The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-01-27
TO ENACT
.N'.HA.R.TONA ACT
Great Fight Expected Over
Pending Insurance Bills.
ONE OFFERED BY MR.. GENT
He Seeks to Put Rigid Restrictions
Upon the companies-southeas
ern Tariff Association Is
involved.

There is a great deal Of interest In the
various bills that have been offered on
the subject Of insurance In the Legsla-
ture. and those Interested In the business
are much in evidence about the Capitol.
Two OF the bills that are being given
immediate consideration arc those offered
by Senator Bruce OF Wise, on satu n,ay,
re-enaoting the famous Wharton law,
but recently repealed and by Mr.. Gent,
OF Russell. In the House on yesterday
amending section 1852 Of the Coils 20 as
to prevent companies from making de.
Tense for violations Of restrictive provir-
Ions Of their policies in cases where the
assured can show that tho company
was not injured.
THE GENT BILL
The bill OF Mr.. Gent, which will be
read with great interest, is In full as
follows:
!. Be 1t enacted by tho General Assembly
OF Virginia, That section 1882 OF tho Code
OF Virginia, 1887, be amended and re-.
enacted 80 as to read az follows:
Section 8252. When failure to perform
. condition OF q policy or the violations
OF the provisions thereof not to avail
az defense. In action against an in
suranoo company or other insurer found.
ed on policy Of insurance issued aftor
the first day Of July. 1873 no failure to
perform any conditions Of the policy, nor
violation Of the restrictive provisions
theeof. shall be a valid defense in such
action, In any case where the insured
can clearly show by competent evidence
that such insurance company has not
been injured by such violations; and II
shall further appear that such condition
or restrictive provisions Is printed In typo
as largo or larger than that commonly
known as long primer type, is written
with pom and Ink In or on tho policy.
2. This act shall be In foroa from Its
;pessage. "a
WIIuRE TIIm REAL FIGHT Is.
But the great fight Of the session s
coming over the bill OF Senator Bruce.
which seeks to ro-snact the Wharton
anti-compaot law, and to drive the south-
eastern Tariff Association out of the yir-
ginla field. 1t Is but the Old battle of
1897 over again, and will attack fire In
euranoe people here from all over the
State.
Tho remarkable part Of the impending
battle ls that the Wharton law was re-
paaled without a word OF protest at a
former session OF the present General
Assembly, and now many Of those who
voted for the repeal measure are earn
estly advocating tina adoption Of the
Bruce bill.
Senator Bruce has been urged by his
constituents to offer the bill, several OF
the towns of his district having held
meetings and passed resolutions on the
subject, It Is contended here that the
southeaatern Tariff Association broke
faith with tho Legislature us to promised
reductions In fire insurance rates, and
that in,itead OF lowering them they have
been advanced, sena tor Bruce's bill aims
directly at the subject Of insurance and
that alone. while the Sale antitrust
measure Is a general one. and appeals to
all corporations doing business In the
State, Those Interested til the Wharton
bill desire 1t specifically ye-enacted. and
fear that the money interests affected by
the Sale measure will be strong enough
to prevent its passage
TIIE BILL IN FULL.
Tho bill offered by Senator Bruce Is in
full MS follows:
Be 1t enacted by the General Assembly
OF Virginia, That 1t shall be unlawful for
any fire insurance company, association
or partnership doing a fire insurance
business in this states to enter into any
compact or combination with other fire
insurance companies, associations or