fallen to $1,080,000. This distrust of the regular companies encouraged the growth of all sorts of assessment and beneficiary societies, which, unfortunately, were exempt from State supervision, and to them were diverted the premiums that formerly were paid for life insurance. Assessment insurance for a time had immense development, and, as it was unconstrained and uncontrolled, great frauds marked its progress; but prosperous times, oblivion, the conservative management of the regular companies, and the frauds perpetrated by many assessment and beneficiary swindles, have turned the tide of business back into its old channels, as may be seen by the following figures from the returns of December 31, 1896:

PREMIUMS TAKEN IN MISSOURI IN 1896.

Insurance, Organizations Auxiliary Thereto.

Various organizations have formed around insurance companies as auxiliary thereto or regulative of their local transactions, of which some have played an important part in the history of insurance in St. Louis. The most important is the Board of Underwriters of St. Louis. This corporation was chartered by the Missouri Legislature, January 14, 1860. The object of the corporation is the better preserva. tion from loss or damage of property wrecked or stranded upon the navigable rivers of the State. The corporation has power and it is its duty to take into its control all property which may be recovered from any

wrecked or disabled steamboat or other vessel within the jurisdiction of the State, and deliver an account to the owner for same, and to sell such as is perishable, accounting for the proceeds thereof. For these purposes the board was clothed with all the powers of port wreckers. This company has saved many millions of dollars' worth of property from wrecked vessels, delivered what was sound of it, sold what was damaged, and accounted to the owners and insurance com

panies for the proceeds. The St. Louis Board of Fire Underwriters is a voluntary organization of the fire insurance agents of St. Louis. It was organized in 1872, and has always included in its membership the foremost and most influential underwriters of the city. Its membership has varied greatly, at times including only a few agents, at other times including every agent and company of standing and repute; but whether with many or few members, it has always controlled the fire insurance of St. Louis. The board has stood for that principle of fire underwriting which would guarantee permanent indemnity to the assured by securing an adequate premium for the company that insures him, and equal rates for equal risks to every man. It has taken an efficient part in the improvement of the construction of business buildings, procuring extensions of the city water supply, and, by strenuous efforts, to increase the efficiency of the fire department. Its work in these directions has received public recognition in the co-operation. of the various departments of the city government. About $2,000,000 of fire premiums were reported to the board in 1896. Organi

Insurance Department, State.This department of the State government was established in 1868. The superintendent is appointed by the Governor and holds office for four years at a salary of $3,000 a year, with a deputy at a salary of $2,000. The superintendent issues certificates of authority to do business in this State to those companies that have fully complied with the law, and also such other certificates as may be required by law in the organization of insurance companies; and he performs all such duties as are or may be imposed on him relating to the matter of insurance. He has a general supervision over all insurance companies doing business in the State, with authority to examine into their financial condition, affairs and management, and proceed against them for violations of law. He makes annual reports to the Governor of the State. The department was first established in St. Louis, and kept there until July, 1897, when it was removed to Jefferson City. The first superintendent was Willys King, and the others in order down to 1899 have been: Miles Sells, Frank P. Blair, William S. Relfe, Alfred Carr, James R. Waddill, William Selby, Celsus Price, John F. Williams, C. P. Ellerbe, Ed T. Orear. August F. Harvey was actuary of the department from February 7, 1870, to October 1, 1898. The twenty-ninth annual report of the department, for the year 1897, by Ed T. Orear, superintendent, shows that the whole number of companies authorized to transact business in the State that year was 345, of which number 2 were stock fire insurance companies of Missouri, 108 were stock fire companies of other States, and 38 were stock fire companies of foreign countries, making altogether 148 stock fire companies. Eleven were mutual fire insurance companies of Missouri, and 3 were mutual fire insurance companies of other States. Total mutual fire companies, 14. Stock miscellaneous companies of Missouri, 5: of other States, 23; foreign, 5. Total stock miscellaneous companies, 33. Assessment life associations of Missouri, 3; of other States, 30. Total assessment life associations, 33.

