Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-11-09
THE UNION MUTUAL.

THE UNION MUTUAL.
An Episode In the History of Maine's
only Life Insurance Company.
The recent distressing death of John f.
Dewitt, president of the Union Mutual life
insurance company Of Portland calls to
mind some very stirring incidents in its
career, many of which will illus trate the
keen judgment. indomitable will and splen-
did executive ability that were the valuable
possessions OF the dead man.
The corporation IS Maine one-the
only life company of the State. The main
ofice of the company used to be In Boston
on fremont street. Soon after Mr. De
Witt became president some fifteen yesrs
ago, disseHsions arose in the board OF d-
rectors. several Of the board who knew
little or nothing about life insurance. and
caring less so long as the company made
money, undertook to made 1t warm for
Mr. Dewitt
After standing the irritation for some
time, and wishing to bring Ii to an end.
Mr. Dewitt went quietly to work aud
started little bill On It's way through ihe
Maine Legislature This bill provided that
al insurance corporations organized under
the laws Of the State ofMiine should have
their msin Office in TIE State. and that the
directors should be residents OF the State.
The bill passed, and one fine day Mr.
Dewitt put the belongings of the Boston
Office IN his pocket and started for Port
land The recalcitrant directors were no
longer lin It."
For few yesrs 1t was hard work. but
! congenal spirits governed the affairs OF
the company. and up TO the advent of Gen.
! Butler governor OF Massachusetts, 1t
was comparatively smooth sailing.
! Butler got an idea into his head that the
/ Insurance department OF the Bay State
/ VS., In = bsi way ani he at once proceed
| Ell 10 make things Lively. lie turned out
/ Commissioner CLARKE. aud appointed the
| late John X. Tarbox in his stead Tsrhax
4 appointed smelling committee" ~ q
around and examine {, insurance com
! p1nI,s.
( In >ome way :hc Uuion Mutual Was
I marked for slaughter aud nue m trning
| smelling Committeeman PIymptou and
/ bis "m- too sAuntcred into the uuion
I Mn,nars office in Portland, aud announced
| their intention of subj-cting the company
! to an eIamination--to determine whether
: 4
! Massachusetts. Il should be stated that
/ the insurance commissioner If Que State
| has the right u examine 4 company Of
another State If it /. doing business in the
/ State he represents
! Here Plympton very Unexpectedly struck
/ an unlookedfor snsg. The insurance
( commissioner Of Maine happened 10 have
I taken possession Of the ofice few hours
before, also for the purpose Of making an
1 examination. He cordially invited Mas,a-
! chusetts to join him in the examination.
I The representative Of the BAY State, after
I consultation with his chief declined and
I demanded immediate entrance or pain OF
/ dismissal from the State. The Maine
{
the Bay State -mellrr again declined sui
I forthwith revoked the compauys license
/ to do business in Massachusetts, and sc-
/ c c,mpaned the revocation with An implied
/ thr-s. that it couldn't get back unless 1t
/ submitted 10 an txsmina'iun by the Mass
/ acbusetts department.
/ Here was Mr. Drwit.'s opportunity
He immediately invited half dozen OF
! the sblest insurance departments in the
| country to join the Maine department in
| conducting the examination. They all
/ responded; the examination was long.
/ thorough and expensive. The anal report,
/ signed by all the departments. pronounced
/ the Unipn Mutual sound beyond the
/ shadow Of doubt.
1 Mr.. Dewitt thereupon requested read
( mission into Massachusetts,, and offered
this report in evidence Of its -oundness.
/ Commissioner Tarbox was "in a cavity"
Would he insist upon an examination by
! his department, aud thus reflect upon the
thoroughness OF the work done by his
| brother commissioners. or would be hu
initiate himself by accepting their report
after declaring that only after satisfac-
tory examination by himslf would he al
/ low the company to come back into Mass
achusetts?
1t was an embarrassing situation. But
ler was inperious; Tarbox was proud and
stubborn. For months the matter held
fire. II was not till after Butler was de-
feated for reelection, and Robinson had
been inaugurated governor In his stead
that Tarbox took his dose of crow by sc-
cepting finally the report offered by the
company.
The outcome was great triumph for
the Union Mutual, and a greater Que for
| the brilliant Dewitt. Since that episode
the untiring energy Of the companys
workers has brought it to higher plane
than ever before, and although not class, d
as one Of the big companies. It's policies.
liberal by their own provisions, and pro-
tected by the Maine non forfeiture law,
are among the best in the land.
The new president Of the Union Mutual
is Hon. Fred E. Richards, who has been a
director of the company since 1881. when
he was selected by Mr. Drummond to
whom, consequent upon the removal of
the company's principal office to Maine,
was entrusted the duty Of selecting and,
with the CO operation Of President De-
Witt, Of electing the other members of
the board. He has served ever since as a
member of the finance committee, and