The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-07
TARKINGTON'S INSURANCE BILL.
1t Causes Storm I'm the Senate
FIeming's Big Petition.

1t Causes n Storm I'm the Senate
FIeming's Big Petition.
The Senate was a storm center for just
thirty minutes yesterday afternoon. Its
proceedings had been dull and monotonous,
| compared to the exciting business of the
House, and three-fourths of the time the
| lieutenant governor had to rake and scrape
to get quorum on the passage of bills.
vast amount of routine business was ac-
complished. however, before the Harrington
insurance bill came up to cause fight.
II. B. 343 was the bone of contention in
the Senate Thursday evening before ad-
journment was taken. Ulrey had it called
out of Dausman's committee insurance
against the latter's earnest protest. Ulrey
claimed that Dausman had been holding up
the bill, while Dausman maintained he had
not been given proper time to consider it.
A formidable lobby for and against the bill
spurred the senators to action. The Tark-
| ington bill a Merchants Association meas
| ure, provides that no fire, fire and marine,
or marine and inland insurance company
or association, its agents or representatives
doing business in this State, shall either
| directly indirectly enter into any con-
tract, agreement. combination or compact
with any other such company or companies.
agents or representatives, for the purpose
of establishing and maintaining a common
or uniform fixed schedule of rates.
uniform schedule of classification of risks
on insurable property within this State.
| The provision is made that it shall be law
| full for an association OF local agents of the
| insurance companies to establish and main
i tain rates.
| The avowed purpose of the bill, as
| claimed by its author and others, is to allow
| local agents of insurance companies to
make the rates instead of having them die
| tated by managers far removed from the
| property insured. Senator Dausman, on
1 the other hand, claims that the bill is
vicious. inasmuch as it puts vast power into
| the hands of local agents and places the
| companies at their mercy. Among the lob
| byists who appeared in the Senate yester-
day were Harry Q; Adams, for the bill, and
| Floyd Woods, against 1t.
| HOPES REALIZED.
Thursday afternoon the bill was advanced
| to third reading Just before adjournment
yesterday evening Ulrey called the bill up
| for passage. The senator's had been ex-
pecting a fight on the measure, and their
hopes were realized. Dausman immedi-
ately moved that further consideration of
| the bill be indefinitely postponed. His plan
to knife the measure was killed and he
ment, which was adopted providing that
no policy shall be held to be void because
| it was made in violation of this act. The
amendment removes, 1t is said, one Of the
| real purposes of the bill
| Senator Ball delivered fiery speech
against the amendment. He declared that
| the bill should pass in its original form,
and that any attempt to amend it in this
manner was transparent Subterfuge. He
| had noticed. he said that the opponents
OF the bill are men either interested di-
rectly in the insurance business, or else are
| lawyers retained by insurance companies.
The bill was for other purpose. Senator
Ball declared. than to give the public a
square deal In insurance rates. and TO
| break up the common practice INDUCED in
by insurance companies of quietly getting
together and fixing unreasonable rates.
Senator Stricler spoke for the amend
| amendment, and it was adopted on a close
vote. The roll cali was then ordered on
the passage of the bill, and after lively
sentees was kept up by Senator Ball in an
endeavor to get the bill through. it failed
to get constitutional majority. Twenty
three senators voted for the bill and eight
cen against IL.
1t will be taken up this morning, and it is
said that the chances are good for its
terday who favor the enactment of the
| Harrington measure.
| The Senate was unable to pass the legis-
| lative apportionment bill YESTERDAY because
of the enforced absence of two or three
Republican members. Gray and Gibson
were sick. and the majority could not Sc
rules and pass the bill the same day it was
advanced to third reading.
THE BILL AS 1T STANDS.
As read and amended in the Senate yes
terday, the new apportionment bill is the
same as printed in the Journal yesterday
morning. One amendment was offered by
Senator Wood to the effect that Rush coun-
ty be put with Fayette and Shelby as a rep
resentative district. When the bill was
read the Democrats offered loud objections
Senator Davis declared he had been given
no voice in the matter. and that he had
not been notified of the meeting of the COM
mittee on legislative apportionment.
THE chair instructS the chairman of the
legislative apportionment committee to no.
tify Senator Davis of all future meetings
of the committee" said President Gilbert,
with a characteristic grin.
Davis attempted further filibustering, pa
thetic in its futlity, until finally the ire
pressible Kittinger broke out.
"Oh. let's go on with our business" said
Kit" I'VE can't monkey around here all
day with these fellows"
Despite the loud protests of the Demo-
fair in its rulings. the bill sent along
to third reading. 1t will probably be taken
up to-day and passed.
Adair's house bill No. 453. providing that
lish all their legal notices in two papers OF
opposite political Affiliations. passed by
the Senate yesterday afternoon by a vote
or 80 TO 3. An attempt had been made II
was asserted. to delay the bill and to hold
IL up. Senator Lawler said the bill had not
, been printed, and he wanted resolution
adopted that II be printed and laid on the
desks OF the members two days. AS this
was considered the equivalent of killing the
bill, the country printers lobby got busy
and LAWYERS resolution was voted down
The rules were suspended later in the day
and the bill was passed.
FLEMING'S PETITIONS.
Senator Fleming displayed to the Senate
yesterday morning two immense tones con-
tanning petitions which had been presented
for the defunct Luhring bill repeating the
blanket remonstrance provision of the
Nicholson law. Senator Fleming spoke fol-
ten minutes before the Senate got down tc
business. explaining his reason in present.
ing the petition at this late day.
Il simply want the senators to under
stand that there are two sides TO thi:
question" he said. II have here bound
petitions signed by 77.1D voters OF tn,
Stase asking for legislation repeating tn,
blanket remonstrance provision. The Luh
live Issue and two years from now wher
some of you senator's come back to thi.
chamber. you will have to make I'D your
minds one way or the other. You Nigh
as well r.ake them up right. Nobody ha,
| cOutroyerted the statement that no