The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-26
THEY DON'T WANT ANY.
David OYermyer Says the In
surance Companies
Want Their Word For Their
Condition to be Taken,
And Don't Want Any Kind of an Ex-
animation to be Made, Nat
urally Enough.


The case of the Travellers Insurance
company against Webb McNaH to pre-
vent the insurance commissioner from re-
voking its license in Kansas was com
pleted last evening and Judge Foster took
the case under advisement. This is the
case in which the in surance company OBJ
jected to an examination and introduced
afidavits to prove that the examinations
made by Commissioner McNaus agents
were expensive and worthless.
David Overmyer, who is one Of the at
torneys for Commissioner McNaI, made
a speech in the case in which he rebuked
the insurance companies for objecting to
examinations. 1t is charged said he,
that the charges were extortionate, but
no matter what the charges may have
been they are nothing when compared to
the corporate rapactty of these companies
and others.
THE trouble with these companies is
that they want their kind of exam
ination. made or none. They say, you
come here and listen to what tell you
and if you want to know anything about
our business we will tell you-you take
our word for it. And because these men
followed plan of their own the presi-
dents and secretaries hold up their hands
less, your charges are eXtortiOnate-'
1T is claimed that it viii require at
least two months to make a thorough ex-
animation of any of these companies and
it would cost 5000. but they don't want
that. It is too expensive; and they don't
want the other because it is worthless.
What they do want Is to be let alone
D. o. AIcCRAY'S AFFIDAVIT.
D. o. McCray, who was one of the spe-
,7-1 1ac 116 6o fol
lowing affidavit with Judge Foster in ex-
PLANTATION OF his work;
'On the - day of -, this affant
was appointed by superintendent McNaH
to examine into the affairs of the Mil
waukee Mechanics Insurance company of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Traders
Insurance company of Chicago, Illinois;
that pursuant to this appointed afhant,
in company with z. w. Tatman, who was
also appointed as agent to assist in these
examinations, commenced the examina-
ti0n OF the Milwaukee Mechanics at Kan
sas City, Kansas, upon complaint made
to the superintendent of insurance to the
effect that said company was engaged in
what is known as underground and
dummy business, the same Indicating that
it was doing business in violation of the
laws of the state of Kansas. This inves-
1igation lasted, the first time. for five and
a half days, but on my return to the in
surance department superintendent Nc
Nall requested that I return and secure
other informa tIon upon complaint which
had come to him during my absence.
After I had secured all of the evidence
and information that I could 1 went to
the office of Simpson & Groves, the agents
of the Milwaukee Mechanics of Kansas
City. Missouri, and requested Mr. Groves
10 look over his business with reference
to business written in Kansas City, Kan
sas The request was denied on the
ground, as he stated, that Mr.. McNall
had no jurisdiction within the state of
Missouri. I returned to Topeka, made a
full and exhaustive report of all my re
searches and Investigations in the two
Kansas Citys, and filed the same with the
superintendent of insurance.
soon thereafter I went directly TO Mil
waukee and made an examination OF the
affairs of the company at its home Of
flee. and this examination was made with
a knowledge of the situation in Kansas
City, and it was made especially with the
point in view of discovering whether or
not they were violating the Kansas stat
utes.
.eThe charge of $500. 20 included the in
vestigation into the company's method of |
doing business at Kansas City, Kansas. |
and comprehended about ten days labor |
in Kansas City and four and one-haf |
DAYS at milwaukee, and the time neces- |
sarily expended in going to and coming |
from these different points.
'.And affant says he charged the COM |
pany s25 per day for his time; that said |
charge is reasonable, in view of the fact |
that afhant was obliged to leave his other /
business occupations, and that the en- |
ployment is not continuous.
..Affant is informed and verify believes |
that the charge he made is in accord with |
the fees charged by insurance depart |
ments of other states for like services.
"Afhant further states that he did not p!
meet, while in Milwaukee, Commissioner /
Fricke of the Wisconsin department.
sAfhant desires to be thoroughly under |
stood on one point: That there was no |
disposition upon his part or upon the |
part of his associate, Mr.. Tatman, to hold |
lp this company or to extort from them |
any money improperly; that whatever |
charges were made were made in good /
faith and with the firm conviction that |
he was entitled to the amount asked Aft |
erwards affant was commissioned to ex- /
anime the affairs of the Traders Insur-
ance company of Chicago, which he did, |