Middletown transcript., 1897-06-26
To Insurance Companie: e:
and Their Agents.
INSURANCE DEPARTMENT.
- STATE OF DELAWARE.
LAUREL, Del, June 18th. ]

- LAUREL, Del, June 10Th, 1897.
desire. TO adopt this method
of making an announcement of inter-
est to the State and of Importance to
all whom it may concern. $500.
/ Upon assuming the duties eff this
office, it soon became apparent that
large number Of agents probably sew
eral hundred were engaged in the
business of life and other kinds of if<
surance, without. baying compliediWith
the law requiring license aud cer,iG-
cate, and without having paid to the
State the fees. provided by statute.@ One
.company-Dot to speak of ottlers-is
reported to have more than fifty agents
in, the field, sctively employed. with
out authority as required by law, ~
The Legislature, which cannot. be
Too highly commended for the zeal and
alacrity with which it responded to lap-
peals for aid, promptly effected such
notifications of the law. as the
Commissioner advised and eliminated
every clause of ambiguous meaning or
doubtful Interpretation.
HeTgt tOfOTe q company was admitted
by certificate of authority at a charge |
of two dollars. For every agent like
certificate, was required together with |
license, $25. 90, and fifty cents for is
suing the same, aggregating $27. so for
each and every agent, which 1 admit
was excessive. Now a company must
pay $500 for cert ifcate and every,
agent $500 for certificate, $500 for
license and 90 cents for issuing-iotal
cost to agents $3.50. a~.l.a.a
The law reads "That every person,
who shall procure or solicit any citizen
or resident of this State to take ont a
policy on his or her life or lives of any
other person in any company or COM
panies not incorporated by the laws of
this State shall be deemed a foreign life
Tor fire., etc. insurance agent within
the meaning of this act.v Every such
person must obtain from the Insurance
Commissioner certificate of author
ity and license as above stated. '''
Again, the person, firm or corpora
tion SO engaged without having first
proper license therefore
for every such offense shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and npou
conviction thereof, by iDdiet ment, be-
,ides being liable for the payment. of
he tax, be subject to imprispnment
'or a term not exceeding two years, or
! fine not exceeding Eve hunilre
lollars (S5O0l, or both at the dscre-
ion of the court; one moiety 10 the
Use of the person who shall first give
of the fact whereby said
Orfeiture was incurred - p. =,
i Such in part is the law. It is the
worn duty of the Commissioner to en-
orce the law. And it is the purpose of
his paper to give fair warning to all
whom it may effect, and announce his /
to do his duty in this re-
,ard. 5.t..-s !
To that end shall proceed, on and !
fter July 1st next, to prosecute every
gent whom l shall find disregarding
he insurance law of the State. l shall j"
emand of every. company doing .
'usiness in the STAT e a complete listiof
gents therein employed. In case of a
efusal to furnish the same. OF finding
company conniviug at a. violation Oft
he statutes, shall hold the company
and revoke its authority to
% business in the State. Be- q -i
AS regards cldss of transient or
iurnal agents, who fit across our bor-
ers, write policies, and as suddenly
isappear beyond our Jurisdiction, if ,
5s fail to have them apprehended by 1
he proper officials, l shall ask the Gov
rnor, of whose sympathy and co-oper- :
tion am assured, TO make reqnisi- !
ion upon the Governor of The neigh
oring State, for their rendition for
rial by our corrts, and shall refuse or
evoke the authority Of any company
bat accepts or pr, fils by their illicit
r clandestine operations. c
Upon conviction one half tEesine
oes to the infofmer, and 1 shall feel
rateful for any information which :,
hay bring offenders to Justice, and
romise that all such will be held
trictly confidential.
In conclusion | may be al loved to ex !.
ress The hope of having the sympathy,
upport and encouragement of all law
biding citizens in what they esteem 4 &
laudable effort to abate fragrant
buselof the law of the State. n