Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-28
TALKING OF INSURANCE.
The Convention of Mutual Life and
Accident Underwriters.

The Convention Of Mutual Life and
Accident Underwriters.
| A GATHERING AT THE NATIONAL HorKI-PREsr-
DENT ELDRIDGEs ANNUAL ADpREss-LEGIsLA-
TON ASKED FOR THE pIsrRIcT-THE LIST OF
MEMBERs-A sHAD-BAkE THIS EVENING.
The Ordinary" at the National hotel was
| filed with chairs this morning. arranged in
formal rows. There was a carpetcd platform
| at the south end, and in he rear of this plat
| form large mirror was draped with the
American colors. The occasion was the four
| teenth annual convention of the Mutual Life
| and Accidental Underwriters of America. At
| 10 o'clock, the hour Of assembling, the chairs.
| or about hundred of them, were filed with
| members Of the convention. A dozen or more
| OF the chairs were occupied by wives of dele
gates who have accompanied them to this city
On the platform sat Mr.. Geo. D. Eldridge. of
this city and at his side was District Commits
| sioner Douglass.
| COMMISSIONER DOUGLASS ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
Commissioner Douglass said:
"GentLemen: 1t is with great pleasure as the
representative of the citizens of Washington
that welcome you to this CITY, 1t seems
especially fit that the representatives Of one of
| the most important business interests of the
| country should congregate here to deliberate
upon its general welfare. The institution that
extends help to man or woman in times of
deepest distress is certainly deserving of pub
| lie esteem. When an individual does this we
call him benefactor. The man who started
| the first insurance company in London more
| than century since would have been amazed
| indeed if he could have imagined the marvellous
| progress and present perfection of the system.
L wondered as L came here this morning
whether some genius would not organize a
company for the insurance of official life. Just
think what boom that branch of the business
would have every four years in this vicinity.
1t has occurred to me some times that a presl-
Dental fourth year was sort of political leap
year when the other side are privileged TO pro-
pose to fill the offices. At this season when
ever you tap the vocabulary of a resident Wash
lngtonlan you Will be likely to hear something
about our beautiful city; and in this spirit /
am moved to congratulate you that you have
come at the right time to see for yourselves
| how the city looks in her new gown OF green.
Hoping that your convention may be more
than satisfactory, and that the visit of each
one OF you may prove a lasting memory of
pleasure, | again welcome you to Washington"
Mr.. Geo. A Litchfeld of Boston, responded
to Mr.. Douglass in a neat address.
ANNUAL ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT ELDRIDaE
The president, Mr.. Eldridge, then delivered
his annual address. Mr.. Eldridge, in opening
his address, referred to the meeting of the
convention in this city ten years ago, when the
deliberations were presided over by the late
Alexander Gardner who then congratulated
the convention that the associations then rep
resented and those of a similar character
| showed over Si27, 100000 of insurance
in force, and that they had gathered up
and paid to widows and orphans over
S13213,897 Think YOU" said Mr. Eldrdge
that he would that day have given credence
to one who should have predicted that in less
than ten years a session of that same body
would be held in this same city to consult as TO
the interests of a business that shows $1,000
100000 of insurance outstanding, that has paid
over $3.50, 100000 to widows and orphans and
that In the single year just passed has paid
| three times the amount which had been paid
during the intire existence of the business to
1873"
Mr.. Eldridge discussed various points of in
terest to the convention, and the points of diff
ference between the legal reserve company and
the assessment company pure and simple.
Speaking on the subject of legislation, he said,
in regard to
INSURANCE LEGISLATION IN THE DISTRICT OF CO.
LUMB1A:
"Whatever may be our individual differences
of opinion as to the ACCESSIBILITY or possibility
of national legislation for the regulation of life
insurance where companies operate without the
states of their incorporation, believe that we
can have but one opinion as to the desirability
| of such legislation as shall bring the trans
action of the business in this District under
regulations and restrictions that shall protect
| its inhabitants against the frauds which now
| prey upon them. Driven from their lairs in
! surrounding states, the wildcat insurance COM
| panies here find refuge and hourIsh-a menace
not alone to our people, but as well
to those communities upon which
| they can prey from this point.
| The national Congress is as well as our
! local legislature, but one in whose choice
| we have no part. You elect the men who make
| our laws, and to whom We look for the remedy
| of this great evil You have driven, in large
measure, from your own states the burden and
menace which now weigh upon US; cannot you
| do something to relieve our community? / am
| not. per Sc, an advocate of multiplied super
| vision; but cannot question, from what have
seen about me, that there is need in this Dis
| trict that the supervision of insurance should
| be placed in the hands of some one who is
made responsible for the execution of the laws,
| and who, unweighted by the cares of other de-
partments Of the District government, will have
| the time to discharge his duties"
COMMITTEES APPOINTED.
The president appointed as the committee on
credentials Messrs. Geo. r. McChesney, of
New York; T. B. Quincy, of Illinois, and T. b.
| Campbell, of Washington.
A committee consisting of the following was
| appointed to consider the suggestions in the
presidents annual address: Hon. Henry j.
Reinmund, OF New York; l.. G.. Fouse, of Penn
sylvania; Vim. Bro. Smith of New York; E. F.
Phelps, of Illinois, and G. A. Litchfield, of
Massachusetts.
THEY HAD HEARD OF planned sHAD.
Mr.. Noble d. Larner, president of the Wash
ington beneficial endowment association, of
this city, rendered an invitation to the conven-
ton in behalf of his association to go on a sail
to Marshall Hall this afternoon and there taste
the delights of planked shad. The invitation
was accepted with hearty unanimity as the
delegates had heard of planked shad In con-
sequence of this the program of the morning
session was changed SO to take up matters
set down for consideration in the afternoon
After a short recess the convention listened
to the reports of the vice-presldents, giving the
statistics for the year for the states they repre-
sented The reports of the executive commit
tee, the committee on credentials, and other
committees were presented
MEMBERS PRESENT.
The committee on credentials reported the
following list of members present:
Geo. d. Eldridge and John b. Larner. the
National Life and Maturity association. Wash
| ington, d. c.; George A. Litchfield and E. A.
| Litchfield, Massachusetts, Benefit association,