The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-11-29
Report Of the Dakota Alliance


Report Of the Dakota Alliance
Insurance Companies.
just before going to press we re
ceived the following splendid report
from the Supt. Alonzo Wardell:
Mr.. President and Members of the
Alliance.
In presenting my 3rd annual report
for your consideration, I am happy
to be able to show successful and
eminently satisfactorily years work
without a single if, or and.
For, despite the disastrous failure
of crops throughout large portion
of the Territory, and the diversion
of many of our active workers, to
political and prohibition lines, our
business has steadily increased, in
volume, and grown in the estimation
of the people, until today no com
pany transacting Insurance business
in the Dakota's stands higher for
honorable treatment OF it's patrons,
prompt payments OF it's losses, and
economy of management than ours,
and the outlook for the future is very
encouraging.
The best evidence l can offer you of
the popularity of our companies
with the people, is the testimony OF
our agents. who say that it is easier
soliciting for the Alliance companies
than any others, as the people all
know of them and have confidence in
them. We have also been enabled to
be of material service to the Alliance
in assisting in the organization Of
new Alliances, reviving old ones, col
Letting dues, bearing part OF the ex-
pense OF lecturers, and officers engag-
ed in Alliance work. In return for
which, OF course, they explained and
advocated our work, hus rendering
mutual assistance, as was the inten-
ton when the Insurance department
was inaugurated, and which we find
to be an economical and successful
method OF getting our business before
the people. We are also glad to re-
port that the pledge to conduct the
business economically, and at
great reduction from the average ex-
pense of Insurance, has been fulfilled.
In proof, we present a comparison
with the SO foreign companies doing
business in Dakota in 1888. They
report receipts for the year of over
Two Hundred Millions Of Dollars,
and losses paid Of only Eighty and
One-Half Millions, or 40 per cent.
losses on totalincome. Our business
shows total expenses, including sal
aries and commissions to agents for
that year, OF less than 20 per cent. OF
our income, and the balance was
either paid in losses or returned to
policv-holders; and this year, by
reason of greater experience, and in
creased vigilance, we shall reduce the
ratio still lower. But this is not a
fair comparison, because our ratio
for insurance being much lower than
the stock companies, still further in
creases the differences. This is for
the Hail company, the Fire was only
running part OF the year in 1888,
and no full report was made, but for
first ten months of 1889, namely, to
Nov. LIST. The entire expense of the
Fire department., exclusive of losses
and commission to agents, was less
than 10 per cent. of premiums re-
ceived, and the larger the business
transacted, the lower the expense
ratio can be brought, as there are
certain fixed charges, such as rent,
fuel, furniture, officers salaries and
clerk hire that make large showing
on limited business, but cut very
little figure in an extensive one.
Our Hail work started out with
every Indication of doubling last
years record; but the severe drought
cut short the bud OF promise, and az
ter the middle of June it was neither
practicable nor desirable to continue
work in many localities. The storms
were frequent, and some of them very
severe, striking nearly every county
in the Territory, north and south
the losses (nearly 10000 were not so
large as last year, on account of
crops being much lighter. For the
same reason it was a difficult task to
a J:,,a+ co+;cfo o+ ori1v. hit tho Mo tn