The Advocate and news., 1898-06-01

sided over this department for period
OF four years, the Hon. Daniel Webster
Wilder The records Of this office show
that in 1887 he appointed as examiners
to examine various insurance companies
tho Hon. w. C. Webb, Jacob Gewyer,
Henry G. Keller, Harrison ClarksOn, Il.
II. G. Searle, James Billingslea, A. l..
Selig, Joseph G. Waters, Chas. M. Foster,
G. p Bolmar, +. G. Hentig and +. w.
Gibsone"
The report states that Mr.. Billingslea
was most in evidence in these examina-
tiOns. 1t is then pointed out that Mr..
Wilder invariably commended him in
his reports for his honest, intelligent
and faithful services" A few months
after Mr.. Wilders term expired it was
found that the department was short
So, 500 and this was promptly charged
up to the honest, intelligent and faith
full" Billingslea. During the present
SuDerintendents term Mr.. Wilder, who
now runs an insurance magazine at
Kansas City, has endeaVOred to show
that Mr.. McNall has appointed too many
examiners and has been unfair with the
companies. He then cites extracts from
| MI w lIuGA ltpOlN ohOWAh6 Nhob III
surance companies are wholly depraved,
that they are paymasters of common
lobbyists and that they must be cOntin-
ually watched. Attention is called to
the fact that he let an attorney for the
company print twenty-seven pages in
annual report for 1888 in which was
given what purported to be a history of
thu HillmOn case.
Mr. McNall recommends that legisla-
tion on the subject of fire insurance
policies be enacted.
"All fire insurance policies" he says,
"aro printed, leaving no lOOphOle for
the assured to collect in the event OF a
loss unless he has complied with great
many provisions that he never hears Of
until the loss occurs and he takes his
policy to lawyer to examine and see
what 1t Is necessary for him to do In
order to collect. Then he finds, upon an
investigation of a wealth Of printed
matter in the pOlicy--which was never
real to him, which he never read him
self-that the same imposes unjust un-
fair, ineQuitable and unnecessary cOndi-
tions. Policies of this nature should
not be issued in this State"
It is recommended that the next Legis-
lature pass a law providing for uni
form fire insurance policy.
On the subject of State insurance the
report says
II would further recommend that the
Legislature provides for State fire in
surance, the same to be under the con-
troll of the insurance department. To
illustrate: When the township trustees
assess the property direct them to take
the applications Of the various indi-
Viduals in their respective townships or
cities, giving the amount Of fire insur-
ance they desire to carry, the length Of
! time (the classiflcatiOns and rates hav-
ing been prepared prior to this by the
insurance department, based upon the
statistics in this Office of the fire insur-
ance companies doing business in the
State during the last preceding year,,
etc. At all other times the applications
can be made to the County Clerk. Money
can be appropriated from the general
fund, to be placed in an insurance fund,
until such time as the amount collected
is sufficient to pay the running expenses,
, including losses incurred, and then the
same can be returned, the money to be
collected by taxation the same as other
taxes.
III legislation of this kind is enacted
in my judgment 1t will have this result
Parties who receive the benefits Of in
sUrance of this kind will obtain the same
for at least half that they now pay, and
it will compel insurance companies to
o., ut on 1non
the entire business. This is clearly
proven by statistics furnished by in
surance companies transacting business
In this State, taking into consideration
the amount Of premiums they receive
and the amount of losses they pay each
year. It would retain the money at
home instead Of sending 1t abroad"
Tables are given showing the amount