The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1896-06-12
FARMERS MUTUALS
CONVENTION OF REPRESENTA-
TIVES OF THESE COMPANIES.
Forty-Three Companies of the State
Represented in the rIeeting this Al
ternoon-A rlotion Carries to Form
a Stat OrganizatiOn-An Iowa In
surance OFFICIAL Makes Statement.

The convention Of delegates for the
farmers mutual insurance companies
of the state met this afternoon, and is
success. About half of the COM
panies of the state are represented,
and state organization will be form
ed.
At 100 o'clock, Secretary Baker, of
the Commercial club, called the meet
ing to order and welcomed the dele
gates, and thanked them for the dis
tinguished honor which they had
conferred on the city by deciding to
hold their first meeting in Mankato.
Insurance compares in all other
states are banding together. What
is needed is unification.
Ex-senator Peterson, of Goodhue
county, was elected chairman, and
1. B. Yates,of Madelia, secretary. Mr..
Peterson thanked the convention for
the honor, and said that it was time
that the farmers companies organic
ed together, as many interests are
combining against the farmers, and
they should hold up their end.
Miss Yates, the secretary's daugh-
ter, was elected assistant secretary.
Secretary Yates then read the call
for the meeting, which said that the
object of themeeting was to form a
permanent state organization, and
suggesting legislative committee.
He said he was very glad to see so
many companies represented in the
meeting.
The chair thought that a committee
on credentials would be proper.
A motion was made that any repre-
sentative of a farmers mutual insur-
surance company be considered as a
delegate, and this received so many
seconds that it was taken as the sense
of the meeting.
The chair appointed the following
committee on credentials: Messrs.
Andrew French, Anderson, of Free
born county, and G. E. Evans, of Hen
nepin county.
The temporary organization was
made permanent.
The secretary read letter from W.
B. Forbes, of the Iowa state associa-
tion, commencing the idea of the
meeting, and Offering to be present.
Mr.. Forbes was called upon and was
given a chair with the officers.
A letter was received from the
deputy state insurance commissioner,
saying that commissioner Smith is
sick and cannot be present, and stat
ing that the commissioner takes much
interested in these farmers compan-
les.
Mr.. Forbes was called upon for re-
marks while the credentials commit
tee was preparing report. He spoke
of the necessity for such organizations
as proposed, and said that in Iowa the
old line companies have waged hard
fight against the farmers mutual
companies. A committee had been
kept busy during the legislative ses-
sion last winter, educating the mem
bers and guarding the interests of the
farmers. He would not speak against
old line insurance until it undertook
to dictate. He went into the subject
of farmers mutual companies, and
explained the different kinds of insur-
ance. He held that mutual insurance
is much cheaper than old line. A
mercantile company has been organ
lied in Iowa, and also farmers
mutual life and accident company.
All have grown out of the state aSso-
citation.
Mr.. Forbes answered number of
questions in regard to the workings of
the Iowa state association.
After a long absence the creden-
tials committee presented a report
showing forty-three mutual compan-
les represented by sixty-two dele
gates. The report was adopted.
One delegate moved that state
organization be formed, and another
stated that he was instructed not to
go into state organization, and he
thought that there might be others.
President Peterson did not think
that ali understood that the state or
ganization would not interfere with
the individual companies. The latter