Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-27
He is Appointed Superintendent Of
Insurance Today.
COMES HERE FROM Ohio
Statement Of Commissioners as
to His Appointment.
DUTIES OF THE OFFICE

The District Commissioners today an
nounced the appointment of Thomas E.
Drake of Ohio to be superintendent of in
surance for the District of Columbia, as
provided by the new code of laws, to become
effective January 1 next. MIR. Drake is at
present deputy superintendent of insur-
ance for the buckeye state, and was rec
commended strongly to the Commissioners
by his chief Superintendent vorys. Mr..
Drake has formally accepted.
Commissioner Ross was not present at
the board meeting this morning when the
appointment of the superintendent Of in
surance was formally made, but it is said
that he united in the invitation to Mr..
Drake before leaving Monday afternoon
for Illinois.
The compensation of the Office is 81, 500
per year. The Commissioners have includ-
ed in their estimates to Congress pro-
vision for an increase in the salary OF the
office to So, 500. Mr. Drake is a practical
insurance man, it is stated, and will be
able to take up the work assigned him and
establish the insurance department with
out delay. The fact that the Commission
ers have gone outside of the District to fill
this office, in spite of the fact that there
were several local applicants, is the subject
of much comment and criticism. PROBABLY
in view of such comments the Commission
ers today issued a statement in which they
say:
THE Commissioners determined at the be-
ginning that politics should have nothing
to do, with the appointment, and that 1t
was a clear case where the Office should
seek the man. The announcement Of this
last spring by Commissioner Mcfarland,
who had immediate charge of the matter,
kept political and other candidates away
for the most part. Commissioner Macfar-
land, as the representative Of the board,
met great difficulty in finding a suitable
man who would take the place. Naturally,
he and the other Commissioners wanted a
District man if they could get one:
But it was found to be impracticable to
get District man with all the qualifica-
tions who would accept the insufficient sal
airy on the chance of it's being increased
by Congress at some time In the future.
Men upon whom all interests could unite
We're sounded only to find that they We're
not willing to serve. One man seemed about
to accept, but after consideration declined.
After that District men interested could
not agree upon any one, and protests were
made against every one of three or four
men whom the Commissioners were known
to be considering.
1.-THE Commissioners were then advised
to look outside the District and especially
for some good man in some good state in
surance department. After several inef-
fectual efforts with others the Commas
sioners have finally succeeded in getting
Mr.. Drake. He is the executive and tech
nical officer of the Ohio department. the
superintendent. Mr. Vorys. being a law
yer and politician. Mr. Drake, who Is
forty-nine years old, has had over twenty
five years experience in almost all lines
of insurance as general and special agent
for Ohio and other states in the middle
west. He had made a fine record as
deputy superintendent of insurance, d
place which he took to oblige Governor
Nash and Mr.. Vorys, and for the sake
of the additional experience. He sees in
the office here an opportunity to make a
model department upon the expectation
that Congress will make the legislation
and the appropriations necessary His
special experience fits him to begin the
work without delay and to achieve an
early SUCCESS of ii -