Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-25
THREE IMPORTANT MEASURES


panies one-fourth of one mill ON each
dollar; life insurance companies one
and One-half mills on each dollar;
all companies classified as miscellane-
Gus, including fidelity, guaranty and
security companies, one-tenth Of one
mill on each dollar; for express compa-
mics one dollar and fifty cents per mile
of road upon or over which it carries
expressage; telegraph companies one
dollar per mile of telegraph wire over
which telegraph messages are sent
or received, except as he~reinbefore pro-
vided; telephone companies one dollar
per mile of telephone wire over which
messages are sent or received as COM
mon carriers between cities, towns or
villages, but not cyer LEGAL exchanges
in such cities, towns or villages. All
of which license taxes shall be credited
to the State fund, and the company
paying such taxes shall take duplicate
receipts therefor, one of which shall
be filed with the Auditor, Should any
company fail to make sucn payment
and file such report, the Auditor shall
not issue to such company the certifi-
cate mentioned in the third section of
this chapter, so long as such failure
shall continue"
The Insurance Bill.
"a bill to regulate the writing of fire
insurance policies on property sit
uated or located in the State of West
Virginia, and to provide a penalty
for the violation thereof.
THAT no fire insurance ompan
or association not incorporated under
the avs of this State, authorized to
transact business herein, shall make,
write, place, or cause to be made, writ
ten or placed, any policy, duplicate
policy, or contract OF insurance of any
kind or character, or a general or float
ing policy upon property situated or To-
Gated in this State, except after the
said risk has been approved in writ
ing by an agent who is a resident of
this State, regularly commissioned and
licensed to transact insurance business
herein, who shall countersign all poll
cies SO issued, and receive the com
mission thereon when the premium is
paid, to the end that the State may
receive the taxes required by law to
be paid on the premiums collected for
insurance on all property located in
this State; and that no person shall
pay or forward any premiums, applica-
ton for insurance or in any manner
secure, help or aid in the placing of
any fire insurance, or effect any con
tract of insurance upon real or per-
sonal property within this State, di-
rectly or indirectly, with any insurance
company or association not Of this
State, or which has not been authorized
to do business in this State.
"2-Every fire insurance company
which shall, in any n whatsoever
accept the whole O r any part of a risk
on property located in this State or
shall, transfer business in any manner
whatsoever to any company not au-
thorized to transact business in this
State, any risk or liability assumed
by said first named company or any
part thereof, shall be liable to the pen
atty provided for under section Z OF
this act.
"3-Any person acting or assuming
to act, as the agent of any fire insur-
ance company authorized to do bust
ness in this State, who shall at
any time on and after the passage
of this act, accept any risk or issue any
policy of fire insurance on any risk in
this State, and re-insure the
same or any part thereof in any COM
pan or companies not authorized to
do business in this State, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
shall on conviction thereof, be liable
to the penalty and punishment pro-
yided for by section 7 of this Act.
II. The Auditor of this State is re-
quired by this act, at any and all
times whenever complaint is made to
him in writing and certified to by the
oath of the complainant, that any vio-
lation of this law has taken place, Co
forthwith inquire into and ascertain
the merits of such complaint, and for
this purpose, ne (the said auditory is
empowered ito examine by himself OF
his accredited representative, into the
Home Office books and accounts, as
well as such other offices and agencies
of the company complained against, as
we'll as examine under oath, any Off
GERS, managers and agents of such
company as to any violation of this
law.
"5. Any manager, officer or agent
of any fire insurance company, who
shall refuse Or fail to produce to said
Auditor of State, or his representative
such books and accounts, as he may
demand, or to make the affidavit as
provided for u Section 4, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
punished as provided for in Section Z
of this act.
IS. No part of Sections l and 2 of
this law shall apply to direct insur-
ance concerning the rolling stock of
railroad companies on property while
in transit, and in the custody of the
railroad corporations, nor to the prop
erty of such corporations while used
or employed by them in their business
as common carriers.
II. Any fire insurance company or
corporation, fire insurance agency, or
any person or agent thereof, who snail
be found guilty of any violation of
Sections 1, 2 and 4 of this Act, shall
pay a fine of not less than one hun
dred dollars. or more tnan five hundred
dollars, in the discretion of the court.
aC AGO.