The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-01-09
Will be Prosecuted.
assurances Companies and
Agents IN Danger.

LlOJ US w pay Iu0 VS. "'"' ' "
license of the State, Comptroller Gen.
eral Norton has been doing some in
vestigating and has found that num-
Der of fire insurance companies are
doing business without having paid
the required license. A good deal of
the information has been secured
through letters received from persons
holding policies in these companies.
These policy-holders, since the talk
/ about insurance matters, are anxious
to known whether they have policies
in companies which have complied
with the law and whether those COM
panies are responsible.
Mr.. Norton states that he proposes
to take steps to prosecute every COM
pany or individual doing business
who has not fully complied with the
provisions of the law. The majority
of the violators do small business
and that is the reason why they have
not been detected before this.
The lsaw on the subject are plain,
and the Comptroller General says he
propose to follow them.
The consolation policy.holders in
companies now violating the law
have is that while the companies and
their agent, or adjusters are liable
to punishment the companies are not
released from their policies.
The following are portions Of the
insurance laws of the State, com
piled by the Comptroller General,
which may be of interest at this
time:
Every foreign insurance company
of any class-6re, life, marine,
surety, security, guarantee, hail
storm, live stock, accident, plate
glass and other like insurance COM
panies-foreign land association.
foreign building and loan associa-
tions, foreign banking associations,
and all other like classes Of like
business, not Incorporated under the
laws of South Carolina. except
national banks and except benevolent
institutions organized under the
grand lodge system, shall each, be-
fore transacting any business in this
State, pay an annual license fee of
500 to the Comptroller General, on
or before the 31st day of March Of
each year, to be deposited by him in
the Treasury of the State.
1t shall be unlawful for any such
foreign companies as are required to
pay license fees, to transact any
business in this state. until they shall
have and keep some duly appointed
resident agent in this State on whom
legal process may be served, so as to
bind the company he represents, and
service or process upon his agent at
his main office shall be sufficient to
give jurisdiction to the court issuing
sms in any county in this State.
And every resident agent shall re
turn to the County Auditor Of each
county his gross receipts from said
counties for taxation as other property
is returned for taxation.
ANY person who solicits insur
ance in behalf of any insurance CON-
pany not organized under or incor-
porated by the laws of this State, or
who takes or transmits other than for
himself any application for insurance
or any policy of insurance to or from
such company, or who advertises or
otherwise gives notice that he will
receive or transmit the same, or who
shall receive or deliver policy of
insurance of any such company, or
who shall examine and inspect any
risk, or receive, collect, or transmit
any premium of insurance, or make
or forward any diagram of any build
ing or buildings, or do or perform
any other act or thing in the making
or the consummating of any contract
of insurance for or with any such
company, other than for himself, or
who shall examine into and adjust, or
aid in adjusting, any loss for or in
behalf of any such insurance COM
pany, whether any such acts shall be
done at the instance or request or by
the employment Of such insurance
company, shall be held to be acting
as the agent of the company for
which this act is done or the risk is
taken.
"Any person wEo shall transact any
business of insurance in this State for
! any company of the United States or
foreign State not incorporated by the
laws of this State, without first hav-
ing obtained license by law required
or after his license has been with
drawn, or shall in any way violate
the foregoing provisions in relation
to license Of insurance companies or
agents thereof, shall, upon conviction