The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-06-24

pay US and we forced him to 40 SO. Since
you were kind enough to offer space in
your paper for reply, will give you a
snort history of the two insurance COM
tdhyleS. We are one of the four n1anag-
ing officers Of our hail company. The F.
=. r. a. was organized in 1890 We did a
very nice and growing business until '92.
me company's plan was limited assess
,nent OF 70 cents per acre, with the stipu-
latlon that in case the losses and
expenses exceeded the sum collected on
Iuil assessment, then the association
would pay each loser his pro rata share.
well we were unable to pay losses in full,
ana seeing the folly Of carrying the risk
so cheap, we raised the rate in March, '93,
to SO cents per acre, since when we have
not had to make full assessment: have
paid all losses in full, and all reasonable
and honorable members became well
LspIeased, as we can show by the many tes-
tlmenials given us. We are assessing for
70 cents, as in SO and "a, and 30 cents in
70, While several other companies organ
lied on the same basis collect So cents.
ana we have every time paid more money
TO losers, in some instances twice as much.
as they Just how Mr. Ford will make
fraud out of this record will remain to be
seen Mind you, he does not claim to be
loser. His point of attack is somewhat
hard to find; but it is at our note which
we take for the premium This note
draws per cent interest from date. but
or before maturity no interest will be
charged. Our custom is to hold these
notes, notifying the members some 80
days before maturity the amount assess
ed. and large majority send us the
amount. We cancel the note and mail to
them, collecting no interest About 20
days after the notes are past due we mail
all notes to banks handy to the makers
ana they are again notified where to paw
the note and the interest, as stipulated.
Ohinnf in or ocl1 ;,,%o
at maturity is premium given to those
who pay early, and while we hold the note
thereby saving the extra expense of send
ing them out to banks or special collect
ors. This is Mr.. F. main and only point
Of fraud, and if there is fraud there. 7 con.
fesS that these six years I have been in
this business l am yet too stupid to see
the point He also alleges that our fire
company is a twin brother in the
fraud, but does not offer a syllable Of evil
dence to substantiate its charge and I
will breaf1y state that we the same poor
officers have been in control of this county
less than two years; in that time we have
written over a million and half dollars
in risks, have paid all loss and expenses
in full to date and have money in the
treasury sufficient to pay all ordinary
losses-durng this time every loser has
had his money in less than 30 days after
making final proof with one exception
and he soon after-have never made an
assessment but the first payment has paid
all, and that lis about half the usual stock
rates.
This is record we are proud Of and are
sanguine enough to think any reasonable
man will say as much for us--we court in
.Vestigation Come to our office on Main
street over the postoffice in Montevideo,
Mimi, or write any business firms in the
place. 4
~ Thanking you Mr. Editor for this space,
am Yours respectively.
-Theo. w. Keithley, Secy.