Assessment casualty companies, 8; fraternal associations of Missouri, 41; of other States, 28. Total fraternal associations, 69. Regular life insurance companies of Missouri, 3; of other States, 37. Total regular life insurance companies, 40. The entire number, 345, was greater by 50 per cent than in any preceding year since the organization of the department. The total resources of the fire companies was $291,611,318; total surplus, $93,061,481; total income, $149,551,587; total disbursements, $130,474,642. The casualty and surety companies showed total resources, $101,066,089; total surplus, $15,833,815; total income, $21,984,154; total disbursements, $17,795,831. The life companies showed total resources of $1,220,486,750; total surplus, $163,169.363; total income, $283,199,990; total disbursements, $199,172,241. The fire insurance risks written in Missouri were $395,182,858, an increase over the preceding year of $1,357,637; marine and inland, $10,491,703, an increase of $4,687,794; fidelity and surety, $89,987,647, an increase of $44,861,323; tornado, $17,733,373, an increase of $1,500,206; plate glass, $1,882,086, an increase of $310,393; steam boiler, $5,424.953, a decrease of $971,338; employers' liability, $24,299,412, an increase of $4,850,566; personal accident, $155,158,710, an increase of $7,708,337; burglary, $1,532,480, a decrease of $73,376; credit, $399,500, an increase of $58,500; automatic sprinkler, $161,500, an increase of $111,500; title guaranty, $262,975; assessment casualty, $4,848,500, an increase of $570,900. The total other than life insurance was $707,365,697, an increase of $65,235,417. The regular life risks written were $31,770,573, an increase of $2,661,727; industrial life, $17,939,371, an increase of $4,027,573; assessment life, $14,172,463, a decrease of $1,605,887-making a total of life risks of $63,882,407, an increase of $5,083,413, and an aggregate insurance in the State for the year of $771,248,104, an increase of $70,318,830. The total premiums received for fire insurance were $4,725,962, a decrease of $170,284; for marine and inland, $38,804, an increase of $2,716; for fidelity and surety, $155,955, a decrease of $36,722; for tornado, $89,340, an increase of $24,247; for plate glass, $48,336, an increase of $1,553; for steam boiler, $24,202, a decrease of $3.317; for employers' liability, $153,240, an increase of $6,438; for personal accident, $455,363, an

increase of $21,465; for burglary, $12,875, an increase of $2,222; for credit, $14,034, an increase of $2,324; for automatic sprinkler, $2,676, an increase of $2,051; for title guaranty, $2,836, an increase of $2,836; for assessment casualty, $42,500, an increase of $1,718-making the total premiums other than life $5,766,123, a decrease of $183,535. The premiums for regular life insurance were $6,102,858, an increase of $1,436,355; for industrial life, $1,442,355; for assessment life, $595,583, a decrease of $156,020—making a total of life premiums of $8,140,796, an increase of $1,577,202, and an aggregate of premiums received for insurance of all kinds. in the year, $13,906,919, an increase of $1,434,449. The losses and claims paid during the year were: For fire insurance, $2,713,441, an increase of $289,265; for marine and inland, $35,728, an increase of $6,179; for fidelity and surety, $81,983, a decrease of $11,073; for tornado, $12,451, a decrease of $47.753; for plate glass, $12,570, a decrease of $18,949; for steam boiler, $1,818, a decrease of $12,899; for employers' liability, $88,501, a decrease of $6,018; for personal accident, $292,317, an increase of $64,377; for burglary, $4,004, an increase of $1,558; for credit, $628, an increase of $628; for automatic sprinkler, $197, an increase of $178; for assessment casualty, $24,754, an increase of $7,317. The total losses and claims other than life were $3,268,392, an increase of $284,846, and for regular life, $2,020,242, à decrease of $130,599; for industrial life, $411,592, an increase of $46,755-making the total life losses $2,431,836, a decrease of $83,222, and the aggregate of losses and claims of all kinds paid during the year $5,700,228. The amount of premiums received in Missouri in 1897 by companies of other States, and subject to taxation, was $11,608,249, of which $4,552,982 was received for fire insurance, $525,603 for miscellaneous insurance, and $6,529,663 for life insurance. The taxes on these premiums amounted to $233,306.

D. M. GRISSOM.

Inter-Alumni Association of Missouri. This association was organized at Pertle Springs (Warrensburg), Missouri, June 19, 1895. It is composed of the alumni full course graduates of the State Normal Schools, numbering in the year 1900 about 1,000, its objects being to promote social re

lations between the members and promote the cause of public education.

Interest Fund, State.-This fund is constituted and carefully maintained for the payment of the interest on the State bonded debt and on the certificates of indebtedness held by the State treasurer for the State school and seminary funds, and it is composed of the proceeds of a tax of ten cents. on the $100 valuation on all taxable property in the State. The receipts in 1897 were $969,804, and in 1898, $1,146,971—making a total for the two years of $2,116,776. The disbursements for payment of interest on the bonded debt for the State in 1897 were $173,547, and in 1898, $145,089. The transfers for payment of interest on the school certificates of indebtedness in 1897 were $186,090, and in 1898, $186,090; for payment of interest on seminary certificates of indebtedness in 1897, $62,711, and in 1898, $64,971. The law requires that whatever surplus is left over after paying the annual interest on State bonds and certificates of indebtedness shall be transferred to the State sinking fund for the reduction of the State debt. In 1897 the transfers on this account were $547,455, and in 1898, $750,820.

