Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-01
Kansas INSURANCE.

49, Trrm.acS BusIness In the
xt.se-some Pointed Criticisms IA super
intendset W1ider's Repo<e
ToPEKA- Kan, July So-ine nine zen N
annual Kansas Insurance report Is SUBJ
mitted By State Superintendent Wuaef-
1t shows that during the past eighteen
years fire risks to the amount OF s-o"4-
14S..213 have been written in Kansas, pre-
miums to the amount OF $i6. ScLoo4 nase
been received and losses. amounting 10
"a iol oc4 have been paid For the same
period lie insurance risks 20 the amount
OF Su.ooS,4So have been written ana
N,sso paid in losses. the premiums re-
ceIved aggregating So 96S GIL Last year
the amount OF IRE insurance was S1S5 3D.
S2LSo; premiums, S95s3ll 50; losses
paid, Si,OSS S4S-se. The life insurance
business figured as follows: Amount writ
ten' SD So. premiums, $685.. 925. 10;
losses paid. $253 S14
The Superintendent pays his respects TO.
the State Legislature as follows: ssyyhen
the Legislature adjourned last March
every body in the State House felt as If he
had been through cyclone There was
profound thankfuiness when the wind
bags left Such insurance speeches and
legislation as we had was paid for bv
bogus insurance companies in Kansas and
from other States; not in the interest of
the people, but of boodlers-"
OF lobbying the report says: THE
good insurance companies came to the
decision last summer I believe. to pay no
attention to legislation last winter. Some
times they have committees in this State
Persons having large interests at stake
often do so. If the responsible companies
had bought a few members last winter I'M
friendly legislation would have been
stopped But these companies argued. L
suppose. that if you buy three men In
1889, you have to buy half q dozen in 1891.
They did not buy any body. Members
who came here to be ravished had to seek
consolation in some other direction-from
disreputable companies-and they did
Bad laws increase insurance rates; the
people pay for them. When you elect
corrupt man or a fool to the Legislature
your pockets pay for it The money
argument is low one but it penetrates
some hides and heads insensible to honor.
Why legislative leaders should accept
brides day after day and year aftereyear
no one has ever been able to tell. A
politician who gets paid never has any
money"
Then follows a list of the insurance
laws lately enacted and a complete history
of the Topeka Wildcats" as Superin-
tendent Wilder terms the insurance COM
panies. with which he had a prolonged
fight last winter.
is touched upon as follows: kansas has
failed to establish q stock fire insurance
company. for many reasons: they were
gwen in the report for the last year, and
the dishonesty of the managers of the
companies. That has broken down some
fifty fire. fe, and livestock COMPANIES
started in this State. L kills a man and
is equally fatal TO a corporation. And yet
we shall have home companies in Kansas
They will begin small. AMI viii be watch
full. prudent and economical The utmost
integrity must follow every step of their
growth"
Senator John Schillng. OF Brown Coun-
ty, who stood by Superintenden Wilder
last winter when Bunton. Hackney ct al
We're doing their best to secure his remov-
al, is euiogized in this remarkable report:
when you are in trouble" writes Mr..
Wilder, "a man of ability and force is
tower Of strength. So has Schilling been
to me; and the powers of darkness can
not prevail against him. He has known
the whole condition of affairs from the
beginning and has held large majority
OF the Senate as firm a rock"
The balance of the report is made up Of
statistical bleS-