Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15
INSURANCE QUESTION
Senator Dryden Seeks Ex-
preston Of Public Views
FOR NATIONAL CONTROL
CIRCULAR LETTER WITH QUERIES
MAILED TO MANY.
ia
Contemplates Passage of Legislation
to Meet Suggestion Of President in
Last Annual Message.

NEW YORK, October 14-For the pur-
pose OF securing comprehensive express
sion of public opinion the question of
national control of life insurance COM
panies, United States Senator John F. Dry
den has sent out many copies of the fol-
lowing circular letter with the appended
list of questions to be answered:
NEWARK N J.
My Dear Sir:
In his last annual message President
Roosevelt called the attention of Congress
to the necessity for federal legislation pro-
viding for the regulation and control of in
surance companies transacting interstate
and international business. In compliance
with an increasing demand from insurance
policy holders, and others interested in the
public welfare, l introduced into the last
congress a bill to this effect, providing that
there should be established within the bu-
reau or corporations a division of insur
ance, and that policies of insurance were
deemed to be articles of commerce and in
strumentalities thereof. The bill was intro
duced too late to secure final cons deration,
but the demand for such measure has
become more apparent in the mea ntime,
and l expect to reintroduce the same pos
sibly with slight notifications into the
Congress which is to meet in December
The bill will be introduced on behalf of
the policy holders of all American insur-
ance companies, in the firm belief that their
present and future interests demand the
additional protection of a federal statute
regulating insurance transactions between
the states, in addition of course to such
supervision and regulations as constitu-
tionally belongs to the states from which
the companies derive their charters Fur
thermore. that by eliminating a consider
able amount of needless state supervision
the following important benefits are ex-
pected to result:
Tho PcncfS4c
1. An increase in the security of the
pclicyholders.
2. A decrease in the expense rate and the
3. A decrease in the burden of needless
teXaticn.
4. A decrease in the amount of clerical
labor now Indispensable to meet the re-
aui1ements of some fifty states and ter
ritGrieS.
5. The stamping out of fraudulent in
Surance enterprises.
G. Adequate national protection for Amer
1caI companies tranSacting business in
foreign countries.
Since thus far interstate insurance trans
actions have not been brought within the
scope of congressional action, I desire to
secure an expression of views from the in
teIests affected by such q measure and,
therefore, take the liberty of troubling you
with few questions to which / would
like to have you reply either yes or no, as
the case may be- together with any addi-
tional comments of your own which you
may wish to make upon the matter
If entirely convenient kindly fill in and
return to me the attached blank in the en-
closed stamped envelope, and accept in adj
vance my sincere thanks for your courtesy
and cooperation in my effort to secure
comprehensive expression of qualified public
opinion upon a matter Vitally affecting the
welfare of the American people.
1 am very truly yours,
(Signed) JOHN F. DRYDEN.
The Queries Submitted.
@. 1. Do you endorse the suggestion of
President Roosevelt, that insurance COM
panies engaged in interstate business should
be regulated by and brought under the con-
troll of the federal government?
@. 2. Do you hold the insurance business
to be national rather than a local inter-
est. and properly entitled to the solicitude
and care of the national government?
Q. 3. AS matter Of personal opinion do
you hold the business of insurance to be
commerce or an integral and Indispensable
element of commerce, in the sense in which
this term is used in every day language?
@. 4. Are you in any way apprehensive
that it would be inexpedient or inadvisable
TO increase the power of the federal govern
ment to the extent implied in the regulation
of insurance by Congress?