The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-25
THE RATE WAR IS ON
Tariff Association Moves All
Along the Line.
The Greensboro Insurance. Companies Stand
Firm. Previous { ff,rts to Drive Them
Out Of Business,

Especial TO the News and Observer
Greensboro, N. c., June 24--Reference
was made yesterday to the beginning of
active hostilities between the Southeast
ern Tariff Association ard the Green's
boro fire insurance companies Devel-
opments today have so aucentuatcd the
night that the managers of the companies
here were seen this afternoon, when it
was learned that the report yesterday Of
a concerted move all along the line by
the S. e. T. a. upon the agents repre-
senting the Greensboro companies was
correct. Numerous telegcans from
agents at different point, similar to this
poured in thick and fast Southeast
ern Tariff Association make same de-
mand as in Charlotte. l positively re-
fure and await developments.
Mr.. A. w. McAlistcr, the general man
ager of the Greensboro companies, upon
request of this correspondent, gives the
following statement in regard to the
matter:
ION the twenty-first instant thirty
two special agents representing assoca-
ton companies assemblies in Greensboro
for the purposes of forcing the Green's
boro fire insurance agents to surrender
the agency of the Greensboro companies.
The larger Greensboro agencies repre-
sent from ten to forty association COM
panies On the day before there was an
assembly Of special agents of associat ton
companies at Charlotte. We have only
one agency at Charlotte and that agency
represented only four association COM
panies, and when they demanded the
surrender of the Greensboro companies,
the demand was declined and the asso-
! citation companies withdrew as penalty
The Greensboro companies are not
charging the twenty five per cent adj
vance in Greensboro, neither are they
doing it in Charlotte. On this ques-
tion they stand just where they did
when this issue was first made.
-Four or five years ago rates were
thrown open at several points in North
Carolina for the purpose of driving us
out of business Our policy holders saw
through it, refused to be gulled and de-
clined to withdraw their business FROM
US. little later after the attempt to
force us out of business had proved 10
be a complete failure, a permanent re-
duction in rates on preferred business
was made, which never would have
been made if we had not been in the
way, and if we had not been writing this
class of business, and writing it success
fully, at less cost to the assured than
the other companies were writing it..
The public understands this thoroughly
and no candid insurance man Will deny
1t. AS & result the rates on preferred
business are now and have been for sew
eral years about 80 per cent lower in
North Carolina than any other Southern
State, which means a cash saving of over
100000 a year to the property owners
of the State.
The Greensboro companies are
hclding out in their determination to
charge the advance as matter of bust
ness policy, being convinced by their ex-
perience and the experience of the other
&C mpanies that rates are high enough in
North Carolina, and that it is more prof
liable to let we'll enough alone than to
run the risk of spelling the whole future
of the business in this State by an ad-
vance in rates unwarranted by its I'M
derwriting conditions or experience.
There is far reaching underwriting
principle involved in this issue to which
we are unwilling to do violence merely
for the sake of harmony. Low rates
when justified by conditions are more
profitable to the companies thar high