St. Paul daily globe., 1895-08-12
SALVAGE CORPS.
What Has Become of 1t an Impor-
t1nt Question.

1t will be remembered that at the
las session of the legislature there
was 4 general insurance code enacted,
one of the provisions of which was
that the foreign insurance companies
taking premiums out of Minneapolis
should pay to the treasurer of the
board of underwriters of this city &
tax to the amount of pc" cent on
the gross amount of the premiums re-
ceived by the company. This was Tor
the purpose of establishing and main>
tanning a salvage corps IN this city.
The tax would amount to between
$25, ,0G0 and 5000 a year.
1t will be remembered that i'm
mediately after the legislature ad-
Journed there was corporate
formed known as the Minneapolis
Board of Fire Underwriters, of which
9. B. Shove was the president and
the other officers and incorporators
We're, it was stated at the time, nom
board men. As soon as the incorpora
ton of the board was announced the
board agents called a meeting which
was largely attended. The meeting
was in the nature of an indignation,
meeting, and it was charged that Mr..
Shove had formed the corporation for
his own benefit and for the benefit of
those associated with him. Later de-
Velopments show that this was not the
case. For, Immediately, Mr.. Shove
called together all of the insurance
agents of the city who desired to at
tend, and, as the G. b is informed
stated to the meeting that he was re-
Sponsible for the legislation, his only
desire being that an official salvage
corps should be organized in this city,
and the funds provided for its MAIN
tenance. He and his associates there
upon invited all of the agents in the
city to participate in the corpora ton
and in the collection of the tax for the
organization and equipment of the
salvage corps in question.
Those who had been kickers inI-
mediately proceeded to cooperate but,
is it is now claimed, for the benefit
of their own companies and thenl-
selves, and not for the benefit of the
people of the city of Minneapolis. For,
although it is claimed there was be-
tween $l0,000 and 900 of this tax
collectable during the month of July,
not one cent piece of it mas ever been
collected, nor has any attempt been
made to collect 1t.
The board of directors elected by the
agents of the board companies who
absorbed the corporation, We're Charles
Sexton, Alexander Campbell, Freder-
lex Wagner, Jacob Stone and c. B.
Shove, c. 3. Shove being the only nom
board man on the board of directors.
Charles Sexton was elected president;
Jacob Stone was elected secretary. One
prominent insurance man states to the
G o b that he understands that
Jacob Stone and G. B. Shove have been
desirOuS of collecting this tax and
proceeding with the organization and
equipment of this corps.
In view of the fact that all the mer
chants in the center Gf the city are
vitally interested in the organization
of the salvage corps, the G l b e has
been to some trouble to Investigate the
facts which are set forth in this ar
ticle, and being aware of the fact that
Matt Gallagher had considerab BILE to do
with the obtaining of this legisla ton,
he was called on by reporter of the
@ o b e, who made the inquiry if he
was not the attorney for this corpora
ton, the Minneapolis Board of Fire
Underwriters. In answer to this in
quiry, Mr.. Gallagher stated that he
was not and never had been attorney
for the Minneapolis .ESard of Fire IN
derwriters since the Inauguration of
the present board of directors.
THE facts are" said Mr.. Gallagher
that the majority of the board of di-
rectors under the leadership of Mr..
Sexton, seems to have organized only
for the purpose of occupying the field
so as to prevent the enforcement of the
law as laid down by the statute as
passed by the last Legislature. This is
of vital Importance to the people of
this city. The revenue derived from
this It tax x, for this year would amount
corporation should be in the hands of
such men as Mr.. Stone and Mr.. Shove.
who have the interests of the city at
heart, and desire to see the goods and
property of our merchants protected.
1.-The citizens should move in this
matter. and those who have been the
cause of the delay should be compelled
TO step down and out and the corpora
ton should be run in the interests of
the people of Minneapolis, who pay the
premiums, and not in the interests of
the foreign insurance companies, who
receive the premiums"