Internal Revenue, Assessor of.When the United States internal revenue system was first established in 1862 it provided for an assessor, as well as a collector, in each district, the duties of the first being to assess and fix the taxes, which were various and numerous, and turn over the assessment lists to the collector for collection. The first assessor under the law in St. Louis was Theophile Papin, who held the office from 1862 through the administration of President Lincoln and that of President Johnson into that of President Grant, when 'Colonel Alton R. Easton was appointed to the place. Colonel Easton held the office until, in the revision of the internal revenue law, it was abolished and the duties imposed on the collector. These two persons were the only ones who were United States internal revenue assessors in St. Louis.

Internal Revenue, Collector of.The internal revenue system is one of the products of the Civil War. Before that nearly the entire revenue of the Federal government

was derived from duties on imports and sales of public lands; but the enormous expense of the Civil War necessitated a larger revenue, and in the year 1862 Congress devised the system of taxing a number of articles and occupations, chief among which were spirits, tobacco, fermented liquors, manufactures and products, gross receipts, sales, incomes, legacies, bank capital and deposits, and adhesive stamps. This list was gradually curtailed by dropping off first one thing and then another until, in 1897, the only articles left were distilled spirits, tobacco and the manufactures thereof, oleomargarine, filled cheese, bank circulation, playing cards and opium manufactured for smoking. Spirits, tobacco and beer are the leading subjects of taxation, and they yield over 90 per cent of the revenue from the system. In the year 1890 the total internal revenue taxes paid were $142,594,696; in 1891 they were $146,035,415; in 1892 they were $153,857,544; in 1893 they were $161,004,989; in 1894 they were $147,168,000; in 1895 they were $143,246,077; in 1896 they were $146,830,615, and in 1897 they were $146,619,593. The total receipts from the leading articles of taxation during the period of thirty-five years from 1863 to 1897 have been as follows: From distilled liquors, $2,081,043,192; from tobacco, $1,059,900,901; from fermented liquors, $551,466,056; from oleomargarine, $12,669,774; from bank circulation, $5,528,775; from playing cards, $893,562; from penalties, $13,653,987; from filled cheese, $18,992; from smoking opium, $1,257; from articles formerly taxed, but now exempt, taxed, but now exempt, $1,286,576,411; aggregate, $5,011,752,910. The aggregate collections of internal revenue from all sources in the First District of Missouri, made up chiefly of the city of St. Louis, have been as follows:

Of the total collections in the First District of Missouri, St. Louis, in 1897 distilled liquors paid $1,088,247; tobacco and the manufactures thereof paid $3,822,344; fermented liquors, $1,909,804; oleomargarine, $2,024, and playing cards, $12.

The first collector of internal revenue in St. Louis was A. M. Gardner, appointed in 1862, followed in order by William Taussig, appointed in 1865; Bart Able, appointed in 1867; C. W. Ford, appointed in 1869; Constantine Maguire, appointed in 1873; Isaac H. Sturgeon, appointed in 1875; Freeman Barnum, appointed in 1885; Charles F. Wenneker, appointed in 1889; Charles Speck, appointed in 1893; Wayman McCreery, appointed in 1896, and Henry C. Grenner, appointed in 1898.

In the payment of taxes on tobacco of all kinds for the year 1897 Missouri ranked as the third State in the Union, next after New York and Pennsylvania, the collections in these three States being: New York, $4,775,587; Pennsylvania, $3,965,978, and Missouri, $3,900,331. In collection districts on tobacco the First Missouri, St. Louis ranks first, the collections in the three leading districts being: First Missouri, $3,822,344; Fifth Kentucky, $2,427,615, and Third New York, $1,660,134. In the payment of taxes on fermented liquors in 1897 Missouri ranked as the sixth State, the collections being: In New York, $8,846,846; in Pennsylvania, $3,671,445; in Illinois, $3,052,081; in Wisconsin, $2,498,341, and Missouri, $2,100,266. Among the collection districts on fermented liquors the First Missouri ranks sixth, the order being: Third New York, $3,456,640; First Illinois, $2,683,052; First New York, $2,279,449; First Wisconsin, $2,191,479; First Pennsylvania, $2,169,676, and First Missouri, $1,909,804. In the aggregate payments of internal revenue of all kinds in 1897 the first seven States were: Illinois, $32,115,443; New York, $18,420,037; Kentucky, $15,657,015; Ohio, $12,748,736; Pennsylvania, $11,445,752; Indiana, $8,564,263, and Missouri, $7,362,982. The first five col lection districts are: The Fifth Illinois, $15,859,659; Eighth Illinois, $10,037,794; First Ohio, $9,998,248; Fifth Kentucky, $8,793,057, and First Missouri, $6,824,670.

