Kansas City journal., 1899-03-26
WITH INSURANCE men
FARRIs BILL TO BE CONSIDERED BIZ
THE HOUSE MONDAY NIGHT.
Fire Underwriters of Missouri Meet
Ing Last Week-Commissio
Campbell, of Michigan. to
Serve q second Term.

There Will he a hard fight made next
Monday nj Jefferson City when the Furris
senate bill will come up before the house
committee on judiciary. The measure has
already passed the senate and. having been
introduced at the request OF the governor.
it would seem to have fair chance or
passage. At present. Kansas City and ST.
Louis are exempt from the workings OF the
state antitrust law applying to tire in
surance. The purpose of the Farris bill
is to do away with this exemption and 10
prevent agents in the two cities from en-
terins into an agreement regarding insur-
ance rates.
Many of the insurance agents claim that
the passage of the act will not have any
effect OH insurance rates. These men say
that the rating for Kansas City will be con-
tinued on the same lines as it has been
heretofore. the only difference being that
the liking will be done outside of the
Jurisdiction of the legislature-that Is. in
Kansas City. kas.. or perhaps the nome
offices of the COMPANIES statement mace
by George II. Markham last December
comes III aptly Just now.
III speaking OF the trouble IN Kansas oe-
wen Md ih. o' le Of tSat state
the gentleman said: You might as weii
try to prevent birds from 1ocking together
panies. or the agents who obtain business
for them, from consulting together about
rates. Cooperation in such matters Is es-
panies. If the privilege of establishing
minimum rates Is taken from the agents
where the property IS located II will be
their agents outside OF the state. where II Is
more likely to be abused than at home
Is it not better to have our rating done
where il can be reached, as in Kansas City.
by home influence? AS soon as rates in a
locality are found to be too high. sucn Il
howl is raised by the insured that re-
I,,, DO, ,E.a In,
been reduced. over ~ and in many cases as
| much as ~ per cent since 1892 Legislative
enactment could rot have done SO much for
the insured COR united rating means com
bined control over construction and eondi-
| tion of risks and a steady diminution i'll the
| hazard of the city
Kansas City and st. Louis are particularly
interested in is the one for the repeal OF
a policies en
| erty situated in Missouri be written in this
| STAKE. II prevents the agents Of Kansas
ample. ;i from M insurins Missouri properly. the
agents Of st. Louis and Kansas City. Mo-.
being at the same time prohibited by the
property In those states. The FIRE under
| writers claim that the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, law would compel many OF them to
lection and would lead to the removal of
many of the Kansas City MOI agents to
Kansas City. kas.. for like reasons. They
] mess without being subject to the jurisdic-
| tion of the Missouri insurance department
| and at the same time would have the pro-
| lection of the Illinois and Kansas laws
against the competition of Missouri agents
for their newly acquired business in Hi.
| nois and Kansas.
| third bill that is being watched with
more than ordinary interest Is the discrim-
| mating tax bill. the one doubling the spe-
cial insurance tax on foreign companies do
Ing business In Missouri. All OF the large
American fire insurance companies except
| one have Joined the foreign companies in a
protest agains: the proposed discfmina-
ton. and the wholesale merchants. manu-
| in Kansas Cit. have united with them
The house refused to send the bill to en-
grossment. but Il similar bill has been in
| troduced in the senate. and the interested
companies will not feel safe until the legis.
| lature has adjourned.