Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-25
IS IT BOYCOTT
That Is the View of Representative Relative to the Action of the Southern Tariff
 Association.

A representative of the State Herald called at the office of the Birmingham Underwriters Agency, No. 1911h First avenue, yesterday to ascertain the cause of the pending trouble between this local agency and the Southeastern Tariff as- sociation.
 MT. A. D. Smith, president of the Un- derwriters' Agency, kindly granted the following interview:
 This trouble" says Mr. Smith, "grew out of the fact that the Underwriters Agency, representing several Tariff asso- clatlon companies and also representing the Southern Mutual, the latter company being conducted upon the plan of re- turning the profits on the business to it's policy holders, which is in viola ton of the Tariff association rules. For this reason the Tariff association perempto- rlly ordered the various companies comprising said association to withdraw from the Underwriters Agency because said agency refused to give up the home company. And this same action has been taken by the Tariff association against all the Southern MutuaPs agents throughout Alabama, while the same companies are represented by agents of | the Southern Mutual of Georgia, a con- pany conducted on the same plan as that of Alabama" ii-
 Why this discrepancy against the Alabama Mutual?"
 f"Because the success of the Southern Mutual of Georgia has proven to be such that it's influence draws to it's agents a great deal more business than it can carry, and the Tariff association commit tees seek it's offices in order to feed upon these surplus lines"
 HWhy will they-not take a similar posi- tion with your Alabama company"
 Tt is because they desire no more such competitors as the Georgia Mutual and are, therefore, taking steps to force us out of business in our infancy, the Geor- gia Mutual being now forty-eight years old, while the Alabama Mutual is hardly one year old" ..+H
 What has been the decision of the Un- derwriters' Agency in this matter?"
 We promptly informed the Tariff asso- caton while we regretted this action on their part that we had elected to stand by our home company, whereupon all of the companies which are members of the Tariff association represented by us with drew"
 Have you any recent information from the Tariff associatiOn?'
 "Yes, we are just in receipt of a letter from Secretary Fleming of the Tariff as- sociation, in which he says that no con- pany which pays, or proposes to pay, any rebate to the assured can be mem- Der of the association. either active or
 
 not be members. it follows that they can not be represented by the agents of the association companies. That is all there is in it. I beg to say that So far as l am able to say, the action of the association as affecting the Birmingham Underwrit- CTS Agency is final and will be made to apply to all places where the Southern Mutual Fire Insurance company is found represented in the same agency with the members of the association
 What do you consider this action of the Tariff association to imply?"
 "It appears to me to be a boycott of the Southern Mutuars agents all over the state. ] cannot see if in any other light since the association takes no such ac- tion under similar circumstances in Georgia against the Georgia Mutual"
 Are you aware that there is a special law in Alabama aganst boycotting, to which is attached a very heavy penalty?"
 We understand from one of our inn mediate representatives that there is such a law. and in his opinion the action of the Tariff assoca ton against the Southern Mutual of Alabama is clearly a boycott" t-s-5