiary 1 beard.
 | Mir. Hodges says that many insur- ance companies have re-entered the 1 state who had discontinued their busi- ness here on account of a stringent act of the legislature passed g. few years ago. He gives as the reason the | fact that this old act was annulled by a recent act of the legislature
 A reduction in the receiE>s of the treasurers office is shown by the re- port. This is caused by the fact that the duty of collecting the taxes has | hnan transferred tn thn l sion, and the fees of corporations en. tering the state have been reduced from a maximam of $5,000 to approxi mately S3l.
 He recommends that a new insur- apce law be passed favoring the com panies more and encouraging them to enter the state.
 The report speaks of the new de- i partment added to the secretary's of 1 flee by the auto tax levied by the last | legislature.
 The act made no provision for the 1 paying of expenses in connection with this tax and after getting an opinion | from the attorney general, Mir. Hodges 1 paid all expenses from the fund col | lected He recommends that officers be compensated for the collection of the auto tax.
 Secretary Hodges recommends the | printing of volumes 70 to 79 of the Supreme Court reports. as well as of acts of the early General Assemblies l The money appropriated for this pur- pose, he says, could be replaced grad ually with receipts from the sale of the books. The supply of Kirby's Di- gest of the Statutes of the state of Arkansas, he points out, has been exhausted for two years and hundreds of orders have been received.
 There are but few of this thin ming line of gray,'" he says in refer ring to his duties as~a member of the state pension board. ITO them we cannot be too philanthropic, and I rec ommend that our present pension law be so amended as to allow each and every pensioner the maximum amount which can be paid under the law. As it is now, the allowances are on a 1 graduated scale of from S25 to Sl0O, dependent upon the extent of their physical disability.
 50 liberal has been the board that at the present time at least 75 per cent of the entire number of pension CTS receive the full amount, which is $l00. They all in common braved the hazards of four years combat they all in common withstood the enmities of a common foe; and since that memorable conflict have all in com ron lived allegiance to the cause they