Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-12
ALIEN COMBINE WORSTEO
The leg !aturc OF Nebraska Stood
Loyalty by Home Life Compan.
les and Against
THE LIFE INSURANCE TRUST
Every BIN and Every Amendment
Proposed by the Aliens was
Defeated.

Whatever else may be said OF the leg
~islature Just adjourned, 1t must be given
credit for refusing to countenance any
scheme concocted by the agents Of allen
companies to harass and embarrass the
home life and accident Companies and fra
tornal societies. said d. II. Robson, pres
ident Of the Bankers Reserve Life. as he
turned from the accumulated correspond
ence covering his desk in the home office
Of the company in Omaha.
THE allen combine, headed by a shrewd
New York attorney, sought to defeat the
will Of the people declared In both party
platforms for a tax upon nonresident life
insurance companies. One general agent
OF an alien company. a member Of the
house, made the speech Of his life against
this just and proper tax, In which he made
a personal unwarranted and pusillanimous
attack upon me and the Bankers Reserve
Life. The legislature by an Overwhelming
majority fixed the tax at 2 per cent Of the
gross premiums, thus adding to the reve-
nue. Of the state $50, 900 per year.
The alien agents attempted to incorpo-
rate a provision into the law which would
render the nonresident life insurance COM
pany section unconstitutional, but the leg
islature cut this out.
with a general agent Of one of the great
eastern life companies in a position OF in
huence in the legislature, the aliens seemed
sure they could enact some sort Of a law
to cripple the home companies. The Ne
braska Life Underwriters association there
fore drafted two bills and caused them to
be introduced. Both were vicious measures
and would have been a serious hindrance to
the home companies. The member of the
legislature who is general agent Of an
allan nor,nop hy p,afn forca dra1uad ona
OF these bills out of the hands Of the house
committee on insurance and the sitting
committee, but the house buried II too deep
for resurrection. The other was so rank
that neither the senate nor the house COM
mittee would Il. 1t was known
as n. r. 429.
THE bill which the house killed after
hearing an eloquent speech in its favor
from the speaker. and after he had amended
1t somewhat, contained the following pro-
vision:
"'No life insurance company or mutual
benefit association shall make any contract
that provides for subsequent financial ben
ehts to some members at the expense of
other members, etc. This was clearly in
ended to prohibit the mutual assessment
life companies in this state from doing
business. 1t would cut out also great as
hNEnAlNhN COMPANIES ~ AZ N AAAaN
Of Des Moines. A mutual assessment life
company called the Nebraska Mutual Aid
association at Stromsburg. which has over
81. 600, 600 in force, and the scandinavian
Mutual Aid association at Minden has over
81, 800, 900 at risk. A third company at AL
lance, Neb., which has over $500, 600, al
though not yet a year old. The aliens
sought to repeal our mutual benefit law by
this bill.
1.-THE other bill was directed especially
at the natural premium and stipulated pre-
MUM companies. 1t died III the commit
tees Of both houses and the special repre-
sentative Of the life insurance trust re-
fuses to be comforted.
Another bill known rs 8. F. 254 and H.
r. 427 was agreed to by John Steel and
John IL. Mockett. representing the alien
combine and the representatives OF the
home companies. especially of the Bankers
Reserve Life association. 1t was drawn by
the attorney OF the latter company. ac-
cepted by both the other gentlemen and
offered to the house insurance committed
by Speaker Mockett, who in the presence
OF the committee promised for the aliens
to support 1t.
However hagving been defeated on the
other bills and blaming the Banke Re-
serve Life for organizing the fraternals and
the assessment companies against his pei
measure which he had pulled out Of the
sitting committee. the speaker attempted tC
engraft IL upon the measure he had agreed
to support, by a little parliamentary leger-
domain he succeeded in passing his amend.
ment in the house. The senate refused tC
concur and the National Life Insurance
trust was again foiled.
However having been defeated on tn
bulldozed or entrapped into the enactment
OF any life insurance law which could b.
used as a club to hinder the organization o.
growth OF Nebraska life companies snC
the Bankers Reserve will continue to grow
Notwithstanding the malice and Islander o
' alien life insurance solicitors whethe
they are are inside or outside Of the leg
islature."