The 1898 Congress enacted what was called the war revenue act to meet the cost of the war with Spain. Its features were in

creased taxes on fermented liquors and manufactured tobacco, annual special taxes on vocations, stamp taxes, excise taxes, taxes on legacies, and taxes on mixed flour. The tax on fermented liquors was placed at $2 a barrel of thirty-one gallons; on cigars, $1 to $3.60 per thousand; on cigarettes, $1.50 to $3.60 per thousand; on manufactured tobacco and snuff, 12 cents a pound. The annual special taxes on vocations were: On bankers using a capital of $25,000 and under, $50, with $2 in addition for every $1,000 over $25,000; brokers, $50; pawnbrokers, $20; commercial brokers, $20; customhouse brokers, $10; proprietors of theaters and other places of amusement in cities of more than 25,000 population, $100; proprietors of circuses, $100; proprietors of other exhibitions, $10, and proprietors of bowling alleys and billiard tables, $5; dealers in leaf tobacco and manufacturers of tobacco and cigars, $6 to $24, according to the amount of sales. The stamp taxes were two cents on all bank checks, and from one to five cents on bonds, certificates, bills of exchange, agreements to sell, telephone messages and telegraphic dispatches, bills of lading and manifests; on insurance policies, one-half of one per cent; on proprietary medicines, perfumery, cosmetics and other similar articles, one-eighth to five-eighths of a cent; on chewing gum, four cents on the dollars' worth; on charters of vessels, $3 to $10; on conveyance deeds of realty, fifty cents for each $500 worth; customhouse entries of merchandise, twenty-five to fifty cents; on leases, twenty-five cents to $1; on mortgages exceeding $1,000, twenty-five cents for every $500 in excess of $1,500; on life insurance policies, eight cents for each $100 or fractional part thereof, and on policies issued on weekly payment plan, forty per cent on amount of first weekly payment; on manifests for entry or clearance of vessels for foreign ports, $1 to $5; on passage tickets to foreign ports, $1 to $5; powers of attorney, protests of notes, and warehouse receipts, twenty-five cents. The excise taxes were one-fourth of one per cent on corporations, companies, persons or firms refining petroleum or sugar, or using pipe line for transporting oil or other products, on gross amount of receipts in excess of $250,000, and one cent on every seat sold in a palace or parlor car, and on every berth sold in a

sleeping car. The taxes on legacies and distributive shares of personal property were seventy-five cents to $2.25 on each $100 where the beneficiary is the lineal issue or ancestor, brother or sister of the deceased; $1.50 to $4.50 on each $100 where the beneficiary is a descendant of a brother or sister; $3 to $9 on each $100 where the beneficiary is a brother or sister of the father or mother or a descendant of a brother or sister of the father or mother of the deceased; $4 to $12 on each $100 where the beneficiary is a brother or sister of the grandfather or grandmother, or a descendant of the brother or sister of the grandfather or grandmother of the deceased, and $5 to $15 on each $100 where the beneficiary is a person of any other degree of collateral consanguinity, or a stranger in blood, or a body politic or corporation. The taxes on mixed flour were one-half of a cent on a barrel or package containing twenty-four and one-half pounds or less, up to four cents per barrel containing more than ninety-eight pounds and less than 196 pounds, with a tax of $12 on persons or firms making or packing or repacking such flour. In addition to these internal revenue taxes, there is a tax of ten cents a pound on imported tea.

D. M. GRISSOM.

Interstate Club.-A voluntary organization composed of representatives of leading wholesale jobbing and manufacturing houses of St. Louis, together with some professional men. It was organized in 1894, and is the outgrowth of an excursion of business men over the "Cotton Belt" Railroad to Waco, Texas, taken in that year. There was a State Fair, with a cotton palace, at Waco, and the patronage of St. Louis was invited by assigning a "St. Louis Day." A large body of St. Louisans accepted the invitation, and there was accorded a cordial and pleasant interchange of courtesies, with an address by Honorable Henry T. Kent, on the part of the St. Louis delegation. The visit was prolonged for a week, and extended to other points in Texas; and on the return of the excursion the Interstate Club was formed, with E. O. Stanard as president; Henry T. Kent, vice president, and George H. Morgan, secretary. In 1895 the club visited Atlanta during the great exposition of that year, and included Nashville, Chatta