The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-06-21


Insurance Men Point Out Incon-
sistencies.
Opposition to the license tax ordl-
nance which on Tuesday was gener-
ally deemed sufficient to kill It, grew
to such proportions, yesterday, that
there now remains no question of the
measures death. 1t will be killed, sure
and sudden, or the various interested
parties who have been canvassing
against 1t are way off in their reckon
ing.
There Is only one chance of it being
saved. If it's promoters are willing to
accept every amendment its opponents
propose to offer, the ordinance will be
allowed to exist. In its amended state,
however, it will be so different from
its present form that II will require
vigorous distention of the imagination
to accept the new measure as the
amended form of the old. 1t will be
like the Irishmans same old knife"
that had a new set of blades and 4
new handle.
Here is list of amendments one
and insist upon:
Reduce tax on trolley companies from per
cent. to / per cent
Reduce tax on gas companies from 81 900 TO
$500.
Reduce tax on water companies from $1,000 to
5000.
Reduce tax on fire insurance agents from $25
to S.
Reduce tax on nonresident fire, life or accident
insurance agent, solicitor or broker from $25 .
to SIS.
Reduce tax on life insurance agents from SOS
to IS.
Reduce tax on accident insurance agents from
SIS to S.
Reduce tax on industrial insurance agents from
s. to So.
Reduce tax on huckscrs (horse and wagon)
from SIS to $40.
Reduce tax on keepers of temporary stands for
the sale Of fruit, fish, vegetables or the like
from $lj to S4V.
Reduce tax on basket peddlers from $40 to IS.
Men engaged in various lines of the
insurance business are more than a
little disturbed on account of what
they allege are more than unjust pro-
visions of the ordinance. There are
about 800 life, fire, accident and indus
trial insurance men affected by it. OF
most active in their opposition. Yes
terday and the day before several of
them, members of the Scranton Asso-
citation of Life Underwriters, visited as
| many select councilmen as could be
reached, and the result of the canvass
will be seen in at least a modification
of the items, If the ordinance passes in
any form.
INSURANCE MEMS PROTEST.
One of these gentlemen said to a
Tribune man yesterday: THAT the
ordinance in it's general purpose is a
| wise measure, is a matter of individual
| opinion. But in its provisions for tax
ing insurance men it is one of the most
unjust instruments Of the kind ever
drafted. We should not, however, be
misunderstood in our opposition. We
are willing to pay a license tax, but
shall urge amendments.
1--WE advocate, if taxed at all, a uni
form tax of s. on each life, fire and
accident agent and 50 on each indus
trial agent. In its present shape the
ordinance provides a tax of $25 on life
and fire agents and nonresident
agents, SIS on accident agents and S.
OH INDUSTRIAL agents.
"It probably did not occur to those
who drafted the ordinance that the
thirty-eight old-line life companies ara
now paying about $3.50, 900 yearly, or an
average of nearly $4,000 each, for the
privilege of doing business in Penn
sylvania; that, in addition, each agent
pays the state 50 annually for a license
to do business, and that he pays from
81 upwards for his bond-all this, and
his local taxes, makes quite an item
though technically it has no bearing
on the local point at issue.
'In rough figures there are in Scran-
ton twenty life agencies and 175 agents
Gncluding industrial mem. Their total
tax under the ordinance would amount
to $4,375. The one hundred agents OF
the fifty fire agencies would be taxed
$4,000. The fifteen agents of the ten
accident agencies would have to pay
S225 All this makes a total of $7,1O(
from insurance men-quite a proper
tion, when it is recalled that the early
advocates of the ordinance contended
that they only aimed to provide about
$4,000 increased city revenue.
AT VARIANCE WITH JUSTICE.
Inc ldh plpNlutu against lHe lUSur-
ance men is so at variance with jus
tice or sense that it is no surprise that
We are up in arms against it. Why
one agency alone, paying $25 for each
of its seventy industrial agents (eact
of whom has license to write the
ordinary or regular life applications)
would have to pay $l,700, which is more
than the tax proposed for telegraph
electric light, telephone, steam heat
ing, gas, water or express company
in fact, the $1,700 is nearly double the
tax provided for any two of the class
of corporations mentioned.
I'VE do not contend that the city ha:
no legal right to tax us-and to tax VI
much more than Is provided in the ordi
nance. But that right prevails only
through one of the peculiar inconsist
encies of Pennsylvania law. Let m,
read you something:
An act to establish an insurance department
Section l7-Ihat it shall not be lawful for an
city, county or municipality to impose or collec
any license fee or tax upon insurance companie
or their agents authorized to transact busnes
under this act.
Approved the 4th day of April, A. d. 1873 (p
l.. POI. J. +. Hartranft
1--WE have ascertained that the sec
tion read to you avails us nothing. Al