The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-01-13
Cornweu Would Eliminate Private Mine Guards

event. tn" on -" tOu,N -" i'..t>GN CA u
srlt-SUStajn.mE bass. Ih1i - 1" @Af'
" the employees Cnui4 he increase !" IA"
number necessary t. tak" car" OF i"r
: work Of TIA" Department.; the S:1.tr'r' q
the commissioner and h.S .'SS!~'..!!l9
could b. increased to al amount n
O. Keeping with the service rendered, AMI
the fees collected for the e>Imlr ti!"u"
made by the department. would i"i.F
take care OF AL the cNpcis"$ OF N'''
. dcpaT tment.
! The Importance OF In efficient hank.
Ing department cannot be ever "Nt'
mated An illustration Of the result OF
ineftiClcnCy in the department WtN man
ifcst"d n the failure Of IA" Ia!
Might bank. Of this city, which wa
found To- hc inSolVcnt hE the NreSrh'
hauk:n.: commissioner winch h" came "a
to Office and the closing Of "Mch iN'h
up the savings Of some eight thouS'u"
or NOR" persons, most OF whom "efr
wIgr workers and who could lI-at"Id
SuCn 4 SaCritcc The hank hId not n.'"H
/ examined for about eighteen n"htia.
It's closing can he traced directly u t'c
failure OF the STATE haui,ln- department.
Ia make regular and cuir"nt eN"m.n"-
TONS. The public IS entitled L. the pro-
lection which an efficient ulNk!nS N'-
partmCnt can afford and IA" BANKS
themselves will not object 10 paying l"F
; such service,
, Il desire 10 call your attention {"
Chapter Y Of the Code, known as t"r
. State depository Law.
rms law was COp.c'I lENHl INV ' "a
gin:I statutes more than half century
ago and il appears that II has not h"'h
amended from time to tim" {" conform
with the demand "f modern has MSS
methods and practices. ,,
IT Is my opinion that this llw should
J." reiraftrd to meet the requirements
of our rapidly growing stat.
Care OF state Funds.
! zone OF tho most obJcrt!Unahir Tea
lures uC the present law - the method
lot fnr ll,, don G.
funds. Any official or person ing the
state or having in his possession money
belonging TO the state has = right :"
deposit same Ia the credit Of IN" state
: IN any one Of the state depository
banks.
No department Of government or
business concern can reach the high
r>t degree Of efficiency and success,
Unless Il has a central managing head.
Tho lack OF 4 Capitalization Of authority
. over the deposits of our state luntiH
renders it impossible 10 keep IN" state
. money distributed IN an equitable MAN.
ner in the various sections OF the state
as il should be. Some banks often Nave
more funds than Is covered by Their
depository bonds. while others have
practically nothing. Money mas been de-
posted in banks, the soivcncy q! W"lch
: was questioned at the time the deposit
: was made. and deposits are often made
! in banks whose bonds have expired.
The report Of the state treasurer
states tnIt ne IL ms uiO'I i''S
books. amounts due and unco!"cicd
from defunct depository banks which
, failed from 1912 TO 1914, sums amount
ing 10 Sl7,3Il.T4. He further states
| that reports from 10 state treasurers
show combined loss from failure OF
. depository banks for 4 like period. OF
only $S.O35.00 / am informed that IN
nearly all OF these 40 states, the state
: trcaSurcrs have full control OF all state
deposits. Whether or not the different
- .HI
Sponsible for this difference IN losses.
| am not prepared 70 say, hut ! want
10 strongly urge and recommend mat
our state treasurer be given nun con
troll and authority over All deposits Oh
moneys belonging to or under the con
: troll of the state"
The message also recommends re-
duction IN the minimum bond required
of state repositories, :" as 10 enable
small banks 10 give 4 smaller bond aud
secure Il small amount Of the state
, deposits.
At the biennial session OF the !CEiSla-
! ture two years ago, l advised against
attempting. at that time. 10 reorEahlGe
the National Guard for several reasons
chief OF which was II seemed certain
that congress would repeal the federal
law then In effect and provide u new
national defense system. That ant!cI-
patton has been realized. Tn" last cun-
greSs passed a ncw national defense re-,
the basis OF which is TO be the Ma
tional guard forces to be organized
hereunder in the several states.
By virtue OF the act the sanding
army of the United States is reduced
to minimum the country relying for
It's defense upon the National Euaru.
country Is broken up into Corps
Areas" the old military districts nav
ing been abolished. West virginia is 4
part of the Fifth Corps. Area which
IL composed of Indiana. ONO ana zen
lucky, in addition 10 our own STATE"
the headquarters Of III" commander
being al Fort Benjamin Harrison. Under
tho provisions OF the Defense Act, tac
federal government drtraGs the entire
expense connected with the new Ma
tional guard organization. including al
iowance Of officers and men. tn" only
financial requirement OF the states Is
that they provide the quarters Tor the
various organizations.
ON November Sth, Ma lor-G"ncrIl Il.
W. Read ccmmandlng the, Faith Corps.
. Area. asked the governors or the states
in this area TO attend Il conference at
Fort benjamin Harrison, rclatiy" TO the
work OF reorganization. in acrOrdaiCc
with the provisions OF the law to which
/ have referred. ! was unabl" 10 q"
present but the governors of the other
states. viz: ONO. Indiana and Kentucky
accepted the allotment of men for jnc;r
respective states. Shortly thereafter
General Read sent staff r"rrrs"EGt-
tive here TO confer with me as 10 the
willingness Of West Virginia t. assume
it's allotment and to accept its rvSpon-
Sibility of reorganiZug its National
guard force in connection Herewith.
invited Governor elect Morgan into the
conference and after going over tn"
matter carefully il was agreed that
West Virginia should accept its quota
and reorGanIZe as National guard force
in accordapce with the provisions OF the
new national defense act.
As heretofore stated. this proposed
national guard force is To hc our
tional defense. in lieu of a iIrS" stand
ing army 1t. is part Of our duty 10
the national government to share our
responsibility and do our part IN the
new system. The expense which the
state will entail, in providing quarters,
will be very small, but 1t Will u" nee
cSSary for the legislature To r"p"ai Inc
present National guard ac! ana pass Il
ne wonc in conformity with the present
federal statute. This matter $n"ulu
have your prompt and careful conS!d-
Grafton.
The message further recommends N"
creation of a state sinking fund com
mission for the purpose OF RdhNlSter-
Ing all interest and sinking funds re-
CURED for the various bond ISSUES OK
tho counties. districts. school districts
''''N state constabulary.
The act creating thu department. Of
public safety went into effect Jun" ~.
1919 Colonel jackson Arnold. a former
National Guard officer. and lat" Of tn"
\. t. r. was appointed sup"rintcnd-
cnt Tn" creation OF the department.
and the building up of an efficient fore"
has been an eAcccdugiy diT'ru': ""n-
lem for several reasons. II was u.'S"-
lutely impossible 10 promptly cdnlr and
uniform the men enlisted. tn" material
not being ayailahlr. The government
bad taken over all material and supplies
Of the character needed. during tn" war,
and red-tape and other hlndrHnc"& pre-
vented getting the rrCrSSaCIr$ from the