Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-12-10
OBJECT TO INSURANCE TAX.
KANSAS INSURANCE MEN WILL MEET
IN KANSAS CITY TODAY.
They VIII Discuss Means to Fight or Have
Adjusted the Per Cent Lcvy Made
by New Kansas Law-Au Arbi-
trttion of the Case likely.

About seventy-fve Of the prominent in
surance men, special agents and adjustCrS
Of the West will gather at the Coates
House this morning to attend the meeting
OF the Kansas Field Club. The Field club
is the successor Of the old SunuOwer Club.
which related to insurance matters of the
West for so many years, but went out OF
existence about one year ago. Among the
questions that are TO come up for corsI-
Grafton at the meeting to-day. the most
important is that Of determining what the
fire Insurance companies of Kansas are TO
10 concerning the collection OF the . prr
cent tax. levied under special act of the
last legislature on their business for the
benefit Of the fire depaprtmeuts maintained
in the cities OF the state The tax was TO
he levied ON the volume Of business done
by each company, and was to have been
distributed among the fire departments In
cities paying $1,000 and more annually for
fire protection.
1t has been pronhesied from the first that
the companies would not willingly pay the
lax, and mat claim has been borne out
companies courreously returned the blanks
TO Insurance Commissioner Anthony, and
stated that they declined to give the ntor-
nation desired AS it was considered part
.Ot their official business that could not
safely be made public. The insurauc- com
missioner declined at once TO accent any
partial statement and said he would take
nothing less than the complete statement
when he asked for the report,
To-day the insurance adjusters and spe-
uidl agents, who manage the business In
hat state, are to meet here and determine"
If possible just what course is to be pur-
The agents, when seen last evening. were
decidedly nuu-Committul. one Of them was
of the opinion that the proper thing to be
done was To stand pat ana refuse TO make
the payments while others were more pa
Citic in their ideas. The representative Of
one Of the largest companies doing husi-
D
was of the opinion there was but one thing
TO he done that would not damage husl-
the tax under protest, and at once insti-
mtn q suit 20 recover j claiming II was
Illegally collected. That might cause am
There are sixty companies doing business
iu The state that are affected 9y the terms
or the law, and there are about twenty
cities in tho state where the fire depart
meuts would ne entitled TO share in the
proceeds OF the tax. n each company
brought a suit for the amount paid for the
benefit of each aeraruments 4 would mean
STATE lost the eases. il would moan an
bear. The companies, be said, Were not, as
general thing. inclined TO be conteuuguS
IA agreement could be made for a stipula-
ton and the hearing of n test case that
the people Of the state. lie was quite at a
loss last evening as To WNbt view the
agents would adout but he was hopeful
that an understanding could be reached by
which anything troublesome would he
avoided lie thought Commissioner An
thouy would ho willing to meet them half
way on "a business proposition and that
tho state authorities would be willing to
have the question submitted to the su-
preme court at once for settlement,
The question is an important one, as the
tax would amount to quite large SUM,
and II il can be collected in on" state II Is
peTfpctly sure that other states viii at once
take il up as a means OF revenue, and they
will have ia pay II in every state in the
IruIOu They do not believe II Is constitu-
tional ana want 10 stop the tax AT this
point Al of the fire insurance companies
doing business in the state viii have repre-
s. sontaliyes in the meeting to-day.