New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-24
SEEKING TO err MORE PROFITS.
FIRE UNDERWRITERS COMBINING.

FIRE CNDERW llTERS COMBINING.
MEASURES TAKEN To MAINTAIN RATES AND COM
MISSIONS
For the las; three years the fire insurance business
has been in an unsatisfactory condition. Free
petition has held full sway, and underwriting has
been done il. many at loss to the conplnicS,
either through the low rates of premium that have
been charged or the high commissions which have
been paia to the agents Insurance men have
amcn ed this state of affairs as destructive to i'll
suancc capital and, in the end, hurtfnl 10 the in
tercsts of pOlicy-hOlderS Attempts nave been made
al times TO unite the compan!e, with = view to the
maintenance of fixed rates and commits ions, but
none so far has been successful. 4 rong effort
however, now Is being mad" to render the business
more profitable t. ;hc companies. IN November last
an association called the United FIRE Underwriters
was organized aud the country was divided into SIX
districts for the pnrpOse of more effectively carrying
ont the object o the National association. West of
the Rocky Mountains. the W eStefn JnlOn of + re-
Underwriters, with ITS headquarters at san Fran
cisco, has ne-n organized ANA has met with mod
crate success in conserving tine interests of the
businc, in that part of the country. last of those
mountains, the Fourth and Fifth districts with
headqu rtors respectively az Atlanta, ia, and New
Orleans. La. were organized about mOEth ago.
Representatives Of the companies dOng business
in the second District, which comprises the States
of New-lork, Pennsylvania, Ncw-Jersey ana Della
ware with headquarters in this city, yesterday met
III the BOrer building to take the preliminary Steps
toward the organization of ihcIr district Two
sessions were heii, i'll the morning and afternoon.
only % were represented, including fifteen foreign
companies No Connecticut companies had repre-
scntatiyes at the meeting, and only two Philadel-
pima comprehensive Lumbermans' and the lnsur-
ance Company of Pennsylyania-were represented.
telegram was received, however, from the prr>i-
dent OF the Girdrd Company of Philadelphia prdg-
| ing his support to the result OF the meeting. No
persons present III the interest OF the few COM
panles which do principally the business of iusuring
farm properties outside of corporate limits of cities
and villages LItIle doubt was expressed however.
| after the meeting adjourned. that the companies
not represented would generally coOpcrItewIth the
! District Association.
The permanent chairman was Henry POwlcs of
| the Merchants Company, of Newark, who was
elected, after considerable discussion as 10 whether
| or not the meeting should be public That question
! was settled in the affirmative. The name of the
| " Associated Fire Underwriters of the States OF
| New-lork. Pennsylvania, New-Jcrsey and Della
ware" was adopted, and committees on nominations
aud the order of business were appointed Mr.
Powle. was elected president of the ASSOCIATE ion; j
| l.; Pulslord, OF the Liverpool and London and
| Globe, vice-prcsdont, and H. X. Miller, Of the Ma
tional Board OF Underwr iters. secretary and treas