Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-12-28
INSURANCE COMPANIES.
WIDELY REPRESENTED
Keep Under Cover for Fear Of
Coming in Contact With
BIaCkmaI|eps.
HAMILTON GIVES INSIDE FACTS
Absent New Yorker Says Corpora
tons Found il Necessary to organ.
ike Confidential Service to Fight
"Hold'up" Legislation--Msny Hor.
est Men Found in PutIic Lie.

'NfbN sOftN, Dec. 2I.--tntlrew
Hamilton. tho legislative aBcnt for
the New York Lie Insurance Com.
pany vino. according 10 testimony.
has been entrusted with hundreds OF
thousands of dollars by the company
ana has ret accounted for $235, 900.
mas been heard from by the lcglsla.
tive insurance investigation commit
tee. but has declined to make an nc.
counting.
~ statement by Nir. Hamilton was
read for the record today. 1t was pre-
| scented by Secretary John G. Mccall
OF the New York Life. who went to
! Paris 10 secure an accounting from
Hamilton. Iii his statement Mr.. Ham.
iiton says that he is unable to pro.
/ ducc any books or accounts, because
he undertook the Legislative matters
for the life insurance companies with
the express understanding that lie
'%as to make TO accounting. absolute
! secrecy was necessary IN retaining
assistants, therefore no checks were
naosi in making payments.
Hamilton Expains.
' Mr.. Hamilton went into an exhaus-
tive explanation Of the reasons for
organizing this confidential service.
}as me- characterized II, covering his
methods OF work ana citing mum.
Der 90 legislative bills In which h.
has been interested.
AR. Hamilton gives long su,n-
mary Of the various styles Of bills
hostile 10 Insurance. companies. nany
tof thcm taxation measures "pills. to
compel TIC reports 10 be repeat
cd and unnecessarily publisher IN
newspapers IRE advocated" says Mr.
Hamilton. "to gain favor with the
press fer increasing their revenues
Outrageous propositions, such as tho
10 per cent. tax proposed in Arllan.
sas, Or absurd propositions like the
Michigan bill, where q Doctors cor
iticnte Of :lihcnlth would excuse the
payment OF The insurance premium
md keep n policy In force: or tho
Virginia bill, making IL actionable for
q lifo insuranco agent TO enter tho
Office Of a man whom tho sign mo
agents allowed" IS Gisplayed find leg.
islatvc favor. However ridiculous
these bills mey seem. they demand
attention.
Work Under Cover.
/ "At tho capital OF every state VIC
hive either retained representatives
for the companies CT arc liz co.ope
| ration with come ono who has rctalu'
or rcprescE. atiycs duly influential. II
has been found advisable as the re.
suit OF experience. to avoid as far rs
possible and exact public information
ms to who represents lis. The known
pressure Of corporation representa-.
tive legislative halls Is tho signal for
renewed vigor in tho attacks Of black.
| mallers and cranka, aud unfortunate.
ly members Of the legislative body
are frequently dead TO reasoning;
where n non.yoting or corporate in.
tticSL In 'tL oCthc. NHCIo IL becomes
necessary we have often occasion To
employ the columns OF tho public
press for a discreet advocacy Of our
views: this method has been found
to be very cfIlcacious. but In tho past
has been found very expensive. !
have found that in my work in every
legislative body in tho United States
there was as lorge proportion OF
honest men as there Is any body OF
men In any walk Of lifc. Permit me
also to etato that In my work have
not fouud It, SO difficult 10 dofeat
blackmallerS. a mHn who ID out to
Dlackmail corporate interests, i6 gene
rally we'll known and his character
throughout thoroughly understood
Such men never retain Influence fol
any length OF time, and l have found
that requests 70 the honest mernbel