The Advocate and news., 1898-06-01
State Insurance
Favored.
Superintendent McNall's Annual Re-
port Contains interesting
Matter.
CREDIT GIVEN TO GOV. LEEDY.

SINOT. IL 10 VulIS IOu6 anu IlOAOubh'J
covers the transactions Of his depart
ment. The litigation in connection with
the HillmOn and other companies whose
licenses were revoked or not re-issued
is discussed in detail 1t is shown that
the Superintendent had his bearings all
of the time and that he has won in
every case.
His efforts to enforce the valued pol
icy law are explained in full. The law
is cited, together with decisions bearing
on it, and he shows that the law not
only can be but is being enforced. He
refers to instances of total losses where
the payment was scaled down by the
company's adjusters and the insured
was induced to accept rather than go
to court OF these methods Mr.. McNall
says:
"What would the people in any COM
munity in this State say If, on the first
OF the month, an Individuals note at
the bank, his store bill, butchers bill, or
any other bill, matured, and he would go
through the form Of appointing an ad-
iuster to go and adjust the matter, who
would say: I will pay you IS cents on
the dollar, and if you do not accept
this amount you can go into court and
litigate the matter. BY the time you
pay attorneys fees and costs you will
be out more money than l am Offering
YOU Every man in this State would
say that proceedings of this kind were
absolutely dishonest; but insurance
companies appoint adjusters, send them
out to adjust losses under the valued
policy law of this State, where there is
q total loss and no question as to the
amount due, and use the above tactics.
They are required to do 1t in order to
hold their jobs. Adjusters are required
to earn their salaries from the assured
in scaling down their losses"
In this connection he takes shot at
"molders of public opinion" who have
assailed him for enforcing this and
other laws and regulations which do not
meet with the approval Of insurance
companies and says:
II suppose the reason why such large
number Of Republican newspapers In
different parts Of the State assailed the
department is because they were In
structed to do so from other sources
a good deal upon the same theory that
they go to the express Office and obtain
supplemnts for their papers without
knowing the contents of same, without
ever having ordered them from any per-
son. and all the expense there is tc
them is the express upon the same, and
they are not fully informed as to what
their own views are upon any given
subject until they open the package and
find out for the first time. Then, In
conformity Herewith, the editors Of the
aforesaid Republican newspapers are
supposed to write an editorial In har-
m0ny with the views expressed IN the
supplements"
Mr.. McNall then discusses the exam.
nations which he has ordered and shows
good cause for all of them.
For doing these things" he says
"as the law clearly cOntemplates shall
be done, the Superintendent has been
dragged through one Federal court, and
the people of Kansas have been in
formed that the Investigations were 9
farce-that they were superficial; and
one company attempted by injunction In
the Federal court to enjoin the Super
intendent Of Insurance from examining
into the financial condition Of its af'
fairs. A temporary restraining order
was issued without notice, and after.
wards a preliminary hearing was had
upOr the matter to see whether the In
junction would be sustained, and the
same was set aside. The insurance com
pany then dismissed its suit, paying The
costs, and retired from the State rather
than submit to an examination by this
department. This company, in 1895, con
tested in excess of IA per cent. Of itl
accident losses, and in 1896 in excess O
IL per cent.
"The examiners that l have commits
stoned at different times have done theil
work thoroughly and well, and this de
partment is entirely satisfied with thu
results, whether the insurance cOmpa
H.