Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-22
WAS No REDUCTION.
COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL INSUR.
ANCE UNCHANGED.
Company Says It Will Write 1t at
the Old Rate or Not at All-News
Story Refuted.

The REFLECrORs remark that the
News claim that McNall had reduced
the insurance rate on the county high
school building from $2.7O to $l.5O
would prove a boomerang has been
amply verified. NJ. H. Malott, the
agent Of the company, did write a
policy at the reduced rate, it being
submitted, to bids but today the pol.
icy was returned from the company's
home Office with letter saying that
it would write the insurance at the
old rate or not at all. 1t was a gen.
eral matter Of surprise that a cut in
the rate should be made and it was
reported that the company was de.
termined to have the business, but it
appears that it does not want the bus
mess that bad and the rate is un-
changed.
This was the only instance the
News could find in which it could
claim any reduction. The fact is, as
everybody knows, there has been no
reduction OF rates. The News may
as we'll come down. II the election
of the Pop ticket depends on McNall's
reduction of insurance rates it will be
showed under by 10000 majority.
The News says; "This is only one
instance, but If we had the space we
could name others" This was not an
"instance" OF McNall's reducing rates
but il it can name any "others" or
can show that rates have been REDUCED
on insurance in Abilene by McNalps
insurance fight it will prove every in
surance agent in Abilene liar.
Dilligent inquiry has failed to find
that insurance rates have been lower
ed in this county during the past two
years. The testilaony OF leading
business menof all parties and the
insurance agents is that there has
been no change and that the charge is
as large as before McNall began his
administration. These are few OF
the expressions used
F. NJ. Whitlaw, merchant, strong
Democrat, says: 81 have had several
properties insured in the past year,
and have not had a cent reduction.
The charge is the same as it was be-
fore we had this kind Of an admins
tration. hoped there would be a
reduction but had not a cent"
c. C. Wyandt, insurance agent,
Republican, ii have written hum
dreds Of dollars worth Of insurance
every month and almost every week
during the past two years. If there
has been any change Of rates | never
was able to find it out. The rates
remain exactly the same except where
owing to the nature Of the surround
ings rates on single building may
have been changed-ior instance as
on Broadway where frame buildings
were torn down and brick were erect
ed, the rate being lower on the brick
than on the frame. This Of course is
always being done. The list is how
ever unchanged"
R. H. Seeds, insurance agent,
Democrat: ''There has been no
change in insurance rates. We write
the policies at exactly the same rates
as two years ago, conditions being
the same. Indeed some Of the rates
are higher than formerly but it is due
to special causes. The rates on the
whole are unchanged"
NJ. H. Malott, cashier Of the Citi-
zens bank: 81 have written about
three hundred policies in the past
year and half and there has been no
reduction in rates. know Of but
three reductions and two were due TO
changes in exposure, the other to a
keen competition between companies
for the insurance on public build
ing"
J.B. Case, merchant and one OF
the largest property owners in the
city, says: 81 have found no reduc-
tion on any Of my insurance policies
in the past two years. The boasted
reductions Of which the Populists talk
are entirely false SO far as my exper-
ience goes-and I have had a good
deal Of it in the past twelve months.
Ihave paid the same rate as formerly
and see nothing to indicate that there
is any change in prospect that will
r,.ho ;nsurance cheapAr under the