St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-18
The O'clock" Goes Tick, Tick
No Longer in Mime
apoliS.
Mrs. Potter's Mysterious Dis
appearance and the Talk
Concerning 1t.
The Celebration Of st. Pat
rick S Day Leads to a New
Departure.

At the annual meeting of the Mime
Rp0is Underwriters association this
afternoon, the report of the Committee
which had in charge the inquiry into
the manner in which the fire that dam
aged the Lumber Exchange so seriously
was handled by the fire department
will make its report, and it is under
stood the report will not only condemn
the work of the department as bungling
and ineffective, but goes considerably
further. The chief source of COM
plant is not with the work
ST the tiremen themselves. but
ii Is said the investigation has shown
that the men were practically without
proper instructions or leadership. The
report will therefore 90 TO the extent of
dealing with causes which lead to the
fire department being in this condition
of being practically without a head, as
it is deemed. on the night the fire Oc
cured, and so will touch upon the con-
duct OF certain aldermen, who to accom-
plish the election of certain city officials
and to crafty political revenges, COM
bined for the removal of Supt. StetSon
after his years of service.
There is another matter of quite as
much Importance and considerable
citation. at least. Some of them for
some time have expressed considerable
dissatisfaction with the manager of the
association, William B. Leach, who,
while personally we'll liked, it is claimed
has discriminated~i favor of certain
companies. 1t is claimed by the dissat-
istied or conservatives" as they call
themselves, that his recommendations
to the rating committee, of which he is
an eX-officiO member. for the fixing of
certain lines of insurance have in some
mysterious way been given out
in advance to certain writers
who have been able to make
contracts in advance and so fnrestall
competition. 1t is SAID that this was
done in the case of the insurance on the
Lumber Exchange, the West hotel, the
Ptllsbury mills, the Atlantic elevator,
the Minneapolis School Furniture COM
pany and other important risks. Re-
auctions of lines of insurance were
recommended to and fixed by the COM
mittee on rating, and then it was found
that certain leading companies had
already made contracts i'll advance to
carry this insurance at the new rate.
While some members are OutSpOken in
their demands for a change of man
agement, there are others who,
if not so radical. think that
in the interest of confidence and har-
mOny there should be a new manager
Two meeting have been held, one Mon
day night in the Boston block, and the
other yesterday afternoon in the GLOBE
building. at which tWenty-eight of the
fOrty-tWO members of the association
were present. 1t is given out that they
have unanimously agreed to support r.
L. Daniels. state agent of the National
at Hartford, for the combined offices of
secretary treasurer and manager, now
held by Judge Leach. The other officers
of the association are o. NJ. Larraway,
president; c. w. Sexton, first vice pres
Ident. and William Cheney, second vice
president. 1t is likely they will be re-
elected-at least there is no antagoniZed
opposition to them.
An effort may be made by the faction
that has been active in causing the in
vestigation of the Lumber Exchange
fire to advance the insurance rates be-
cause of the alleged inefficiency of the
fire department, which some claim has
been demonstrated by several recent
fires. notably the building occupied by
Brown Bros saloon on Washington
avenue south and by Rees' clothing
store, corner Hennepin avenue and Sec
Ond street. Such action, however,
probably depends largely upon the re-
port Of the investigating committee and
its effect upon the association. At any
rate, there seems TO be material sufficient
to make to-day's annual meeting a
memorable one Ill the annals of the as
ISOLATION.