The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-05
Captain Mcclellan Takes
Issue With Commits
sioner Young.
He Says That ii Does Not Apply 10 Any
Town in the State. He Says it is a
Most Dangerous Measure, and
Gives Companies the Right to
Contest All Claims.

The following, in reply to Commits
sioner Young's views on the Fire
Waste Bill" in yesterdays News and
Observer, was given out by Captain
r.. K. MacKethan, who came up on
the early train yesterday morning.
He stated that he had read on the
train the views of the Commissioner
on the Fire Waste Bill" and the
statement that 1t had so greatly re-
duced premiums in the state anu that
the law was now in effect (since July
l.. 1900 in the following cities and
towns:
Albemarle. Asheville, Beaufort,
Bessemer City. Burlington. Caroleen,
Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Cherryville,
Concord. Dunn, Durham, East Dur
ham, Edenton, Elizabeth City Fay
ettevile. Forest City, Gastonia. Colds
boro. Graham, Greensboro. Greenville.
Haw RIVER, Henderson. Henderson
vile. Henrietta, Hartford, Hickory,
High Point, James City. Kings Noun
tnin. Kinston. Laurinburg, Lenoir,
Lexington. Littleton. Monroe. Nc
MorehezI City Morganton, Mt.
Airy. New Bern, Newton, oxford. Ply
mouth, Raleigh Randleman. Reds
lie. Roanoke Rapids, Rockingham,
Rocky Mount. Roxboro, Salisbury,
Sanford, Scotland Neck. Shelby,
Southport, Spencer. Statesville, Tar
boro, Wadesboro. Wilmington, Way
nesville. Wilson, West Durham, Will
fnington, Winston Washington.
ION the contrary" said Capt. Nc
kethan, 1T was not in force in a
Single one OF these places, nor in any
other 9!ace in the State, and that he
stood ready to prove 1t. That a saw
ing clause in the bill provided that a
certified COPY was first to be sent to
each city and town and by a certain
date and that this had not been
complied with. That he had seen the
copy sent to Fayetteville, and that
ii was simply a printed circular from
the insurance department under a
one cent stamp. al the bottom OF
which circular appeared the certifi-
cate only Of the Insurance Commits
sioner. That no certified copies were
sent out BY the Secretary of State as
intended In the act, and which II COM
piled with would have attracted the
attention and consideration that the
General Assembly intended. AS 1t was
the law, as claimed by the Copmis
sioner went into effect. before the
published laws were distributed, and
before the people of the several cities
and towns In the State knew any
thins about It,
THAT the bill is a dangerous in
surance measure coming from an in
surance source and that he is sur
prised that 1t ever slipped through
the Legislature, and that 1t simply
shows how careless we are in such
matters. The BILL along with other
dangerous and remarkable provisions.
requires that all buildings shall be
according to certain specifications,
that frequent inspections and reports
shall be made. which reports shall
be filed in Raleigh every ninety days,
which simply spreads out everything
we have before the insurance compa-
MES to our own undoing, and gives
them the chance to contest the scale
down any and every loss as few, If
any, of our buildings conform to the
strict regulation laId down. That the
insurance companies are already in q
burdensome trust combine that ha:
put up the rate beyond what it should
be, and, that, having obtained in North
Carolina all legislation asked for and
defeated all reform legislation year
after year, they can afford to reduce
their rates a fraction. That year af
ter year they have defeated the Wal
ued Policy Law" in force in tn
States about us, and that (to oui
shame) insurance Cife) is today tn
only protected commodity in Nortl
Carolina it actually being a misde-
meanor to sell 1t below a certain
price! That the people, however, are
becoming aroused to their rights. and