Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-11
Foreign Fire Insurance Com.
panies Combine in Agree
ment to Avoid Iowa
FEW THEN ENJOY TAX REPEAL
Removal of Discriminating Tax Has
Not Resulted in Bringing Back the
Companies Who Withdrew From
Iowa-combine Proposes to Domi-
nate the Next Legislature.
pecial to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, Nov. ia number of
the insurance companies doing business
in Iowa worked smooth game on the
Iowa legislature last winter, and this
fact has only recently become evident
to the business men in connection with
the newer troubles they are having
with the insurance combine. A bill was
introduced to lower the tax on the bus
mess of foreign insurance companies
having agencies in Iowa. 1t was rep
resented that large number OF these
conpanies had withdrawn from busl-
mess in this state because of the dis
eliminating tax on their business Inc
home companies were taxed Ia per
cent. the domestic companies 21a, ana
the foreign companies 31a per cent.
There really was little reason for the
discrimination as between the domesuc
fire insurance companies and the Ior-
eien companies; but the sole argument
used for the bill was that the dlscrlHl-
ination had driven so many OF the lof-
aion oompanies out of business IN Iowa
that it was then almost Impossible 10
secure policies on large businesses IN
the cities, for there were not sum
cient number of companies authorized
IN do business in the state. AS a mat
ter of fact nearly all the foreign com
panies had Withdrawn from the state.
olc a
repealed they would come back again.
But the repeal was made. MOI one ol
the companies that had previously
withdrawn from the state on the
ground that it could not afford to pay
the tax has re- engaged in business. Inc
state auditor says that they nave all re-
insured their business and have left the
state, without any regard to the taxes.
Efforts have recently been made py
large business interests to get some OF
these companies to return to the state,
that the number OF available companies
may be SO enlarged that business men
Will be reasonably free from the ex-
actions of the insurance combine In TINS
state, but they have found that an
agreement apparently exists which Will
prevent any of the thirty or forty for
eign companies that Withdrew from
getting back into the business in Iowa.
A few have remained and are reaping
the benefit of the lower taxes. Insur-
ance agents are now actively and OPEN
ly forming associations in the leading
cities of the state, and it is predicted
that the next legislature will be as
hopelessly dominated by insurance in
terests as the last one.
1t is amusing to observe the attention
which a half dozen innocent buttons
have created just because they bore
the portraits Of the president of the
United States and his secretary of the
treasury. The writer hereof obtained
some of these buttons from persons
who had brought them from Denison.
They were handsome buttons, made to
be worn pendant, with pretty ribbons
attached. On one side was an adver-
tisement of the Denison carnival, and
on the side which had the portraits of
Shaw and Roosevelt was the inscrlp-
ton, Presidents day, Denison street
fair, Sept 26, 1902" 1t was obvious
what they had been prepared for-as
advertisements of the Denison street
fair during which President Roosevelt
and Secretary Shaw were to be present.
The lettering on the buttons had been
painted out after it was found they
could not be in Denison on the date
given. The writer gave one of the
buttons to Lieutenant Governor Her
riott on condition he would wear it. The
lieutenant governor saw the joke and
pocketed the button. He also gave one
to Governor Cummins in his Office in
the presence of a group of persons,
among whom was newspaper man en-
gagged on local paper. There was no
deception as to what the buttons meant
and Governor Cummins was told their
story. Everybody considered it a good
joke and harmless, except the one
newspaper man. who proceeded to
write up a "story" on the incident. This
was enlarged by others, few frills put
on to make it go, given wings few
days later and sent to New York and
Washington with additional details
made up out of the Imagination. The
net result is that the Washington cor
respondents are able to fill some space
with denials etc But as for any one
in Des Moines looking upon the buttons
as having any sinister meaning, that is
all nonsense. 1t was known at the out
set that Secretary Shaw had nothing
to do with the preparation of the but
tons, nor with allowing them to get out
AS souvenirs of the Denison street fair
they would have been ideal and appro-
pirate.
The new law in relation to the post
ing of bulletins in all depots showing
the time of arrival and departure of
trains has now been in operation in
Iowa four months. At first the railroad
companies paid practically no atten-
ton to the new law, but the secretary
of the railroad commissioners gave
them a gentle prod and, as result,
they are giving it notice. Nearly all
the companies notified the commits
sioners they would have the bulletins
posted, and members of the commis-
sion and others who have been travel
ing about the state say that the law IS
being complied with. AS the law was
originally drafted it would have re-
quired the companies to maintain an
operator at every station, no matter