The Advocate and news., 1898-06-01

suranCe year ending December 81, 1897,
the aforesaid insurance companies col
lected in this State for fire insurance
the sum Of $l,5S6, ,104.6l; paid out for
fire losses the sum Of $578,667S9 leaV-
ing $l,007, ,437.22 as compensation for
transaCting this business. In other
words, the losses amount to between
80 and 36 per cent Notwithstanding
these figures, the insurance companies
insist that they are only making 2 per
cent. upon the amount actually invested.
There should be a dividing line between
profit and highway robbery"
Mr. McNalI recommends that legisla-
tion be enacted requiring all foreign
life companies to pay per cent. Of the
gross premiums received to the State
in the shape of direct taxes Other
States do this and among the number
is Colorado, whose income from this
source is $4,000 Missouri collects $685.
900 in the same way Such law would
have required one company to pay $1,000
in the past year.
A recommendation is made that o law
be passed making all insurance void
which is written In the State by any
company not authorized to do business
here. This is regarded as necessary to
protect the people against companies
which are manifestly fraudulent. 1t is
also urged that legislation be passed
regulating fraternal organizations and
giving to the Superintendent Of Insur-
ance power to pass on their condition
and refuse to permit those which are
not on a safe basis to do business. The
Superintendent pays his respects to the
insurance press in a characteristic
fashion. He says that these journals
are Of such character that the superin-
tendent who receives the most praise
from them is the one who permits them
to run his department. Instances are
cited to show that 1t Is customary for
them to blaCkmail companies and that
criticism Of any company on their part
Is evidence that 1t has refused to be
blackmaled. He thanks these sheets
for their rOasts OF him and thinks that
they are worth all they cost, not one
cent having been paid for them He
supposes that the editors have earned
their money and is quite sure they have
done him no harm.
The following companies at this time
are incorporated under the laws Of Kan
sus and transacting mutual fire insur-
anCe business:
Farmers Alliance Insurance Com
pany, Mcpherson, Kas
Bremen Farmers Mutual Insurance
Company, Bremen, Kas.
Brown County Farmers Insurance
Company, Morrill,, Kas.
Alliance Cooperative Insurance Com
pany, Topeka, Kas.
Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Com
pany of Butler County, FL Dorado, Kas.
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company,
HOlyrOOd, Kas.
Kansas Farmers Mutual Insurance
Company, Stitt Kas.
Kansas Mill Owners Insurance Com
pany, Ottawa.
Marshall County Farmers Mutual In
surance Company, Marysville, Kas.
Mennonite Mutual Insurance Compa-
ny, Newton, Kas
National Mutual Insurance AssOcia-
tiOn, Pittsburg, Kas.
Republic County Mutual Insurance
Company, Belleville.
Southern Kansas Mutual Insurance
Company Wellington, Kas.
In the year 1896 the mutual fire in
surance companies of this State wrote
insurance amounting in the aggregate
to $4,362, ,351.78, and in the year 1897 the
amount was increased to $3.50, ,348.25.
The total number Of members for the
year ending December 81, 1896, was 49,
734, and for the year ending December
81. 1897, was 2O,145.
Tables are presented in another por-
tioR Of this report concerning domestic
companies that are we'll worth studying.
This record discloses that while the
largest companies doing business in
Kansas at this time, in point Of assets,
are what are known as foreign compa-
nles, they were weak companies at one
time. II the domestic or home cOmpa-