The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-04-29
MUTUAL INSURANCE TAX
COMPANIES WiLL MAKE 4 STRONG
 FIGHT AGAINST TT.

Finance Committee Will Give Their Rep
 resentatives Hearing Next Tuesday-
 Four Mill Tax to be Laid-State Must
 Have Money-State Board of Health to
 Control New Haven's Water Supplies.
 An intimatlon of what Is in store for the mutual insurance companies was given the committee on finance yester- day afternoon when the first skirmish took place preliminary to what will be one of the hardest fought battles of the present session. The contest is between the committee on finance, which must have money to run the state With dur ing the next ensuring two years, and the combined forces of the mutual in surance companies of the state. We must have money" said a mem- Der of the committee.
 The time in which to wage the con f1ict is short, and there will be no blows wasted. Everyone must count, for it means much to the committee, who represent the people, and the Insurance corporations. The latter scored a point yesterday when, under the leadership of Henry c. Robinson, ex-Governor Bulkeley, and President Jacob Greene, when they secured the postponement of | the hearing until next Tuesday after noon.
 The bill, which Is an amendment to the present statute governing mutual companies, is as follows: Every such | mutual life insurance company shall, annually, on or before the 18th day of | February, pay to the state as a tax up- on it's corporate franchises, a sum equal to four mills on the dollar on the total amount of It's premium notes. and on the market value of all its other as- sets, deducting the amount of its as- certained and unpaid losses, the market value of it's real estate liable to taxa tion in this state, the market value of any bonds owned by 1t which have | been issued by this state or of any town or city in this state, In and of the construction of any railroad and which by the law of this state are exempt from taxation, and if said company be in part stock company, the stock whereof by law Is otherwise liable to | taxation, the market value of the assets belonging to its stock department. | When the committee on incorpora- | tions reported the amendment to the | New Haven Water company's charter relating to its powers over the lakes from which 1t drew it's supply. MT. Averill offered an amendment which called for the presentation of the mat i ter to the state board of health be- fore the provisions of the act could be enforced. After lengthy debate the | bill and the amendment were recom- | mitted.
 | Yesterday the amended report of the committee passed the house.
 | It provides that the state board of health is authorized, after due notice to the mayor of the city of New Haven and to the selectmen of the town or towns in which any source of water supply used by the New Haven Water company is located, and hearing there on, to pass orders regulating or pro- hibiting fishing, skating. and boating, or either of them, on any of the lakes, l ponds, streams, or reservoirs of said company, in whole or in part; provided, that such notice shall not De construed as affecting any existing rights of said company. Said orders may be enforced by injunction at the suit of said com pany in any court of competent juris- diction, and any person who shall vio-
 late any such order, after notice there of, shall forfeit and pay to said com pany the sum of twenty-five dollars to be recovered in any proper action; pro- vided, however, that any person having
 any vested right to use any of said l waters for any of the purposes afore- said, may apply to the superior court in and for New Haven county, or to any judge thereof, for the appointment of appraisers to estimate the damage due
 to such person by reason of such regu-
 lation or prohibition. And said court or judge, upon proof of such vested right, shall appoint such appraisers,
 and the damages due to such person
 shall be appraised and the same shall
 be paid by said company, in the same manner provided by the charter of said
 company and it's amendments for ap-
 praislng the damages due by reason of
 the taking by said company of lands
 and water rights.