, 1876-11-21
INSURANCE.
o,,.ia in the National Board OF
Underwriters.
, p,aak in the Line Of English
Companies.
,.snerate Efforts Making to
Avert It.
rg,at tho Rupture N1cans---Ex-
element In New York.


c,tc,nent in New York.
en>rta, Dfspasch 70 7as tribune.
,,xry yoRg. Nov. W.-The long-cxpected crisis
~. ~" snalra Of tho tho National Board OF un"
. n,.ara sne has arrived. The event, which Il Inns
eas, ,,me and again predicted would dissolve
nsa a,asnfxatlon Inns happened, and tho prescnt
w ."tor ys of the Board Is TINT o( drowning man
e9us 9.ss,or At straws. How much longer It can
g.. !. me Of those mysteries no fellow can find
~. = INT NJ It is safe to say that for nfl tho
.'s,sal. a remedial, and restrictive purposes for
p.sh ,he Board has becn famous during tho
wv. ss t,,,r Years, It Is played out. Tho import
~ ~. ~ ,bs event to the Insurance interest
~ 't,ss " country Is immense. Probably nothing
s,.. ,he Boston fro can exceed Il in the effects
s.on ssa, ,atce and the business generally. Not
ssrh,,andng tho fact that for tho Lust year ths
."nn,ulcs outside have outnumbcrcd those In
III. n tho Hoard, that organization practically
ss.a the rates for tho cnttro country. There
s.,. a.t. nearly 1,s00 Local boards auxiliary
"a tho central organization, obcyipg its
phr.ts - and carrying out Its orders.
rn,,c Local Boards averaged ten members
.a,,ee, consequently there wcro $4,000
.r.n,s scattered from Mime to Tcxas, and from
f1odda to Uregon, receiving their orders from
~ Ea,lonal board officers, NJ. 15o Broadway,
I, M, c,.y, THO power Of the central authority
n, h.en uroycl repeatedly, for wherever and
-h.ntycr contest has occurred between the
y,,ioosl and Local Boards, tho latter havc in
,,d.bly succumbcd- It was n complete mo-
nupoly in tho making Of rates, and the country
ntrthsnts In Illinois or Nebraska could scarrely
N,st dollar's insurance without admitting
d, rover Of the National Board. The non
gosrd companies, it Is true, were not bound by
d. Board rates, but they governed themselves
h, tha tartN. THUS II the rate was per cent in
Bo,,I companies, tho non-boart}crs took It at
WN eYen 50 cents, and by this process tho
Bosrt rates were really tho standard Tor all.
Ther. wss no escape from tic rule.
WHAT uREAKs TIE HOARD.
Tie blow which has probably brokcn the back
ctbe National Boarl ca.nc from nn unexpected
cuartey. Some time ago, 1t will bo remctn.
bersd, ronr renders wero furnished with state
u.p. II the virtual expulsion Of tho "Roya, !"
lpsuianeo Company, owing 10 It's failure to pay
tho required dues, which failure was occasfoned
II The fact that the representation Of the Com
p,ny In this country is 10 divided that each
.saBcy claimed vote These proceedings oc-
cured In September, and It sccms they occa-
Eoued considerable comment In England.
Whether correctly or not, the Company chose to
reanl Il ~ "snub," aud directed Its Amer
ian general agents 10 use their own julg-
nsnt Most Of them are still loyally de-
sqted 10 the Board rates, but It Is as-
uHed that In some instances Stato agents
Ignored tho rules aud restrictions Of the LocnE
Boards n other matters. They construed their
Hearty as d license TO DO ns they pleased, al
though adheslng to tho letter OF the rates. This
liberty placed The Company ponadlfTerent level
from that uf the strictly Board companies. In
the meantime charges OF fnlthlessncss began to
b ytty connon,-iu fact lAve been very com
mon for over year. The manager Of a,i En-
gaa company was accustomed to say, For
loet them by sticking TO the rates; tho risks
were somehow transferred to other Board Offices,
nd we dou't believe they got our rate, because
u the owncra llad paid flil price VIC would have
kept the riek." This was very ordinary OK.
pctlcncc. md companies are rnp!dty turing nf II.
