Not only should all this be done now, but the State Legislature should be equally prompt in passing the laws necessary to maintain this high standard of publicity in the future, and making it mandatory upon the banking and insurance departments to order frequent examinations into the condition of all State banks and banking and insurance concerns by expert accountants, and publish their findings. All opposition to such investigation and publicity is of itself calculated to excite suspicion, whether it comes from banks, trust companies, life insurance officers, and trustees, or other concerns, or parties in interest. Industrial and other corporations of all kinds, including railways, ought also to be made, by mandatory laws, subject to stricter supervision and periodical examination as to their financial condition. Hence the Attorney-General of this and other States should be invested with new powers to this end, and the provisions of the laws should be made mandatory upon them. They should call for verified statements of earnings, profits, expenses, capitalization, indebtedness, dividends, property valuations, liabilities and assets, so that large corporations would cease to be blind pools, and fraud and misrepresentation would be checked by being exposed; and it is exposure and publicity which is most dreaded by those who prefer crooked ways to open and above board business methods and integrity of purpose. But those who have nothing to hide have much to gain from it, and should welcome the lime-light of this new era of publicity. Secrecy is only the defence of the weak.🏁

Not only should all this be done now, but the State Legislature should be equally prompt in passing the laws necessary to maintain this high standard of publicity in the future, and making it mandatory upon the banking and insurance departments to order frequent examinations into the condition of all State banks and banking and insurance concerns by expert accountants, and publish their findings. All opposition to such investigation and publicity is of itself calculated to excite suspicion, whether it comes from banks, trust companies, life insurance officers, and trustees, or other concerns, or parties in interest. Industrial and other corporations of all kinds, including railways, ought also to be made, by mandatory laws, subject to stricter supervision and periodical examination as to their financial condition. Hence the Attorney-General of this and other States should be invested with new powers to this end, and the provisions of the laws should be made mandatory upon them. They should call for verified statements of earnings, profits, expenses, capitalization, indebtedness, dividends, property valuations, liabilities and assets, so that large corporations would cease to be blind pools, and fraud and misrepresentation would be checked by being exposed; and it is exposure and publicity which is most dreaded by those who prefer crooked ways to open and above board business methods and integrity of purpose. But those who have nothing to hide have much to gain from it, and should welcome the lime-light of this new era of publicity. Secrecy is only the defence of the weak.🏁