The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-05
Nearly Every Other Business
Has It's Unions.
BARRIERS ARE CITED.
Secretary Elliott Shows How
They Control Prices.
State Association Now in Ses-
sion in Topeka.

Because the BARRIERS of Topeka re-
Gently made the price of neck SLAVES >
cents and forced people to pay it, Sec
rotary Charles S. Elliott of the Kansas
association of local fire insurance agents
believes the insurance men should be
permitted to at least protect their bust
ness. Mr.. Elliott figures that if the To-
cal agents association is a trust, then
the cent neck shaving business is also
a trust. Mr.. Elliott says in his annual
report to the association today:
''All of you are familiar with the or
ganization of printers; with the organi-
cation of miners; who yearly meet and
fix the price of their labor, thus affect
ing the price of printing and coal.
The BARRIERS of Topeka recently ralS-
ed the price of neck shave from moth
ing to cents and enforced it.
Insurance agents of Kansas, than
whom there is no more intelligent class,
are prevented from protecting their
own business. This can be remedied if
we as a body are willing to make some
sacrifice of time and money for organi-
cation and concerted action against the
evils which exist and menace US.
Mr. Elliott recommends that the an
nuaI dues be raised from 80 cents to 81.
so as to include dues and membership
for the annual association of insurance
men.
Secretary Elliott in his report to the
association stated that some difficulty
has been experienced in securing new
members. Mr.. Elliott explained this by
saying:
Some of the companies oppose the
organization fearing a violation of the
Kansas antitrust law
The Kansas association of Local Fire
Insurance agents was organized in To-
peka June %, 1899. For several months
the association existed with fear and
trembling, the members believing that
the attorney general and superintend-
ent of insurance were planning to pro-
coed to dissolve the association upon the
preteXt that it is an illegal combination.
The printed bylaws and constitution.
do not furnish information upon which
an action could be based, so the matter
was dropped and the association has
since the uncertainty concerning it's fu-
ture has terminated. gone forward, gain
ing members and doing business.
That the association does not feel
thoroughly satisfied with the attitude
of the present administration, is indica-
ted by the statements in the call for the
first meeting of the association today.
The call for the meeting contains the
following:
Never probably in the history of in
surance business, was the necessity of
organization on the part local
agents, so urgent as at the present
time.
"Truts and combines Of all kinds
tramp through the state of Kansas I'M
molested; and yet, let the local agents
in twos or threes get together and i'm
mediately there presents itself the
strong arm of the law.
Local agents will never see better
times until they are generally willing to
make some sacrifice of time and money
for organization and concerted action
against the evils which exist and men
ace US"
The meeting today is called to discuss
live issues =" The sessions are informal
and the members will go as they please
in talking. There is no programme
The first session was called for II
o'clock this forenoon. The non-arrival
of the president. caused a postponement
until after dinner.
The officers are as follows:
President, R. L. Marshman, Kansas
! City
Vice presidents: R. P. Cravens, sa-
lima; W. NJ. Forbes, Topeka; ]. A.
Spalding, Atchison.
Secretary, C. S. Elliott, Topeka
Treasurer, Elmer Reese, Wichita.
Grievance committee: Willard Mer-
lam, Kansas City; Frank S. Thomas,
| Topeka; Martin Smith, Leavenworth;
John NJ Kinkel, Hutchinson; T. A.
Hornaday, Fort Scott.
Those present for the opening meet
ing this forenoon were:
Joseph Groll. Topeka.
Charles S. Elliott, Topeka.
Frank S. Thomas, Topeka.
H E Wentworth, Topeka
E L. Charlton, Lawrence.
P. j. V. McKian,, representing the
Argus. of Chicago, an insurance mag
azine.
c. G. Blakely, Topeka
| M. D. Henderson, Topeka
J. II. Lud1um, state agent Delaware
! Insurance company.
j. A. Fontron, Hutchinson.
A S. Drury, Atchison.
w. c. Stephenson, Topeka.
Carl NelliS Topeka.
| J. T. Wells, Salina.
| Robert s. See, Salina-
| L. c. Gray, Salina.
J. A Spaulding. Atchison.
! J. Duncan, Sa1na-
Uu.vcCu