The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-07
INSURANCE FACTS
Superintendent Church Issues
His Annual Report.
Has Something to Say About
Fraternal Companies.
WILDCAT CONCERNS,
Organized by S SIncurables With
Fraternal Society Habit. +"
Department ColIectedS43,2 ,227.-
35 During Past Year.

The twenty-ninth annual report OF
the insurance department of Kansas,
by Superintendent w. V. Church, was
today completed by the state printer
and delivered to the department. IN
the Introductory letter to the governor
Mr.. Church says:
Having assumed the duties of this
department at the time when the IN
surance year was nearly at close ana
when a large part of the work had been
disposed of by my predecessor, Wepp
McNall, suggestions from me must o5
nrompted by a limited Observation diIa
a more limited experience rms Is Aot
IkeIv to be a misfortune, as there -
DrohabIV more danger OF saying tOO
much than of saying too little
Mr. Church has the following 70 say
in the report concerning fraternal an
surance: -,
.'By virtue of an act passed last WIN
ter by the special session OF the legis-
lature, the insurance department We
given limited supervision over lral9A l lIeaA m l
beneficiary societies. Thlrty-tour Or
ganizations have received certllcdlGs. u
authority under this law, some OF Wh1cli
are old established orders with goou
records of economy and user Luli!ess, .esS.
Others are newly born and with niue
history except that in their organlza-
fion thew come within certain pre-
scribed requirements which entitle
them to recognition, and there IS prom
ise of their reaching healthy maturity
in most instances.
MANY of the fraternal orders are or
ganized on sound business principles
and are worthy of the patronage they
enjoy On the other hand, some of them
owe their birth to one or two faulty
causes One of these is the ultra-sentl-
mental craze which attaches more I'M
portance to an imaginary bfothernoou
than to actual business merits. Such
orders are the product of the schemes
and dreams of visionary men; incur
ables who are hopelessly addicted TO
the fraternaI society habit. They are
managed by officers with titles in Whlch
the entire alphabet is involved and who
have little else to command attention
''Then there is the order with the
more reprehens1ble blrthfnark: staLeeu u
by projectors whose main OBJECT IS TO
create saIaried offices to be filled py
themselves. --ssas
'sPhe time will come when such or
ganizers as the ones mentioned VIII not
be recognized. The vagary of one and
the knaVery of the other are such as TO
| preclude their being entrusted with a
country grocery. Why should they be
encoura ged as custodians of a member s
aSsessn1 n1entS or a widows benehtS!' y
Concerning insurance rates MI
Church says to the governor:
1T is a gratifying fact that material
reductions have been made in fire in
surance rates. The people of Kansas
have felt that a lower basis rate was
due them This condition was present
ed to underwriters in spirit of fair
ness with a request for general seal
ing down of rates. The companies, as
a rule have met the proposition with
like fairness, and the result is that our
citizens are. now able to secure fire pro-
lection at a reduction of from fifteen
to twenty per cent
I acknowledge with gratitude your
effectual support and aid in this accom-
plishment, being mindful that from the
beginning you have been consistent
advocate of lower insurance rates"
The total receipts of the insurance
department during 1898 were $43, ,227. 35.
This represents taxes, licenses and GER
tificates of authority. In addition to
this S18. .33S. .25 was paid in by fire insur-
ance companies for the benefit of Kan
sas fire departments. The report says:
THE Sha vince Fire Insurance COM
pany, of Topeka. the only stock com
pany organized under the laws of Kan
sas, wrote risks to the amount of $13,-.
OO2 674, an increase over the preceding
year of 1854, ,562- The premium receipts
of this company for the year amounted
to $19S, ,4199 50. an increase of $2,022- 81.
Losses paid by the company, $64 1872. Oh;
an increase of $11,41502. This home
company since its organization has
paid to its patrons as indemnity for
fire losses a total amount of $493, ,266 So.
During 1898 there were engaged in
the state Il domestic mutual fire in
surance companies, whose membership
is made up largely of Kansas farmers.
These companies issued policies to the
amount of So, 821, ,614, an increase of 81
600 600 over the preceding year These
companies nave received IN premiums
S1SS, 1877. They paid losses to the
amount of S51, 14T "a. The membership
of these Kansas mutual companies at
the close of the year was 1883, an in
crease of 1894 over the preceding year.
There were Al fire insurance compa-
MES of other states tFansacting busi-
ness in Kansas in 1898. They wrote
risks during the year aggregating $112,-
S45, ,213 an increase over 1897 of $685.
1853 Their premium receipts for the
year amounted to 81, ,2S3. .17S, an increase
of ST 293 over 1897 These companies,
during 1898, paid in losses $55S, 1897, or
S6S, 600 more than they paid in 1897
Eighteen fire insurance companies
organized under the laws of foreign
governments transacted business IN
was a decrease of over 100000 in the
volume of insurance written. There
was a decrease of premium receipts on
the part of these foreign companies to
the extent of $50. 900. They paid losses
to the amount of $148. .060, which was an
increase over 1897 of $53, $50.
THE Kansas Mutual Life Insurance
company, of Topeka, wrote, in 1888, 81
1873 357. an increase of S5S, OBJ over the
preceding year Their premiums
amounted to $3.50, ,624, showing an in
crease of $35, ,664. This company's total
amount of insurance in force at the
close of 1898 was SO, 1913, 1.S7. At the
same date they had paid death claims
amounting to 1858, ,416.1S.
There were Is companies of other
states transacting life insurance busi-
ness in Kansas in 1898 They wrote
policies on the lives of citizens of the
state to the extent of So, ,S94, 1928, an in
crease of four and a half millions over