The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-04-15
ST. PAUL. MINNESOTA THURSDAY, APRIL Is. 1875

D.
The Township Insurance Law.
At the request Of many of our SUBJ
scribers we publish below a very i'm
portant law, and ask the attention of our
readers to it:
Be it enacted by the Legislature OF the State Of
Minnesota:
Section I. 1t shall be lawful for any number
Of persons, not less than twenty five, (25) re-
siding in adjoining towns in Goodhue, Dakota,
+. + fillmore, Steele, Le sueur, Freeborn, Wright,
sChissgo, Pine, Kanabec. Meeker, the seventh
senatorial district OF Winona county, and
Dodge county, in this State, who collectively
shall own property OF not less than twenty
five thousand l&25, ,OOO) dollars in lvalue, which
they desire to have insured, to form them
selves into company for mutual insurance
against loss or damage by fire or lightning:
which corporation may sue or be sued, con-
tract or be contracted with. plead or be i'm
pleaded in any court of law or equity within
the State, and shall possess the usual powers
and be subject to the usual duties of corpora
ti0ns; and the corporate name thereof shall
embrace the name Of the town in which the
business Office Of said company shall be To-
Gated
Sec 2 Every company so formed shall
choose of their number not less than five nor
more than nine directors to manage the affairs
of one year, and until the others are elected !;
and such directors shall choose one OF their
number president and one secretary.
Sec. 8. The directors of such company shall
file their articles OF association. together with
copy OF the ir by laws, snd the names OF the
officers OF such company, in the clerks Office
Of the town in which the Office OF such COM
pany is l,cated,, and shall keep record
OF their proceedings in a book to be kept for
that pur pose, together with the names Of all
persons insured, add the amount esch person
is Insured, whicn record shall be kept open for
company from the hours Of ni,.e o'clock A. n,
to fur o'clock P. n. of each secular day, the
established holidays excepted
Sec. 4. The directors of each company may
issue such policies, signed by the president and
secretary, agreeing in the uame Of the COM
pany to pay all loss or damages which may be
sustained by fire or Lightning tor term mo- ex-
ceeding five years, by the holders OF such poll
cies, and not exceeding the sum named in such
policy.
Sec. s. Every person so insured shall give
lis undertaking, bea, ing even date with the
policy SO issued to him, binding himself, his
heirs and assigns to pay his pro rata share to
the company OF all lossts or damages by lire or
lightning, which may be sustained sy any
shall, within five days after the execution
thereof, besfled in the Office Of the secretary
ofsuch company, and shall remain on file in
such Office except when required to be lro-
duced in court as evidence. He shall also, at
the time OF effecting such insurance, pay such
| for policy as may be required by the rules OF
| by laws OF the company.
Sec 6. Every member Of such company,
who may sustain loss or damage ly fire Or
| lightning, shall Immediately notify the presi-
dent of such company, or, in case Of his alb
sence the secretary thereof, who shall forth
with convene the directors OF such company
whose duty it shall be, when so convened, ~
appoint committee OF not less than three MOI
more than five members of such company,
to ascertain the amount of such
loss; and in case Of the inability OF the
partiss to agree upon the amount Of such dam
age, the claimant may APPEAL to the judge oil
the district court Of such county, whose duty
| it shsll be to appoint three disintersted per
SONS rs a committee of reference, who shall
have fall authority to examine witnesses and
to determine all matters Of dispute, who shall
make their award in writing to the president
or, in his absence, to the secie ietary ofsuch com.
pany, which award thereon shall BE- final. The
said committee OF reference shall each be al.
loked the sum Of two dollars per day for eacI
days services 20 rendered, and the sum Of five
cents per mile for every mile necessaril,
travelled in the discharge Of such duties, which
shall be paid ty the claImant, unless Ii.
award Of said committee shall exceed the sur
offered by the company in liquidation Of sucl
loss or damage, in viii h case said expense
shali be paid by the company.
provisions nf this act may classify the property
insured At the time OF issuing policies thereon
under different rates, corresponding ~ nearl,
Is may be to the greater or less risk from fir
and loss which may Ntach to each severa
buildings or personal property insured
Whenever the amount Of any loss shall Ie -
ceTtained, which exceeds in amount the casl
funds Of the company, the president shall con
| vene the directors Of said com any, who shal
make m assessment upon all property insuret
to the amount for which each several piece @
property insured in such company shalt "a,
TO cover all unpaid losses, taken in connectiui
with the rate Of premium under which it ina,
hav. been classified.
Sec g. It shall he the duty Of the secretary
Whenever such assessment shall have b4el
\ completed, to Immediately mott every Pr.Ol
composing such company, by letter sent " hi
usual ~ostomce address, Of the amount u. sucl
loss, and the sum due from him as his .bar
ther~cf, ando the time when and t whom
such payment Is to lie made, but such tim
s0ali not be less than sixty nor more thar nine
y days from the date Of such notice, and ev
cry person designated 10 receive such H,Di.e,
may demand and receive tive pr cent. in I'D
dition TO the amount due on such sss< Nm<n
= Aforesaid tsr his lees in receiving and pay
ing ever the same.
| Sec. .. Suits .. law may be bsoosht asaina
any member 0l suGh company who shall Tefu<
q neglect to nay any aa1essment madr upO
them BY the provision OF this sct, and the di
recton Of any company % formed, who aha
4 wiIfully neRiect or refuse TO perfoa m the dute
imposed upon them b the foregoing section