The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-23
DEFEND Mr.. POTTER
MERCHANTS SALVAGE CORPS
THINK HE is ENTITLED TO ALL
THE GLORY.
FATHER OF THE WHOLE THING.
SOME AMUSING FEATURES ABOUT
THE FIGHT THAT is ALL
OVER.
FATHER OF THE WHOLE THING
In the Goodness of Their Hearts
Might Come Up With What the
Merchants Corps Sunk.

The little light which the G / o e
cast on Senator POtter's bill to reim-
burse himself and others for their ex-
penses in the unsuccessful fight they
made against the Minneapolis under
writer's corps, caused a good deal of
comment yesterday and no little sur
prise in Minneapolis. 1t was the first
time in the history of the fight that
any newspaper had given an impair
tial statement concerning it, The Min
neapolis papers have never handled
the subject very freely and the Mer-
chants corps in each case seemed to
have the call. The people interested
III the Merchants corps seemed to
think that the G o b e deviated from
their side Of the case, which it un-
dCubtedly did, but not from the facts.
SO the Merchants corps prepared an
eX parte statement, given below. AS
will be seen, it is, in general, the story
published in the G o b yesterday,
with the exception that it assails Com
mission No. 3. which cuts no ice
whatever so far as Senator Potter's bill
is concerned.
Some things in the Merchants corps
statement are amusing to any one
familiar with the insurance situation
in the Twin Cities. That part which
says the people cannot be monkeyed
with is especially amusing, when it
is known that one gentleman, who is
so much interested in the people, has
been plastering insurance in both cities
written by companies not authorized
to do business in the state. That pro-
vision in the law which permits of a
brokers' license and permits a company
to give a power of attorney to any
body to write the insurance, is the
method adopted by the gentleman. 1t
is legitimate, Of course, and honest
as we'll But it is a question whether
or not it is in the interest of the peO-
pie. One or more of the policies on the
New Brighton elevator might suggest
this question. And while the gentleman
is seeking, with others, to get back
what he expended in the Merchants
corps, he is writing all the insurance
he can in companies which are not call
ed upon to contribute anything to the
support of the salvage corps, because
the state cannot get at them. While
it is not material in this connection, it
is said some means will be tried to
make them yet pay their share to the
support of the patrol systems. The
Merchants corps might get itself re-
imbursed from that source, since com
mission No. 3 has shown the marble
heart. Following is the Merchants
corps statement:
The legislature of 1885 adopted a general
insurance code, which was IL me interests of
the insurers of this state. and it was stated,
at the time the bill was under consideration,
by representatives of the companies in Com
mission No g. the insurance trust that if the
bill became law, they would withdraw from
this state. That that statement was pure
bluff time has demonstrated. They not only
did not withdraw but the rates of insurance
have been materially decreased. But this
odiouS trust has been successful in attaching
a rider to the policy, that adopted by
the last Legislature, in the law in question,
that is longer, and contains more provisions
than does the policy itself. And they have
sought in every way to defeat the salutary
provisions of our insurance code as adopted
two years ago. One of the provisions of that
code was that foreign fire insurance COM
panies doing business in this state, should
pay in the cities of the state, 2 per cent of
the premiums received in the cities, which
money should be used for the purposes Of
equipping and maintaining salvage corps. In
Minneapolis, as soon as the law was signed
by the governor, the representatives with
one exception, Mr.. Shovel Of the companies
in the insurance trust organized a corpora
ton called The Minneapolis Board of Fire I'm
derwriterS their purpose being. as was after
wards shown in the litigation referred to in
the article in the l o e, to occupy the
field in Minneapolis, so that no other COM
pany could come IN ana equip this service.
In a letter written by Jacob Stone, sec
rotary of the insurance trust salvage corps,
and which is part of the record in the lit
igation referred to in the article he says:
Let me say here, that the passage of the
bill Salvage corps bilD creating the 2 per
cent tax, was done entirely without the
knowledge or approval of the fire insurance
agents Of this city meaning the agents Of the
companies in the insurance trust we simply
found that certain statutes were in existence
and it became question with us whether or
not 1t was our duty to protect our COM
panieS by Insisting unOn a renreSenta tinrn in