The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-21
MOZART HALL.
WHAT BECOMES OF THEM ?
The MOguIs of State Insurance Su-
pervisiOn and the Finish They
Usually Hope to Attain.

Usually Hope to Attain.
New York may, or may not, soon have
new insurance superintendent The
matter is one that may we'll be presumed
to interest the present incumbent, Mr..
Payne. more than any other person. while
the outside gentlemen who have been
mentioned" for his position come next
in probable anxiety Not much thought
Is given by politicians, or the general
public, to the parties having most at
stake, which are the insurance organiza-
lions chartered in that state, together
with the companies from other states do
ing business there, and their million or
more members scattered throughout this
and other lands. Who they want for in
surance superintendent In the leading
state Of the Union is not considered a
great deal, and perhaps does not really
matter very much. The official in ques-
ton is at best but changeable quantity,
like everything else political, and If he
proves a worthy incumbent today the
only certainty in the matter is that in q
year or so he will be. hustled out for
somebody quite different. And this is go
ing on in every state in the Union, with
| old insurance commissioners fitting in
and out of their places to the gain of
NOBODY III pdFLlCuldEt ana the CGtr1menC
of vested insurance interests generally.
What becomes Of the whilom arbiter of
state insurance affairs, the official who
for a brief time has the right, or often
believes he has, to turn the companies
topsy turvy, and make existence any
thing but a benison for managers and
members? One graduated into a good
position in leading life company some
years ago, and from thence to the head of
tho mi
make g. similar ten-strike has been the
dream of nearly every state insurance
superintendent ever since. But that is g.
sort of lightning not likely to strike in
the same way twice. Yet the heads Of
state insurance departments have never
quite given up the hope Of at least get
ting some kind of a job in connection
with life company after the expiration
Of their term Of office. A few have Sc
cured minor positions of this kind, others
have developed into insurance editors,
while the rest have faded unmourned
from view The willingness Of many of
them to compromise on any kind of q
place with an insurance company after
starting in for position close to the top
is not unlike the traditional politician Of
Gen. JaCksons time, who began by de-
handing to be sent as minister to the
court Of st. James. but finally accepted
with gratitude a pair of the generals old
leather breeches.
OF course there are, and have been,
plenty of capable honorable and efficient
insurance superintendent, but the ten
ure Of office is necessarily brief, while
the entire system, which allows the COM
panies to be hauled over the Goals by
the officials Of nearly half a hundred
states, is costly, oppressive, useless and
dangerous. There are varying opinions
as to the wisdom Of the largest American
companies in seeking for business in other
countries. But 1t can safely be said that
after proving their ability to not only
endure, but actually thrive under the
complex contradictions and changeable
laws, as well as the whims of insurance
superintendent, in every state in the
Union, the obstacles and risks to be en-
countered in foreign fields will be found
inconsequential. About how long would
a Web McNaH be allowed to prance
around at the head Of a European or COL
| onial insurance department?