The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-02

the bill.
Mr.. J. H. Southgate, of Durham
said he did not antagonize the Greens
hoor companies. but to advocate what
is right and best. The bill locke,
simpIe. but it had dynamite enough
i'm 1t TO uproot the insurance bushes.
of the state The Insurance Commas
sioner. the home companies OF Char-
lotte and Wilmington were not asklnA
It, He held that cooperative endeaVo
on the part of the companies deslrins
to keep the rate at Is per cent. shoai'
be protected by the state, lhdl III
massage of the bill meant anarchy
among the agents. tie explained the
theory of rates and commissions. ans
that agents often gave up indlVldua
rights for the common Sood, mat tht
great companies could not attofd !,
raw moro than / 5 peT cent. ana pay IL
fire losses. He agreed that agents TO
the great companies were required no
To do business with. companies payins
more than Is per cent, but that South
eastern Tariff Association agents coulC
not force agents. In answering queS
tions he offered 10 objection to those
which showed that southeastern com
nanies would debar from their buSl-
ness agents who carried business To-
companies outside of the southeastern
which paid higher rates than 10 pc
no interference With the southeastern
nlans of cooperation should be en-
tered into by the Legislature. lie palC
q tribute to North Carolina insurance
laws and declared the bill tirebranC
dvnamite. the effects of which WoulC
be anarchy and confusion.
Mr. Victor s. Bryant, of Durham
spoke for the BILL saying that as tht
action of the Southeastern had only
hcen in effect for a few months, Law
against it would hardly produce anar'
chy. AS to other North Carolina com
Danies not being for the measure, there
were members of the southeastern
Tariff Association. He made Vlgor-
Gus argument for the bill and declared
that he asked for onl va square dea!
for the companies whose flght TO EN-
plov agents was being curtailed by the
action of the Southeastern companies
Mr.. Frank S. Spruill, of LouisburS,
spoke for the bill. He urged that 1t Is
fair. that q man should be allowed &c
work for all he can get. tie declared
that the Southeastern Tariff Associa.
ton is using 1.-The big pistol in threat
ening to take away the business OF
it's companies from agents who TOOK
business from companies paying a lar
GER commissions He exhibited let
ter from his father, an agent, which
told of coercion in the matter of bus
mess to be taken from him. He hello
that the Legislature should curb anc
restrain any such big pistol practlct
against agents and aimed at the pus'
mess of companies offering extra com
missions such as the Greensboro com
panies. This contingent commission
had not in the past brought anarchy
but there had been peace, and that Mr.
McAllister had letters from hundred
of agents backing up his request, num-
Eers OF whom are here. He doubted
the power of the Southeastern under
the common law to use its coerciv
measures, and held that there was pre-.
cedent for the law being asked.
In response TO q request from sen
ator Webb, the State Insurance Com
missioner said that he had thought O.
asking TO have passed such q bill. H.
read q: letter from the Southeastern
Tariff Association decrying, any suci
legislation, this in answer 10 fettel
from him. the reply also showing IT..
65 companies are regular and . no
regular, but cooperating member
with 10 companies doing business il
this State rot in tho Southeastern. +
had said that the bill is good, bu
that an agitation would result, tn
driving out of the State the companie.
of the Southeastern and a mixing
of the insurance business of tn
Young had said to him that there W.
no harm in the bill, but that it nigh
provoke more drastic legislation II
debated
Senator Webb then stated that as II,
is the brother of Mr.. Alex Webb. vice
president of the North Carolina Hon
Insurance Company. and rs he was not
thoroughly informed as to the merit
of the bill he be excused from voting
h III ,nt ~iS-lN TO 1d mic III 81
stood. He was excused
The committee voted separately. and
that from the House was unanimou
in favor of the bill, but when the SEN
ate committee was called TO vote ther
was a delay. and the result OF tbs
vote provoked some criticism and feel.
ing.
Senator Eller, chairman, Senators
Odcll, Toms aud Webb were present
The bill considered WAS that of Mr.
Scales. who had been called from the
meeting by another committee. A vote
was taken cSnator Odell voted for
the bill Senator Toms against. Chair
man Eller saying the insurance people
Of his town WINSTON had written Il
him to oppose the bill. and as Their
representative he voted against it
Then the vote having been cast MIR.
Scales arrived. The only man who
Senator Toms, who, when asked de-
clincd to do SO. as he would then be
in the minority. Mr.. Odell gave no.
tice of minority report favoring the
bill. which Mr.. Scales will sign.
Mr.. A. j. Field next read . biz
which he had prepared as 4 substi-
tute to Senate bill 80, the substitute
De accepted by Senator Odell. the in
PRODUCER of the bill. il provides for
the re-entering into business in the
State of mutual companies, being en-
titled IAN Act 20 Relieve the People
in the Matter of Mutual Protection
Against Fire The bill provides thai
parties may filed with the Insurance
Commission a statement that they de-
sire to insure in mutual company
named, without an examination by the
Insurance Department, and that the
company may do this, fling with the
Insurance Department its authority to
do business in its own State. an annual
verified statement of its business and
an annual fee Of $500, a fling fee Of
one dollar on each statement and a
license fee of $500 year for each
inspector and adjuster. The compan-
les 10 pay such tax that on its prem
Nth M linn .