The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-21
A NEW INSURANCE PLAN
Montana Agents Meet to Organic, an
Underwriters Association. :.
PACIFIC UNION is BUSTED
The Arbitrary Methods of the Old
Concern VIII Be Succeeded
BY Fair Play and Eouit-
able Dealings.

BUTTE, April 20.-The fire insurance
agents of Montana held a meeting here
this evening for the purpose of organizing
a state board of underwriters TO succeed
the Pacific insurance. union OF San Fran
cisco. which went to pieces to-day through
the rate war which has been in progress
on the coast for some time. The object
for which the meeting was called was
successfully carried out and the Montana
State Underwriters association was for
mally organized with the following off,
GERS: President, j. A. Lewis of Butte;
vice president, w. NJ. Thornton OF Ana
conda; ecretary-treasurer, Phil Gibson
of Great Falls.
The meeting was attended by the fol-
lowing agents: W. NJ. Thornton. Ana
conda; j. L. McCleiland and Phil Gibson
Of Great Falls, Il. NJ. Gardner of Boze-
man, Fred C. Stoddard and Il. A. Win
stanley of Missoula, Il. A. Luke. Peter
Winnee, c. T. Ellis, William DeLacy. Sol
Posenanski and ii. w. Heath of Helena,
and ii. L.. Owen, w. McC. White q Co.,
j. A. Lewis, e. O. Dugan, II. S. Jones. Z.
S. Passmore, w. S. Lower, Fred Y. Will
son. w. L. Boardman, Gus Morgan and
q. N. Perry of Butte.
Several Of the Butte agents were not
present at the meeting, but 1t is stated
objects of the organization and will affil-
late with IL.
After very lengthy discussion, lasting
for several hours, as to the best course to
be pursued in accomplishing the desired
end, an executive committee was APP
pointed. consisting of Messrs. Lewis of
Butte, Thornton of Anaconda, Luke of
Helena, Gardner of Bozeman and Gibson
OF Great Falls. This committee was
given full power in all matters and, will
L.. ..ss - ~
for the association. 1t will meet again at
noon tomorrow, in Richards d Lewis
Office, to elect n state manager and sur
veyor and draw up set OF rules with re-
gard to rates and the govern ment of the
association.
The main object of the association
is to govern the fire insurance BUSH
ness of he Estate in Montana by
local board. This business has
heretofore been under the supervision
Of the Pacific Insurance union. and every
policy that was written by any agent in
the state had TO be sent first to the sub
office in Salt Lake and then TO tho head
office at San Francisco for approval. This
roundabout procedure entailed a delay OF
from one. to two months on every policy
and there was an equally long and vexa-
tious delay in securing rates which the
local agents were unable TO furnish. The
Montana agents propose to have all of
this work done in the state, as it can be
accomplished much quicker and more
satisfactorily.
The executive committee ut it's meeting
tomorrow will elect n manager, who will
have full charge of the fire insurance
rates OF the state under the board of man.
ayers and n surveyor who will examine
all new buildings and old ones, concern
ing the rating of which there is doubt, and
furnish rates for them. c. II. Gilbert, who
has been n special agent of the Pacific
Union, will probably secure the appoint
ment of general manager, and it is likely
that the head Office of the association will
be located in Butte, where IL properly be-
longs.
The agents who attended the meeting
tonight were very secretive. and they re-
fused to give out any of the details, par
ticularly in regard to rates, for publica-
ton.
They claim, however,, that they can give
better rates under tho new arrangement
than formerly and that the rates will be
maintained. A full schedule OF rates will
be prepared at the meeting of the board
OF managers tomorrow and oil OF the
agents have agreed to be bound by it, SO
that there Is no prospect OF n ratio war.
There is n suspicion. however, that one
OF the objects of to-nght's meeting was to
head oil n war in insurance rates. Several
OF the fire insurance companies with
headquarters in San Francisco have been
trying for some time to induce their Mon
tana agents to cut rates, but they refused
to do IL, and to-nieht's meeting binds
them not to. All the same the present
rates are outrageously high. With
out this meeting, however. the break
ing up of the Pacific union would
have left things in a go-as-yori-please con-
dition and the agents would very likely
have been cutting each others threats in
short order. l.,tas.Le
Mayor Duean attended the meeting
and extended to the visitors the freedom
of the city as we'll as of the Silver Bow
and Irish-American clubs.