The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-16
MERCRANTSPROTEST
AGAINST ALLOWING 10 CENTS
CHARGE TO REMAIN ON INSURANCE
MUST BE REMOVED AT ONCE.
is SUBSTANCE OF RESOLUTIONS
PASSED IN RETAILERS.


Charge in Effect as Injustice-Per-
EonaI Letter Also Written-Cham-
Der of Commerce Committee Also
Take ActiOn-ExecutiVe Committee
of southeastern Tariff Association
Meets in Atlanta To-day and Both
Letters Will he Presented.
A strong protest against allowing the
IS cents on the hundred penalty charge
20 remain on the insurance rates for Sa-
vannah was framed yesterday at
meeting OF the Savannah Retail Mer-
chants Association. A letter further
protesting against allowing the
charge to remain was also drafted and
forwarded to Atlanta. where the
Southeastern Tariff Association Exec
utive Committee holds a session to-
day. The protest was further strength
ed by a letter from the Chamber of
Commerce Committee.
A meeting of the savannah Retail
Merchants Association was held in the
rooms of the Chamber OF Commerce at
d o clock and every retail merchant of
prominence in Savannah was repre-
scented. Foreseeing that the matter of
the 15-cent charge on the 500 insur-
ance would come UP all the agents of
insurance companies represented in
the city had been invited to the meet
ing A majority were present.
The association took up at once the
promise by the Southeastern Tariff AS
sociation to remove the Is cents penal
ty charge The members showed con-
siderable enthusiasm in taking up the
discussion and one and all agreed that
the charge was unjust and should be
taken off at once. The Savannah in
surance agents who were present
agreed with the merchants in nearly
every particular.
Resolutions Drafted.
Announcement was made by Mr.. Leo
pold Adler, president of the association,
that the Executive Committee of the
Southeastern Tariff Association would
meet this morning in Atlanta. and re-
main in session for the greater part of
the day. 1t Was then moved and unani-
mously carried that a strong protest be
sent to the Executive Committee
against allowing the charges to remain
during the necessary time required to
rerate the city.
PRESIDENT A0lHr was empowered 10
appoint a committee which should draft
resolutions of protest. and send them
to the Executive Committee at once.
The committee was appointed immedi-
ately and instructed to make the reSo-
Iutions drafted as strong as possible.
The committee at once went into SeS-
sion and drafted the resolutions,
which were unanimously adopted by the
association.
The resolutions state that although
promise has been made TO remove the
Is cents per hundred charge as soon
as possible, yet the merchants and bust
ness men of the city are far from salts
fed. No reason, according TO the re-
ports of the agents sent here especial
~ to investigate the matter now exists
for keeping on the charge, and the do
ing so is an injustice against the mer-
chants of the city. Merchants and
business men whose insurance runs out
during the time that the city is being
rera ted will be compelled to pay the
extra charge, while those whose insur-
ance does not expire until after the re-
rating, will be free from the charge.
Thus one business man is made to pay
more than another, an injustice for
which there is no reasonable excuse.
Letter Accompanies Resolutions.
Accompanying the resolutions, which
were signed by all the merchants, was
a strong letter, celebrating more fully
on the points contained in the resolu-
tions and stating the reason for the
protest clearly and fully. The letter
characterizes the Is cent charge as
penalty once imposed for inadequate
water supply This supply has now
been remedied and all conditions or
the Tariff Association complied with,
and there is no reason why the charge
should remain. There is no real con-
u, saV.1 he
rating of the city. and the delay is
useless and uncaled for.
In order to strengthen the position
taken by the Merchants Association
meeting of the Chamber of Commerce
Committee, of which Mr.. Leopold Ad-
Ter is chairman, was called. The COM
mittee listened to the report of the
action taken at the Merchants Asso-
citation as presented by Mr.. Adler and
at once took similar action.
A letter was drafted and signed by
the members of the committee. the
letter reiterated the points made in the
resolutions and letter of the merchants
and stated that the Chamber of Com
merce was as strongly opposed to al
lowing the change to remain until aft
er the rerating had been completed
as were the Merchants Association.
Both letters were sent to Atlanta last
night and will be presented to the Ex-
ecutive Committee at their meeting to-
day.
All Glasses United.
Mr.. Adler stated to a Morning News
reporter that the action of the mer-
chants had been unanimous and that
the hearty Endorsement of every bust
ness man and property holder in Sa-
vannah was given to the movement.
If there had been sufficient time to
take the matter up before the meet
ing in Atlanta to-day any desired num-
Der of signatures could have been
secured to the resolutions passed.
ut will necessarily take three or
four months" said Mr., Adler, ito
complete the rerating of the city.
During that time any number of in
surance policies will probably run out
and the holders must at once take
out renewals or run great risks of
boss. Those whose policies expire
within the next three or four months
will of course be compelled TO pay the
Is cents on every hundred.
when the rerating is completed the
charge will come off and property hold
ers whose policies expire after that
time will escape the extra charge
Thus under the conditions one man
pays more than another. 1t is an
Injustice and one against which any
Tea sonable man would protest.
1--WE would be content, perhaps. to
wait until the rerating was completed
If there was any connection between
there is none whatever The charge
was a penalty imposed years ago for
certain deficiencies in the line of pro-
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