Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-03-16
Highest of all in Leavenng Power-Latest Report
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ABSOLUTELY PURE
ABSOLUTELY PURE

nifty only. No one should profit by loss.
and these insurance adiusters are the
smartest of smart alecs; you can't fool
them one dollars worth on anything in
connection with a loss; and the company
building.
In case OF partial loss or damage, some
persons suppose that they must not touch
anything after fire until after the adjuster
has examined the premises or goods dam
aged. This is a mistake. 1t is their duty
always to protect the property from
further damage. They cannot collect in
snrance on what is saved and not dam
aged; and all that is saved, damaged or not
damaged, is their property, as much after
fire as before it. The assured cannot
abandon it. Abandonment is not a feature
OF insurance. II a mans property is in
sured and he cannot save it without dam
aging it, he had better "let 'er rip" When
personal or moveableprop is damaged
the assured must forthwith cause il to be
put in order, asserting ana arranging the
various articles according to their kinds;
separating the damaged from the undam-
aged, and make an inventory for the COM
pany OF the whole, naming the quantity.
quality, and cost of each article at the
time OF the fire, as well as the actual dam
age each article has sustained by the fire.
Honest companies desire to do full justice;
to pay not a dollar more than they have
lost; not a cent less.
No contracts known to the commercial
world are SO generally lived up to without
quibbling or evasion as are insurance policy
contracts, on the part of the companies
making them. Owing to the neglect and
carelessness OF the insured, and oftentimes
the agent, there are none which might be SO
frequently and easily avoided, on technical
grounds, Notwithstanding they are gene
rally always by honorable companies)
fulfilled to the very spirit OF their terms,
whenever fraud is not manifest on the part
OF the policy-holder. 1t is fact that the
assured is better protected by the printed
conditions of his policy than by blank
contract, with policy entirely free from
conditions OF any kind. Accompany would
be protected by conditions which are i'm
plicitely law. Under such contract it
would be secured not less thoroughly than
now against the unreasonable claim ofone,
for example, who should change the occu-
pancy of a building insured as a dwelling
into that OF a planning mill, or any other
occupancy more hazardous than a DWELL
ing. In such case it would simply be
necessary for the company to say, ''Into
this contract we never entered. We insured
dwelling, but it has been changed to a
more dangerous risk, for which we would
have charged higher rate.' 1t would re-
quire no printed condition to protect the
company from the consequence of such an
increase OF hazard. And when it calls the
attention of the assured to the fact that
any increase OF the hazard without notice
to the agent) will vitiate the policy, by
clearly printing the statement on the face
OF the contract, it does so in a spirit of
fairness tgratuitously), which is not always
appreciated.
The right OF a landlord to be consulted
az to any change in the uses or occupancy
OF his property by n tenant is universally
recognized, and it is only fair that the same
principle should apply to an insurance
company.
As before stated, it is in a spirit of fair
nees, and that the policy-holder may be in
formed for his own safety, that companies
print clearly in their policies even those
important conditions which would be in
| ferred by law from the very spirit of the
contracts; and the business man who
places policy in his office safe without
once reading it through has only himself to
blame il he suffers the consequence of a
negligence which he would not exhibit as
| to the most Insignificant of his business
papers. majority of well trained and
careful business men who have large
amounts at the risk of fire, and whose in
demnity depends upon the policies OF in
surance which they hold, and upon their
conforming to the terms and conditions
thereof. never read the entire contents OF a
single. policy OF insurance held by them. 1t
is not an unusual thing for a man, the
main bulk OF whose property has just
been destroyed by fire, to get out from his
safe and read for the first time his contract
of indemnity.
The business OF insurance, fortunately
for the business community, is mainly con-
trolled by men whose high character and
usually clear sense OF equity prevent them
, from availing themselves OF immaterial
or technical objections, except in cases
/, where they believe there has been fraud.
The small proportion of losses (only 2 per
cent? contested by companies show the
truth of this statement.
. Should any suggestions in this communi
cation awaken to the absolute neces
sity of doing something for our protection
, from fire, or make palmer the business o
insurance, it will be sufficient excuse fol
my occupying SO much of your valuable
space. EDWARD BRAssEY,
Insurance Agent.