River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-03-14
Insurance.


hydra-headed, Briareus-handed, with
fingers of spring steel. 1t is devil
fish that reaches out its multiform
tentacles along all the avenues of
habitations, gathering the fruits of
industries ana toll. 1t is dominant
| in politics; it is a Gorgon that terrifies
legislatures, stultifies the press, and
paralyZes the tongues of eloquence in
forum and pulpit. 1t is soulless and
constituencies. 1t recognizes no law
but the necessities of greed Its
Unsuitable NAV is OF infinite capacity:
its appetite of avarice commensurate
with its capacity. THE whole hog or
none" was motto representing greed
in the superlative degree. But
monopoly is more rapacious than the
| principle implied in this old adage, it
wants the whole hog without limita-
tions. or notifications. That is its
disposition, its ambition, and it
reaches out after all 'there is in
sight" with ruthless determination
TO accomplish the full measure of its
| intentions. In all the various efforts
of these formidable soulless corpora
! tions there is no manifestations of
aGy elemental or embryonic suspicion
of moral principle, nor the remotest
intimation OF fair dealing; no APP
| prehension of the difference between
right and wrong. The motto en-
hlazoned on its banners borne at the
mead of its great army of placemen
| is, get money! somehow. anywhow,
and get all you can and keep all you
get" The preponderating energy of
its aggressive existence is greed, to
get something for nothing" or as
near this dead-beat principle as the
memorable rigor Of the law will
permit.
Insurance is no exception to the
general order of monopolies. Com
petition, the healthy stimulus OF
ordinary business, is suppressed with
fie rigor of might, the only right
&c, guized. The companies Genuine
| W tcldbiiSi idLtSs llACAt
| by their own rules with a Initiate
that considers only the highest
amount it is possible to solicit from
property owners. The rates establish
ed are perfectly fair, OF course, for all
are treated alike! The whole com
nuniJy is a common prey. The only
answer To the great body OF mel
owning property whu protest is the
old insolent menace of the highway
robber with his grip On the throat
what are you going 10 do about IL:
What can long-suffering community
do against the tactics of brigandage:
Nothing but to abolish highway
robbery.
In this city insurance rates are
more than double what they were tea
years ago. This asse rtion is not made
at random. In 1885, the public school
mouse was ins lred lor i've years at a
rate of IS per cent. TIE scheduled
rate for he same property at this
! date for five years is 1886 per cent-a
rate nsiderably more than double
what it was in 1885. Ten years ag,
our preparations for the prevention
and exJinguishment of fires was
| hardly to be compared with the
present conditions. Then we hau
very poor apparatus, and no eXtIa
facilities had been instituted for a
supply of water for the special pun
poses of an emergency in case of "A lire.
fnat rates OF insurance should be
Iouble what they were ten years az,
| .an be demonstrated by no rule "a
mathematics or ethics. During the
whole of this decade a studied ant
Intelligent interest mas been mani
.ested in the city for the proven tioh
II fires, and he best of preparations
maze to exCinguisn cOniiagratiOn ia
one briefesJ time consistent with
Onese better conditions.
la unity like this, and with
sALensiye and expensive preparations,
.or 5ne quick eXtinguisdnent of
are, drilled brigade of tiremen,
every man OF whom holds himself
Always ia readiness 10 respond TO the
are alarm without neSitancy and with
vne utmost celebrity, every man actu-
dCed with a due realization of his
duty aud imbued with a disposition
ana an ability to perform il in its
all measure, magnificent system ca
SdterwUrks from wlich a bulldog
5dn he Hooded la a very few minutes,
sly SHOULD III De necessary 90 SUOMI
- tdis iIsOle.,t eXturliun: L. - at
.Hiy Unnecessary odt IL mdAiie5l
.ne absenceo Of business sdgacILy v .ii4n
so com Oiualiun meatioaed az. ~
yoIlu ur cCuld ae guitLy Ut. Gan an
ae individuals ~ ii ~ IN .llst1l-5 le8t1
uc vision al Organization, it,e IL
gent union, which has become "a,
dominating FORCES Of mUuopolies?
Why cannot, why should not cit
ike this organize itself into3 mutud
insurance company, bearing Que
auOther's burdens in the ga tasJruphe
ii loss by ire? W hat can there be ia
Toe way 81 reducing the rates OF in
surauoe-eyen below one hall what is
now paid to stock companies? The
Farmers Mutual Insurance COM
panies have demonstrated that SUCH
insurance is safe and cheap. Is il
not business sagacity, the wisdom OF
experience, To break away from this
monopoly and seek some satisfactory
arrangement for the economical aud
safe protection from losses by fire?
The excuse for stock companies de-
handing high rate is simply and ex-
clusively because we do not refuse TO
! pay it. But there is no necessity for
| paying it.
| severe rheumatic pain in the lett
shoulder had troubled Mr.. J. II. Lopez,
a well known druggist of Des Moines,
Iowa, for over six months. At times the
pain was 50 severe that he could not lift
anything. With all he could do he could
not get rid "f il until he applied ham