Gnttie 'd y T. EnEs I ISomHSnsfh HoIth are a gattsa1y s
Mercantile Joined with tho Lancashire In giving
hs required notice OF MI curly withdrawal from
tbe Board. These Companies nre understood
soneau business, and by their withdrawal 10
Ake tbe's stand outside Of the Board Rnd make
thctf OWL rates.
WHAT the OTHER ENGLISH COMPANIES SAY.
W1th the North British aud Mercantile, tho
koyh, and tho Lancashire out, tho other En-
GLIB offices can hope for very little SUCCESS IN
Etainlng their business Rt fixed rates within
Ms Board. There was coultnot!on In the homo
eulces Of tho British companies doing business
mere ~ soon na these steps Were known. There
n$u rt ~ Hvfr
@s 1rst,tanled Company, in tho ecliet tint tho
Lanealhire would also return. Tho Royal WIS
io be LETT alone, although 1t is plain enough
that The Royals nttitutln Is tho key to tho posi-,
Ion Of tho otlors. a few dayh nEo the follow
1ns cablo message wus received at the National
beard rooms;
:, LttxErool, Nov. "A. p. m.-To Ndtlona1 Board!
smosf we pat tho past nut OF mind In oar!eaI Gu
qta.of 70 bring again all In harmony With your
81 a. possible 70 maintain lis integrity,
nmponry. Of North British and Lancashire md
uncertainty about loyal. Wc atund by Beard pend.
@s saHJ result Of proceedings On your slide.
LtyE,rool, LONDON AND GLoux,
COMMERCIAL UAIUA,
LoHIMS ASSURANCE,
NORTHERN,
QUEEN,
SCOTTISH C0ANEnc1AL4
supics Of this dispatch were snnt to tho dis
uected companies.
Mt POSITION or THE AMERICAN COMPANIES
~. ~ not to DO for momGnt supposed thai
w .ssae afgD mud influential English coEnpanlc,
~ ~ gong out Of the 1ioard to raid upon tat
tIas'ness ~ o. t'e country generally without be
~ met by l!eTce competition. At tlfa RTlt
~ Everybody is awaitIng with fcverl8h anxiety
~ hc1ion Of tho National Executive Commit
r. r. Ibe leadtug. American companies, suct, u
~ nolne, Eina, Continental, etc, nru Willing
sa anans1 lT every effort to compromise the li
,iRSsy; They a1u firm believers In tho Natona
h. tu ana admire its objects. They regard tht
inss4aaias.np u tho Boasd With aGknowlc edged
onini", @nu nako no &eoncealmcNt OF tht
ell. and .i;,oyasty pinclacnt to to- tho Isl 1uan
ae.tment a. oi lis Hoard, it, dlssoi,ltio, i.
.ias greater evil and oi,o to bo dcplorcI IA .
sIssa Isaty TO tho business. UnlucktIy there Ia
1osan W board companies whose officers have fo
rj1b15toh jHb1 noh,hs been anxiouh for Ill excuse fn
1nrt' nrt'aaaWai, and there IL grcat fear nihong til.
ii,,t members OF the board that those veal
w.. nessu1eh Viii avail themselves Of III,
a;.n sINohg tho English companies Il
III. oat before the trouble can b,
sIst. esnIt.,.. W course such proceeding viii pre-
iSas iS.sa!e matters into far worso condition thu.
4eJ ato 70 now, aud almost absolutely proven
VIII 4 solution Of the difficulties. In ullt
Bossi LUZ H., companies aro hangEng Oh to thl
uumen;s ~ ~ shG,r eyelIds, or thread. At anl
vii he ~ Ky, tnreAu may snapt md Tho Dourt
;ear tAllls Of ttie pust. There IL fur 1norl
pJorsesa ,a9pe, aud yet strenuous cirorts urs Il
S~~es and Baye tic Board.
f,r,. MuAT AN OPEN RUPTURE MsAEs.
bnhayy;' Jug professional reader Gull truly com
SEHaeutl tile mUmcntfnrs ent,zeniaI,ras suro 4,