The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-07-31
Bulldozin6 Methods
OF THE SOUTHEASTERN TARIFF ASS0-
CATION.


the Rate of Insurauce-Threats
Made Against Local Agents and Pol
lev HoIders-WiiI North Carolina
ans Submit to Such Outrageous
Treatment?
Last week the GOLD LEAF had
something to say about the action
OF the Southeastern Tariff Associa-
tion-the Fire Insurance Trust-in
advancing rates % per cent. and
waging war on the Greensboro COM
panies (which are not in the COM
bine) because they refused to do so.
In this connecting the following
which is taken from the Greensboro
Record of Saturday will be OF inter
est:
Representatives of the Southeast
ern Tariff Association have been in
Greensboro for two days laboring
| with the home companies to get
them to raise the rate OF insurance.
The Greensboro public will be graf
| flied to know that the home compa-
| MES have withstOod the tremendous
pressure that has been brought to
| bear on them and has decided to
stand steadfastly by their position
and not to charge the % per cent.
advance. As Il penalty for this de-
cisiOn the Association companies
have forced all their Greensboro
agents to surrender the agency of
the Greensboro companies and to
sever all connection with them. 1t
is said they threatened Messrs. o. W.
| Carr & Co., ID. e. Waddell. Murray
Bros. and Tate & Walsh who were
| agents for both the Association com
panies and the Greensboro cOmpa-
MES and said that unless they sew
cred all connection with the Green's
borO companies, they would with
draw in a body from their agencies
or withdraw from Greensboro entire
ly, and they were about to put this
threat into effect This meant the
utter ruin of the business of these
agents in the building up of which
some OF them have spent Il lifetime,
and there was nothing else for them
to do but accept the terms Of
fered and to give up the Greensboro
companies. Besides forcing these
agents to cancel their contracts with
the Greensboro companies, these
foreign companies have inaugurated
a war on the business of the home
companies at Greensboro. A thor
oughly competent business man will
at once be appointed agent Of the
home companies to take the place of
those agents who have been forced to
resign.
If what was told the Record this
morning is true, the Association has
gone even further than this. 1t is
said they went to several large con-
Germs here which carry heavy insu-
rance and told them unless they
made the home companies advance
their rates % per cent. they, the AS
ISOLATION, would cancel all policies
held on such risks, leaving them
practically with no insurance
whatever. Ii this is not Matchmaking
and bulldozing, what do you call it?
Here is a man trying to force anoth-
er to make an insurance company
charge him more than the regular
rates. Talk about cheek, but this
caps the climax
1t S perhaps safe to say that not a
single property owner in Greensboro
will be found who will be tempted by
any cut in rates to withdraw his sup
port from the Greensboro compa-
MES, and that the people of Green's
borO will do as they did in the for
mer fight, place with the outside
companies no business that the home
companies can handle The people
OF Greensboro have made record
f for standing together on occasions
like this, and the foreign insurance
companies are merely butting their
heads against stone wall
The Southeastern Tariff Associa-
ton has adopted the same tactics i'll
Henderson that they did in Greens
boro-that of withdrawing connec-
: ton with agencies and destroying
business i'll order to enforce their
rules and carry out their mandates
Only in the case here cited they have
gone just little further perhaps in
their rule or ruin policy and with less
, cause for it.
About one year ago R. S. McCoill
and j. l.. Currin entered into the
real estate and fire insurance bus
mess together under the firm name
of McCoin & Currin. On the 12tl
day OF last May they bought the in
surance business of Hunter & Cola
man and enlarged their business. Al
, that time they represented two O
the Greensboro companies and four
, teen companies in the Southeastern
Tariff Association. When the rat,
, war came on they were asked tt
give up the Greensboro companies Oh
charge the people % per cent. NOR
{ for their insurance than the compa
? MES We're asking
About the first of July Mr.. Curril
bought Mr.. McCoin's interest in tn
insurance business, taking over tn
4 Old companies, or rather retainin,
them, while Mr.. McCoin took tn
&. agency of the Greensboro companies
Mr.. Currin, Immediately after buvin.
Mr.. McCOins interest, wrote his com
panies OF the purchase and of tn
I dissolution of the firm of McCoin
Currin. This, at first. seemed +,
meet their approval and several GU
OF the number commissioned Nj
J Currin individually as their agent.
Il On July 10Th the special agents TO
V the Southeastern Tariff Association
e met in Asheville and the Henderson,