The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-29
RATE-CUTTING AMONG ALL THE
COMPANIES LOCALLY REP
RESENTED.
SHOT BY AN Elk SOLDIER.
L. H. TURNER USES A SHoTcuN
ON HIS ToRMENTERs.
NATIVE Sons.

Inc insurance rate war has reached Oak
rama, ana the local agents spent yesterday
aiVerhoon IN wild seurry after new bust
ness or renewal of expiring policies.
shortly after noon a telegram came to
the effect that the San Francisco Board of
Underwriters had declared all rates off in
Alameda County, and cutting began forth
with. At 1 O'Clock a delegation of San
francisco solicitors arrived, and their
efforts TO secure business, com bined with
those OF the local men, kept the merchants
and property-owners in a turmoil until
nightfall. He retofore, since the trouble in
the Board OF Underwriters began to be
manifest TO all, more or less slashing has
Deen going on, but generally on defensive
llne, local men simply striving to hold
their own.
yesterday, however. all pretense of eau
non was thrown aside, and the rates offered
oy some agencies carrying large lines were
SIMPLY astonishing.
a weii-known liquor man whose place
OF business Is considered a fair risk. has
tor years paid Az per cent. His policies
are about expiring, and he yesterday
signed an agreement to reinsure with the
companies carrying his business for IsI
per cent.
Colonel W. NJ. Kent, whose establish
ments on Twelfth street and on Broadway
are welI known, had Just paid his premiums
on several thousands of dollars of insur-
ance, but gracefully accepted a so per cent
cash rebate and allowed the enterprisine
agent to write him a couple of new pol
lcles Tor good amount.
Other agencies, who felt that thew were
IN danger OF losing large blocks of bust
ness, cut rates to even a greater extent,
ana IN at least one instance so per cent re-
bate was offered and, of course, accepted
The reason given for the war is that the
md Al
and other companies began rate-cutting,
and IN order to be in the. swim the other
concerns had to follow suit
In the meantime the public is saving
thousands of dollars in premiums and the
agents are wondering whether they will be
able to pay rent and clerks if the war con-
tinues.
A: G: Davis, the local agent of the New
Zealand Insurance COMPANY who was one
OF the most active in the scurry after bust
ness, says that the split came on the propo-
sltlon OF agents compensation.
1.-The origin of this trouble dates back
year, he said. 'At that time the Pacific
Insurance Union changed its constitution
SO as to provide that agents should receive
commission only as their compensation
The. New Zealand and a few other COM
panleS refused to abide by the decision of
the union, believing that it could get bet
ter service from its employees by paying
them salaries rather than commissions,
which in the best times paid but bare
living.
The New Zealand Company was fined,
but refused to pay the penalty, and the
union fsa ring a split did not enforce the
puIfshment. Then several large English
companies withdrew from the compact,
giving as their reason that the union had
grown so weak that it could not enforce
It's rules and was of no further use to its
members. These non-board companies
have made competition so keen that the
present war has resulted"
There is no telling how long the present
rate-cutting Will continue according to
local agents, but each one declares his in
tention of staying with the fight as long as
II lasts.
Shot BY an Ex-Soldier.
l.. H. Turner, an ex-soldier who lives on
Linden street near Twenty-fourth and SUBJ
sists on a pension granted him by the Gov
eminent for a wound received during the
civil Tsr, is locked up in the City Prison
on charge OF assault with a deadly
weapon in consequence of the too free use
Of u shotgun.
Turner, according to the story of the
police, is in the habit of getting drunk and
ulsorderly whenever he draws his pension
money and gets into trouble frequently
through his prediction for alcoholic slim
ulants. The boys in the neighborhood of
his dwelling have been teasing him for the
past few days, and Turner swore revenge
Yesterday he was standing in front of his
dwelling when Frank Timmons began
twitting him about his drinking.
He ran into the house, and Selling a shot
gun, gave chase to the lad, who ran into
John BTereton's grocery on the corner of
Twenty fourth and Linden streets. Turner
rushed into the store with the gun and
was seized by Brereton and Timmons. who
tried to wrest the weapon from his hands
In the melee the weapon was discharged
the load striking Brereton in the right
forearm and tearing the flesh in a frightful
manner. The police were summoned and
Turner was arrested, He says that he was
assaulted by three men before the fracas IN
the grocery occurred, but his story is not
credited by the police. Brereton will prob
ably lose his arm in consequence of the
wound.
A New SchooIhouse.
The Trustees of the Fruitvale School
District have awarded the contract for
building the. new school to Cunningham
Bros.
The building; which is to cost $1,000
Will be erected at the corner of Boston ave-
nue. and School street, fronting 143 feet on
Boston avenue and So feet on School street
There will be four classrooms on each of
the two floors, with the addition of a
library and principals room. In the base
ment will be located playrooms for bows
and girls. There were twenty-one bidders
for the contract.
Value of Doctors Services.
The testimony in the suit of DR.. Dudley
TAFT against the estate of Morris Goldberg
in the Superior Court yesterday mornin9
developed some startling testimony regard
ing value set upon their services by sur
geons.
DR.. E. II. Woolsey testified that he would
deem the service of keeping John w.
Mackay or James G. Fair alive for thirty
five days worth 81 100000. He considered
that DR.. Tait's services to Mr. Goldberg
were worth $4,000 to $4,000. The case
goes OH to-day.
Cassasa's Concert Tonight.
Tonight at the Marlborough Theater
Cassasa's band will give a grand concert
for the benefit of the fund for the Native
Sons celebration which will be held in
Oakland April % to 20 inclusive The
advance sale of tickets has been large and
a handsome sum will doubtless be realized
from the entertainment.
The merchants of the city have exceeded
the expectations of the committee in
charge of the soliciting work of subscrin-