The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-23
AGENTS ARE
 DETERMINED Not JeSting About Hyde'S
 Retirement. LETTER UNSATISFACTORY Vice Presidents Reply is
 Called Vague.
LETTER UNSATISFACTORY
Joseph Bowes Says Adequate Answer Will Be Made By Committee, and
 Talks of Hurtful Notoriety.

New York. April 22.-The letter sent to the general agents of the Equitable Life Assurance Society yesterday by Vice-President Hyde, was the subject Of a meeting held at the Equitable Building today by those of the agents who have remained in the city.
 Mir. Hyde's letter explained why he would not heed their request for his resignation and todays meeting was to decide whether they ought to make a reply. After some discussion it was de- cided that as their convention had ad- Journed without day Thursday at the Hotel Savoy the meeting could not be reopened unless all the agents were present. No reply was framed.
 number of the general agents and managers of the Equitable Life Assu- rance Society who had been attending the recent conference in the Hotel Sa- voy visited the officers of the society in company with MT. Tarbell. the second vice. president of the society. One Of the committee which presented the con- ference request to MT. Hyde said today:
 'It is not true that MT. Alexander was the instigator of the present con- troversy. One year ago MT Hyde him- self sought to have the board of di- rectors elect the president and author ize the latter to appoint other officers of the society My assertion about this is substantiated by the official re- cords of the meetings of the board of directors when MT. Hyde sought to put his project through"
 J. W. Estes of Chicago, one of the secretaries of the conference of gen. eral agents, said MT. Hydes letter. in- stead of satisfying the policy holders, would make them more determined than ever that the first vice president should retire. Mir. Estes declared that Mir. Hyde was not at all definite in his manner as to what the general agents and managers reflecting the views of the policy holders were dissatisfied with.
 Not an Answer.
 sMr. Hydes presumed answer to the other side," said MT. Estes, is not an answer to the policy holders and dSes not tell them what they want to Know MT. Estes added:
 'If the $400,000, 900 assets and ESQ., O00, 900 surplus of the Equitable Society belongs not to the policy holders. but to the stockholders, then all the Equi- tables business has been built upon false pretences and amends and legal redress will have to be made to the policyholders. But as to what we can do now in the way of reply to MT. Hyde's absurd brief, I don't know. The convention has adjourned. The Hyde reply, III ny 9AiAbAJ he inserted in the minutes of the meet ing which are soon to be printed and sent to all the members of the associa- ton. In that respect MT. Hyde was foxy. He got in the last word and there is no way for the convention to get back at him for a year"
 Joseph Bowes of Baltimore, member of the Executive Committee of the Ma tional Association of the Equitable Agents, said today: T am going to find some way to get up an adequate reply, without waiting for the next annual meeting of the association. Such arrogant assumption of One-man power in a company that has obtained all it's business by representing itself to be a mutual concern, l never beheld be- fore.
 Doesn't the man realize that the general agents have thousands of dol lars worth of assets tied up Tn future revenues of contracts which would be worthless if MT. Hyde continued his hurtful notOriety2 We will get up reply all right. We won't let that Hyde letter be the last word on this subject"