The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-08
THAT BoUND-ovER WOMAN.
The Robberies and Swindles Of Insur-
ance Companies.

man nature and of these times of com.
bines and cOrporate-robberry we expect
she Is poor, maybe a widow and pen
niless, belonging to no Union, Alliance.
or other combine. The wealthy man
/, murders, and it is returned as F'iustifia-
bic hOmicide;" the banker rObs and it is
called ''breach of promise" or ''sad
failures" the corporation steals and OBJ
presses and it is put down under the
head of ''dividends;'' the big man tries
to get ahead of the Fire Insurance
combine and it is published as an
accidental fire, but the poor, the
dispairing and the impecunious
wretch must be, in either case, a mur
derer, a robber or an incendiary. We
say that we don't know anything about
! the woman who was mentioned as being
bound over under the charge of incen-
diarism, and we only guess that she is
| poor and unintiuential, probably wild
Ow, and destitute. What we wanted to
| say was, that of all the combines to beat
! and rob the people, there are none that
are ahead Of these same insurance COM
| panies. There are railroads, manufact-
urers and mechanics, and professional
men, and farmers-all having their com
Dimes and unions and alliances, and it
would not astonish us to hear.
any day, that the editors and preach
ers were getting up a protective
trust or some other like combine where
by to force a better remuneration for
their brain troubles; but of all the COM
bines now Furnishing we believe that of
the insurance companies the most I'M
reasonable, the sleekest and the fullest
OF hypOcracy. Wichita, when she had
neither waterworks nor fire companies
paid less rate than she does now on
many things, with a splendid and mex
haustible water supply, an almost unlim-
tied water pressure and four fire COM
panies equipped with all the modern ap-
planes for eXtinguishing fire But as
each hose and ladder cart, as each chem
zeal and fire engine and as each fire COM
pany has been added, did these insurance
companies increase their ratios. And
that Is not the worst Of it. The man who
when burned out gets his insurance in
full must either be an individual of more
than ordinary influence, or grip. The
insurance companies have not only com
blned to put up rates, but to beat their |
own policies. The state instead of hav-
ing but one Web Wilder for insur- |
ance commissioner, ought to have |
a half dozen and all armed with |
executive and judicial powers. A
man, firm or individual who burns out, |
is Immediately shown, by his own policy, |
or by the courts, that he is entitled to |
little, if anything, from the insurance |
corporations, over and above what they |
IN love and compassion may grant him.
These companies keep in their employ
scores of expert bull-dozers known as
'adjusters." whose business it is
to beat the tire-victim and pol
icy holder out of his money. Not
only that, but they keep hired expert
contractors TO figure up replacement
costs in favor of his employers and
against the unfortunate who had paid
them for indemnity against loss. A
lawyer tells us of an instance in this
county in which a farmer lost his all bv
fire and the adjuster not only beat him
out Of the insurance but actually came
back with mortgage on the poor fell
lows farm. Eight out of ten men after
having suffered from fire find out that
hat which was burned up was not in
fact that which was insured. These
Expert liars, called "adiusters, get to-
gether and brag and laugh i'll glee over
having beaten their victims out of sums
equalling their salaries for year. Only
yesterday we received a marked copy of
me of their organs which in a two col
INN editorial tries to blast the reputa-
ion of ID. w. Wilder, insurance COM
missioner of Kansas, for competency
md honesty.
What Kansas wants is a law which
will Danish the humbug adiuster and
orce all companies to pay the full ,
mount set out in the policy. a law
which viii not permit insurance com
'anies to smother up and hide in type so
inc that it cannot be read with the naked :
We, conditions which nine times out of
en-. YES ninety-nine times in hundred. q
eat the insured out Of more or less OF ,
What his misfortune entities him to I'M
er his premium. The man who paws =
or his policy should get every cent for )
which that policy calls in case he burns
mt, otherwise the policy Is a fraud upon ;
IS face and a swindle meaning one thing
o the victim but an entirely different .
hing to The company.
The truth Is the most of these insur- :
nee companies ought to be proceeded
Galnst for obtaining money under false +
retenceS. as they get the money with $
ut the least intention Of ever paving the h
um called for in case of fire. but only f
uch sum as their swindling provisos g
nd numerous and unreasonable and o
ype-encumbered policies may happen Il
o catch them for. Now that Wilder .
as cleaned out. from this state. a num- $
er Of these swiEdles let him get up a c
all for the next legislature which shall .
rotect the insured in Kansas against a
he swindling policies of the remaining il
and which shall guaranty To I,
very insured man the exact amount for :,
hitch he in all good faith paid. Il
------- Il
The Chicago carpenters Won the fight '
ley inauguarated a week ago for an L