The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-11-09


In which the people of Mississippi
have $3,OOO,O00 yearly interest, con-
tinues with undated interest. The
disclosures grow more startling day
by day. The officials Of number of
states are beginning to interest them
selves in behalf of their policy hold
ers and inaugurate proceedings to pro-
tect their interests. In Wisconsin an
effort will be made to force the pay
ment of over $14,O00,000 of money
that rightfully belongs to policy hol-
ders and has been misused by the
companies for other purposes of a
more or less shady nature. Insurance
Commissioner Folk of Tennessee says
that he will at once commence cam
paign for the protection of the people
Of that state who pay several million
dollars per year to the big concerns
and are paid In return only what they
see fit to offer. Other states are equal
ly as active in the effort to protect
their citizens, and in very short
time it is hoped that the campaign
will become general throughout the
country. Only by a concert of action
and that in an unmistakable and de-
termined way, can these gigantic cor
porations be brought to realize that
policy holders are due some consid-
Grafton and small share in the i'm
mense profits made by the few stock
holders.
In this connection the belief is
growing that stock companies for Life
insurance should be prohibited by law,
and that companies that are strictly
mutual In every respect only, be Ii
censed for business. IF there was any
means to determine just when the
stakeholder should quit participating
in the profits Of the business and the
policyholder begin, it might be differ
emit. But an the light of past expe-
rience and the result Of Investigations
now in progress, this dividing line
has proven to be neurological in de-
termination. An evidence of this is
that in the case of the Equitable of
New York with only 100000 of cap
ital stock and clause in the bylaws
only allowing this stock to draw 7
per cent per annum from the earnings,
$4,000 Of it brought the fabulous
sum Of $2,500,000. Any sane man
knows that to make this stock worth
that amount Of money that there is
no end IN its participation in the pro-
fits, be it ever so illegal A mutual
company with officers elected and the
policy Of the company determined by
the policy holders, who certainly are
the most interested, is assuredly the
proper plan of organization. To say
that the policy holders are not COM
petent to select their officers and de-
tsrmine the policy of the company, is
tantamount to saying that the quail
fed citizens are not worthy Of the
franchise of suffrage and competent
to select their governor and other Of
ficials. A company of the policy hold
ers, for the policy holders and by pol
icy holders, should appeal strongly to
every sensible man.,
The school book contractors are not
complying with their. contracts for
furnishing board covered books which
they bid at remarkably low price
to make low average The writer
has asked for books in boards as call
ed for an the contract at number
Of places in the state and has been
met with the reply that none are to
be had. Advertisements appearing in
usumber of papers giving the ex-
change and sale price ON books leave
out the board covered ones, which are
largely used and in the rural districts
almost entirely. An advertisement
from Montgomery county paper not
only leaves out the board book for ex-
change on the readers, but states posi-
lively that there is no exchange ON
Wheeler's Primer. It is not necessa-
ry for the book offered for exchange
to have been in use in the county
where offered, but if used in any Mis-
sissippd county or separate school dis
trict it must be accepted. The board
books at the price bid are not profta-
BILE to the publishers, hence their eff
forts, which have been successful so
far, to shirk the responsibility of fur
nishing them.
Mr.. Croft Lancaster Of Tabville,
Chickasaw county, is successful
raiser of apples and is said to have
one of the best small orchards in the
state. He is in the acknowledged fruit
section of the state, and there is no
reason why apples should not be made
one of the principal crops instead Of
side issue as it is at present. Fruit
growing Of all kinds is destined to re-
OoivA a great imTnf11s In tho nnar