Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1901-11-29
INSURANCE LAWS
Report of Historical Commits
sion---CIew to the Robinson
Murder.

Jackson, Miss. Speaking of the re-
GENTLY published fact that wildcat"
insurance companies could do busi-
ness in Mississippi without paying
license and without making a show
ing Of solvency and reliability, pro-
vided they agree to write insurance
st lower rate than regularly IL
censed companies, the Insurance Her
aid Of Atlanta says that any kind of
legal curiosity is likely to be dis
covered in Mississippi. This law is
not a new discovery, but has been in
force ever since the adoption of the
Annotated Code Of 1892. There are,
however, good many legal curiosi-
ties in the insurance laws Of the state
which have been pointed out IN the
report of Auditor Cole, just issued.
The auditor has received an IN
quiry from q prominent attorney OF
Yazoo City as to whether there was
any agent or legal representative in
Mississippi for certain New York
insurance concern, upon whom legal
service could be had so as to ground
a suit against the company in this
state. The auditor finds no agent or
representative Of the company in
Mississippi, and the suit will there
fore have to be filed at the domioile
Of the company.
The auditor points out that this
same condition is liable to arise at
any time in the state. Under the
state insurance laws an insurance
company is required to pay a license
Of $3.50 for the FIRST year it enters the
,tate; $500 for the second year of it's
residence here; $3.50 for the third
year, and $1,000 for the fourth aud
zach succeeding year Certain COM
panies have entered the state for one
or two years, worked the entire field
thoroughly and then, when business
was falling of, have pulled out of
the state because of the increasing
license. Such companies have writ
ten any number Of policies in Missis-
,ippi on the continuing payment
plan, and these policies are still in
force in the state. Fhe companies
get the renewals on them each year
and escape all further taxation. But,
as the auditor points out, this is not
the most serious defect in the law.
Its most glaring deficiency is to be
found in the fact that it puts citizens
Of the state at the mercy of foreign
corporations by compelling the citi-
zens to go to the domicile of the
company to sue for his policy, and in
most cases the expenses of this pro-
cedure would amount to about fifty
per cent. or more of the policy.
In South Carolina, the auditor
points out, there is an insurance oom-
mission and the law requires a life
insurance company or other company
entering the state to make the COM
missioner and his successors in office
the attorney for the company, upon
whom service of process may be had.
Governor Longino has received the
.eport of the Mississippi Historical
Commission, whion was appointed
ander an act of the last legislature to
SOLICIT historical data and make re-
concentrations for needed legisla-
sion. The report will be submitted
TO the legislature of 1902, rs provided
in the bill. 1t is signed by Frank l..
Riley, secretary; Prof. j. NJ. White,
Bishop Charles B. Galloway and Rev.
r. L. Mellin, who constitute the
commission.
1t 10 a monumental work, which
will fill 300 printed pages, and repre-
,ents the greatest expenditure of
scholarship, research and talent, on
Mississippi historical matters, to date.
It gives detailed account of the
methods, plans and results of work
pursued by the commission; also an
account OF the present condition of
historical work in the state, showing
the work of the various agencies, his
.orioal societies, patriotic assooia-
tions, educational institutions, libra
ries and museums and notable indi-
yidual efforts that are arousing an
interest in historical subjects and are i
disseminating historical knowledge |
the state.
The commission makes the import
snt recommendation that the lagisla- i
lure establish and maintain an his
iorical department with headquarters
1t jackson. 1t is recommended that
the department. consist of three
hrannhas an historical mnaenu an