Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-30
FIRE INSURANCE
IN UTAH AND WEST
Results Satisfactory Except in Pre-
ferred Business Which Has
Been DemOralized.
NOA-BOARDERS THE CAUSE.
American Merchant Recognizes Fire
Insurance as He Never Did Before
LAS a Contingent Asset.

LAS Contingent Asset.
Robert s. Brannens view OF the fire In
surance business In Denver Colorado,
Utah and elsewhere In 1903 is set forth
in an interview in the Insurance Press
as follows;
Are results satisfactory" he was
asked.
Yes said Mr.. Brannen, with the
exception of preferred business, which
has been demoralized by non boarders
The agents of Colorado and Utah are
assured by the National association
that this unnatural competitor will be
checked. OF course, there are quacSs
In all trades, and there always will be
quacks in ours"
How do rates and losses compare
with former years?'
About rs per cent above the usual
average
Has there been any noteworthy ad-
vance In scientific work by fire UNDER
writers, reducing the fire hazards?"
NOTABLE ADVANCES MADE.
Yes, Denver has just adopted the
National electric code, thus making
this city one of the best electrical SUI
pervised cities In the world. Climatic
and other conditions compel constant
care Of electric wires. All wires here
xktn la t..,Ia ,,,,I ,.rtt In.
five years. Ninety per cent OF the tele-
phone wires are already in conduits,
1.-THE Local board has established an
inspection bureau, which Is welcomed
by every good insurance man in this
field. Heretofore inspections have been
confined to special agents. What one
cancelled another would be glad to get,
but today, under the inspection bu-
reau, which is ably conducted by John
Minor, formerly OF Indianapolis, a man
of business ability, there IL no question
but what Denver has already improved
about 20 per cent in the physical haz-
ard. This inspection department VIII
have charge of the schedule ratingand
will see that all credits are given for
Waterman, sprinklers lire pals ana
other fire extnguishing apparatus, and
that the same are kept In perfect or
der and maintained as the schedule de-
mands."
EAsTS LAWS WORSE.
1--WE were greatly surprised added
Mr.. Brannen. lat the position taken by
the New York Journal of Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin with reference
10 the bill now before the United States
senate concerning wildcat insurance
companies, that paper stating that
II il impossible to comply with the
socialIstic and anarchistic conditions
I'm the west. wish to say
for Mr.. Billiards. Information mat
there are more hostile and. obnoxious
laws In the eastern states than IN any
of the western states. | reter Nun 10
the state of Connecticut, which has
more of such laws than any other
state I'm the Union. If he will go back
over the records of the past 1--WE years,
he will find that the Connecticut acts
are against every advance In the nre
insurance business.
about the only thing that Connectl-
cut legislators have not done Is TO dy-
Mantle the safes of the offices at Hart
ford. II Is not the intention OF this bill
to deprive any legitimate company rom
pursuing an honest business, but when
any company's literature and adver-
Using matter is Is ounces lighter than
a cork, II should be checked and check
ed at once. II the state has right 10
form a state insurance department.
there is no reason why the United
States government should give help to
the yiolators of state laws.
Insurance supervision began In the
state OF New York many years ago, and
| see no reason why New York pub
| lication should object to what state
| supervision has originated. Then leg
| islators had no medium of information,
| but today, through our organization,
| risks are Inspected, and the inspector
| makes recommendations, at the request
| of the members. when the matter is
! placed before him in the proper MAN.
| ner,
| INSURANCE A PROFESSION.
"Sjnce the formation of the National
| agency movement, there has been abb
solutely no hostile legislation against
| fire insurance companies. The agency
association will grow stronger as II
grows older, and within five years from
this date, | am willing to state, all OBJ
noxious insurance legislation In Ameri-
| ca Will have been removed. The fire
insurance business of today Is pro-
fesson, In the past II has been like a
| peddler with n tag,
"The American merchant recognizes
fire insurance as he never did before
as contingent asset. | believe that
the best profession for the young
American to study and cast his LOT
with is the fire insurance business VI
future Is ours to mold as we wish, but
| we can only achieve success through
| honest, intelligent and painstaking
work-by cooperating with all for the
advancement of the business. We are
going to build up In the future, instead
of pulling down, and all good insurance
men will discount the future instead
~ recounting the evils of the busi-
| ness"