Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-17
EQUITABLE LIFE
LEGAL EXPENSES.
HAD TROUBLE IN CALIFORNIA.
Insurance Commissioner Asked Forty
Questions that We're Never
Asked in Other States.

New York, Nov. l7.--Frank y. Jordan,
son OF the former comptroller of the
Equitable Life Assurance society was
the irst witness called before the legis-
latiye insurance investigating commit
tee today. He hsd testified at the prevl-
Gus session that he did not know the
whereabouts of his father or mother,
and that he did not know whether they
were living or dead
Today he said he had not since learn.
ed Of his fathers whereabouts, He
had received a letter from his moth
er, who is IN Canada. She said moth
ing about his father. As TO his profits
from the fire Insurance written on prop
critics mortgaged to the Equitable, ne
said his father received none OF them.
He had no idea what proportion of his
business the Equitable furnished him.
Samuel S. McCurdy, assistant registrar
Of the Equitable society. was next
called. He had formerly been aecre.
tary TO Secy. William Alexander, Of
the society. As assistant registrar he
had custody Of vouchers, Tor money
paid out for legal expenses. lie pro-
duceG the vouchers for such expenses
for the last ten years. On the youCh-
ers Tor 1895 was a letter to James W.
Alexander from Robert II. McCurdy, of
the Mutual Life Insurance company,
which accompanied a bill for the Equit-
able's share Of salary and expenses OF
George S. Batcheller as "plenary legal
representative" Of the Equitable So
ciety, New York Life Insurance com
l'-ny and the Mutual Life Insurance
company The salary of Mr. Bacheller
from this combination was given In n
statement as $4,000. 1t was brought
out that Mr., Bachelors duties were
abroad
The packages OF vouchers for pay
ment for legal services In various state
legislatures We're gone through by Mr.
Hughes who asked as TO the legal SER
vices rendered by the signers of the
various vouchers.
A voucher from James NJ Lewis,
dated Jan 81, 1899, was for 81 600 "in
full for services rendered during the
coming session OF the general assembly
| in Missouri"
Witness did not know Lewis or the
services he performed nor did he shed
| much light on other vouchers,
MIR. McCurdy said that S250 month
| had been paid TO special counsel TO rep
resent the Equitable society before the
| commission at the suggestion Of j.. $.
| Pillsbury, the soCietys regular attor-
ney, who had told the witness il was
paid to brother OF the insurance COM
missioner. The total amount paid in
! that way was $4,000 the witness also
| said that approximately S17500 was paid
| TO W. H. Chickering Of California, coun
| sci for the Mutual Life Insurance COM
pany At the close OF 1899, when the
| Equitable society filed its annual state-
ment with the California insurance de-
| partment, the commissioner asked 40
| additional questions, the witness said,
| which the commissioner knew 1t was
| practically impossible for the society ia
| answer beca use It's books We're not KEEP!
so as to do this, This, the witness
said, was practically a re-hash OF the
demands the commissioner had made
| previously. Witness said the company
had had no like experience With the
Insurance department Of any other state
Ia his personal knowledge and that like
proceedings against the New York Life
and the Mutual Life were terminated
about the same time as those against
the Equitable society. There were q
dozen hearings on the Interpretation OF
one Of the California's laws and It was
| for representation IN these hearings
that the $3.50 a month was paid. Mr.
! Pudd. while In New York, consulted
almost entirely with Mr.. Chickering
| Witness said he thought Gov Budd ap
pointed Mr.. Clunie as Commissioner. H'
/ aid net think the man TO whom the Ss3'
month was paid did anything for th'
Equitable society
"Do YOU know how much Of these
moneys was paid TO Gov. Buddf' asked
counsel for the committee.
Mr.. McCurdy said he did not know
and that to his knowledge no account
ing of disbursements was made by VT
| Chlckerlng. Mr.. McCurdy said he wen
TO California. but did not meet Mr.
'Clunle, To whom the $3.50 was paid n
an the six weeks he was there tn
New York Life and the Mutual Wer'
also paying $3.50 month 10 the SANE
man for the same service rendered IN
Equitable, said the witness,
Another demand which the witness
said Mr. Clunie made was that com
plete set of the Equitable society
books be kept at the Offices OF the sal
Francisco agency which would hav'
cost the society about $4,000 He ais'
said that under the law OF Callforni'
the commissioner could have COLLECTED
his sSS. 900 fee from the Equitable socl
ETY. upon making his proposed valua
tons OF its policies.
The states generally do not make In
dependent examinations OF the New
York companies. Mr. McCnrdy said.
Missouri once demanded H. but at tn
request Of the society had accepted th
New York valuation. Minnesota mad
such a valuation -four or five years ago
Gage T.. Tarbell second vice presl
dent OF the Equitable society, wa
called when Mr.. McCurdy had finished
He told of his connection with IN
Equitable which has continued % years
| Mr. Tarbell said he knew nothing OF u
memoranda given by Mr. Jordan 9
A. G. Fields, He did not know Field
and knew only that he looked afte
the legislation In New York for In
Mutual. He had conferences with ren
resentatives Of other companies rela
tive 10 legislative matters and endeav
ored IN 1903 10 have n committee q
one appointed to look after the inter
ests OF policyholGers that would be- al
fected BY any bills In the legislator
that would be inimlcal. lie knew In
directly that Andrew Hamilton ha
been employed. He was " the Opinio
that no company should have an TX
pense I'm connection with legisativ
matters. He never knew Of q dolla
being expended in that way. He too
the position that n improper legisla
tion could not he defeated by remedia
means the company should refuse 10 4
business In the state. MIR Mccall O