The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-06
THE AGE-HERALD, MONDAY, JULY 6, 1911

go either to the auditors office or the
 state highway department and instead
 of requiring the full time of two addi- tional clerks with salaries of s3S00 per annum. The office force of the depart
 ment with which the motor depart
 ment is consolidated will be required
 to attend to the detail of the motor laws without additional expense. 1t is probable that the law will be so amend ed that the probate judges will be re-
 quired to issue the licenses and tags and by this means 1t is thought greater respect for the law may be had. Fur
 ther amendments to the law will be had making it compulsory upon all peace officers to arrest motorists TOT | failure to adhere to the requirements | of the law and that solicitors will be required to vigorously prosecute Nio- | lations
 'The office of land agent will be con solidated with the position of land cierh, | in the auditors office. The saving py 'nis
 arrangement will be over 5000 per annun | and the service will not be impaired 1 Clerical positions will receive close l attention and a number will be abolished It is safe to say that at least six or eish' of the present clerical positions Will De abolished The service will be just as ef- fc.ent and in case of unusual work Tn the departments the law provides that the governor may authorize temporary clerks Savings along this line will amount to from $4ooO to 5000 per annum. Appropriations by Legislature 1911 Not only will the nigh cost of living of the citizen be considered but the high cost of maintenance of the state be care 1 fully looked Into. Increases by the 1911 legislature in the matter of appropria- tions for salaries and expenses will be | closely investigated, and 1t is safe to as- sume that some of the following items will be reduced:
 File clerk and stenographer in gov ernor's office increase of $500 per annum | over law prior to 1911.
 Special attorneys employed by the state.
 National Guard appropriation l Additional assistant attorney general Oyster commission, see acts 1911, page | 453, and also page 45S.
 Secretaries of supreme court. "Secretary of state tax commission in creased from slS00 to s24O0 per annum.
 Also gives commission right to employ ex- perts. engineers, stsnographers and as- sistants and fix their compensation | Salary director of archives and his-
 tory.
 | Salaries of judges increased. l Salary of National Guard officers | | Appropriations to county fairs Departments That Are elf-sustaining '.rhe three state departments that are self sustaining. that is to say, depart
 nents that not only provide the funds | for the expense incident to the depart | ments. but also create and collect revenue
 for the state are the convict apartment | the insurance department aLd the depart | nent of game and fish.
 "The convict department will no doubt | require and be given needed statutes to | make 1t an earning power of greater ca | pacity. Incidentally laws will be passed requiring every officer of this depart
 n,ent to be bonded. This provision will
 be extended to cover the wardens and
 every one having the handling of funds
 supplies and property.
 l Separate the Insurance Department | "The demand for a separate department | of insurance is being made. and it is be-
 lieved that this department will be taken | away from the secretary of states office | and separate department established. | The need of this is obvious to every one who realizes the mm sase amount of work | required in the supervision of insurance | and the large amount derived from the de- partment The revenue from this depart
 ment is the second largest sum received
 by the state from any If the departments, | being exceeded only by the receipts from the convict department. With a separate department. with officers charged with
 no other duty than to look after insur- ance, the earning power can be greatly increased by collections of escaping prem | iums and convictions for violations of the | laws. The expense incident to the de-
 D. rtment must be earned by the depart ment and q separate office would not add | additional expense 10 the state, but as
 above mentioned would add revenue. The | duties of the secretary of state are such | that practically all of this officials time is taken up with the duties involving upon
 him as secretary of state, or by the in Il sLrance matters-in either case the one department cannot be given the attention | demanded.
 Tt has been pointed out that insur- | arce supervision has grown to such i'm portance that every southern state, with | the exception of Florida, has established l separate departments of insurance, and
 that very few of the states of the union have dual offices of his character; and | that the fact that insurance questions are intricate and technical and our plan of 1 electing new officer as at present, means that the insurance department can- not have the benefit If an experienced or | ficer as the secretary of state is barred | from serving more th.in one term. The reed of experience n SuperNlslon IS sredl CT than in any other department.
 "An illustration as to the benefit to the people from strict supervision Is had In the separate banking department of the state. Prior to the creation of the bank ing deparement tLe failures in banks were I umerous and the loss to the people enor- mcus. bank failure is rare now and the wisdom of the establishment of the
 department has been proven.
 
 Department of Game and Fish
 "A great deal has been said about apoi-
 rting this most important department
 but when investigation is made the legis'
 lators will find that hostility to the de
 partment is based on erroneous ideas, oi
 prejpdice and that the opposition te
 the department will valish. It is recog
 nized fact that Alabama's game law is
 recognized everywhere as being the bes law of the kind now on any of the state | statute books. The commissioner IS
 man who has made thorough study o
 geme protection and today is recognized
 a, thority on the subject of protection ts
 the game life of the country.
 This is another department that pays it's own expenses. costs the state noth ing and is also a source of revenue.
 What the legisla. should do is t'