The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-04-15


Statistical Departmental Method that
is a Failure.
Correspondence of the Herald,
AUSTIN, April l2.--I observe in the Gal
weston News of yesterday, which came to
hand this morning, paragraph stating
that it Is now in order for the legislature to
enquire why the capitol building and its
contents, burned here last fall, was not in
sured by the insurance commissioner. The
drift of the editorial breyity appears in the
shape of serious reflection upon the com
missioner. The reply is clear, it would
seem, to me. In the first place, it Is
matter Of general notoriety that
not one capitol building in the
thirty-eight United States is covered by
insurance, nor are any OF the pubic build
ings, us rule and for the sound and clear
reason once given by Governor Coke, that
the state is ADLER TO carry her own risks
than are insurance companies, that after
all may collapse ut any time, while the
sovereign and perpetual state cannot. In
the second place, officials are expressly
prohibited by the constitution from doing,
under penalty of misdemeanor, any such
act, save where duly instructed or ex-
pressed In the third place. insurance
policies except, in their general clauses all
money, notes. valuable pictures, promiss0ry
notes. etc, etc In the fourth place, cab
culation will show that the state has actually
saved much money by taxing her own risks,
instead of paying premiums for the last
forty years into the Golfers of an insurance
company. Surely the brevity suggestion
was thoughtlessly written and recklcssly
worded.
In looking over the records of this
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT,
| find that the cash receipts of
last year amount to some SIT 1893,
being only about 5000 in excess Of
the receipts of 1880. During the first
six months Of the year no fire, marine nor
inland company applied for admission into
The state, while In January and February
of this year no lever than thirteen fire and
marine companies were admitted. sum
marie as follows for you, for 1881
Number of fire. marine and inland
companies OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES hO
Aggregate assets of same ....,..... 500 $50, O0O
Value of property In Texas insured. ll3Hl0Jl
Aggregate losses In Texas. ...,.,.,.., 965, 203
Aggregate premiums received in
The increase of the grand total OF prop.
orty in the state that was thus protected
during the past year exceeded that OF the
preceding one by $4,000, 600, an increase of
more than SO per cent.
In the life insurance business we have the
following
No. Of Companies. ...,,,...........
Aggregate assets of same ........,s9ll,0lobi3
Total amount of policies In force s,3GllS
Total premiums received in Texas" lS9O.1
Total losses incurred In Texas ....., ll0G2l
The increase in assets in round numbers
was, over the preceding year. about SILL
100000, while the decrease in losses was
some 1897.
Commissioner Spaight informed me that
he had great deal of trouble with all the
various kinds OF
BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS,
such as religious, matrimonial aid, philan-
thropc etc, etc, seeking to do business in
Texas without subiecting themselves to
''the rapacity OF our tax laws" and the
scrutiny of state supervision, claiming to be
identical in purposes and methods with the
knights of Honor, Knights of Pythlas, the
Odd Fellows, etc, aud he hopes the legisla-
ture will define the status of all
as to their liability to tax, etc.
He says that he intends TO pay especial
attention to
ILLICIT INSURANCE
OF wildcat, bogus, or unauthorized com
panies that are underwriting and delying
al, all ~
snv ums bune,Iy " H. sreot J AZ r;mnn, ~,
on, ,ay sv,u"a W VIZ s;snrance Trotor'
Wy 'Vyn, nio'ioe;s ", w s;nass ,yh;"h IL
NY Io ,hs TSrI' mana,nain io commercS
NY" Wy nc ,a H., H. 80, ,Jav ''rnIJa,r
'c",'';,;,na ,,rn,'rnss H., 40 calyos,on iro
hini ,,o,' I'M roco,inn, nccc"rrcJ "hnn,
~ n',a aJiH " Iasi ion,,ory /, camc IN iich,
No, on No sinct Of Gynrnlcvc niorF &
r,''' Jm 'n ooJs ,oarchonts ny fe,ycr ,hor
v,, W. oson ;' nsnra,,ca con,nonies Of o,hey
s,o,"s' Loa issmeJ nnl;cics ~ That Arm II,
susv' ~" ~ 5SS nan ITnro 10 snmccliT, hy
sn .,. w. 800 aI.i,, 80 ;ii;,;I Nh Jss,
NV "nv'e'",I, c UNI" nv u'a s,a,a All u,'' ~
, ,ins eoo' " wr"mo w" oss t, "" rec" ".
tne Eav" M,o"s os "mm INA con,ranihss
NJ ~, ut.ps ,lls, ~ odo1 H. nes
NV, n's ou,,aSv '"o"'" w Si"''."'''''' WV '"'
hVs. ino,hen', e.,,, ,,.,.i, A., s,,tL,,
IN ,ul.'V' ov' n' wv WV" W. ot,n,Sm,v,
nc auvls.s me 'na' ne "oeS "o' o'h''"'s'
propose W
DIST wv 'nh 'Ns.NNNNL LAWS
III my way, out WI, eN Iy'hlns oon,
hee'eu WIN lne uenar.men' reinhl ~
sln'u quo, unless nus a,.Snllon W ulIcc,eu
70 some point wherein thls great interest o
Insurance. can nc suoSetVeu' lhueeu, ! u,
not remember nnylhing ~ the governor
eau ior this extra session that Woulu alloN
any legislation ~ such uircotion'
Our old irlenu John W. swinuells, IL th'
commissioner assistant, anu tnan whom
Mhe wen says, no more comPe,en,;pa '',s