The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-17
WANTS NEW PLAN
 FOR INSURANCE Roosevelt is in Favor of Gov ernment Supervision
CONFERS WITH MR. DRYDEN
New Jersey Senator Is Also In Favor of Some Uniform Regulation of the Insurance
 Business.

of the insurance
 Business.
 Oyster Bay. August 16-Federal super vision of life insurance was the subject of a conference at Sagamore Hill this afternoon. so important that one of the participants, James n. Beck, formerly an assistant attorney general of the Uni ted States, and now special counsel for the Mutual Life Insurance company of New York, missing the regular train from Long Island City to Oyster Bay, charter ed special train in order to meet his engagement with the President.
 The parties to the conference were the President. Senator Dryden of New Jersey, president of the Prudential Insurance company, and Mir Beck. The President 1 for a considerable time but especially since the disclosures made during the last { few months regarding the operations of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, has manifested a deep interest in the prob lem of national control of the insurance l business.
 l Several months ago at the Presidents request the subject of national super visory control of insurance was invest- gated by Commissioner Garfield of the bureau of corporations and the con clusion was reached that under existing [ federal laws the insurance business could not be supervised by the bureau of cor porations, because In the light of the con- stitution and in view of certain decisions of the federal courts, 1t was not regarded as interstate commerce.
 Is a Recognized Authority. l At the last session of Congress Senator | Dryden who is recognized as an author 1 ity on life insurance, introduced bill | in the Senate providing in brief for the supervisory control of the interstate in | surance business by the bureau of cor porations. It was along the lines Of this measure that today's conference pro ceeded
 The President Is known to be in favor of federal Insurance business if 1t can be :, tt...-. n, i.f ut constitutlonally. Whether ,t .Ss, na the point yet to be deter r.,.& rres the supreme court of the 1alts. .ass..s eventually will be called upol. t. ,..ss on the question there is , little doubt.
 | At the cOncluSlOn or the cpHieieilSo | Senator -s sden talked frankly. l We iisenssed the whole subject of fed 1 eral superVision of the insurance busi- | ness" he said land our talk was very satisfactory. Personally. l am heartily 1 in favor of such supervisions by the na- tional government, because 1t would in sure the companies doing business In sev- eral or in many states. well-detined and well considered set of regulations, and a definite policy.
 Wanted to Sound Public Opinion.
 q introduced in the Senate at the last session a measure providing for super visory control of interstate insurance by the bureau of corpora tions. l did so be- cause l wanted to call out suggestions and sound public opinion on the subject I expect to reintroduce the bill early m the next Congress, perhaps in slightly different form. The prncipale of the new measure, however, will be the same as that of the first bill
 My opinion is that a very large ma- jorty of insurance companies will favor national supervision. Under existing ar arrangements we are obliged to conform to different laws and regulations in prac- tically every state. The laws and regu- lations are being changed continually and different insurance departments place different interpretations on the same laws What insurance companies want is uniform, harmonious and log cal policy and that we believe Is to be had only through national supervision" !"
 Are there not legal or constitutional obstacles to national control of insur- ance.' was asked.
 An yes," replied Senator Dryden. There are lawyers who maintain that it Is absolutely unconstitutional and they point to decisions of our courts In support of their contention. The case generally cited is that of Paul vs. Vfr- | ginia. decided by the United States su- preme court in 1868. think the decision being handed down by Justice Field In that decision 1t was held that Insurance was not interstate commerce. In some subsequent decisions, however. notably in the lottery cases, ground was given for the belief that if the question of fed eral supervision of insurance should be brought squarely before the supreme court it's decision would be in support of 1t. The decisions in the lottery cases seem to nullify that of Justice Fi6d en the case noted.
 Reports on Government Printing.
 MT Beck, too, expressed the belief that if the subject were brought fairly be- fore the supreme court. it's decision wouiu be in favor of federal control.
 While no announcement was made or the conclusions of the conference, If any | was reached, there IS dlHPir obfho'Aes for the statement that President hoose- welt will discuss the question Of in- surance in his message to congress m the light of developments in the last six months. That he will recommend the enactment of legislation providing TOT federal supervision of interstate com merce, there is no room for doubt.
 Assistant Secretary c. H. Keep Of the treasury, chairman of what is known as the Keep commission. appointed py the President few months ago to make an investigation into the organiza,ioh. personnel correspondence. methods or purchase of supplies and of keeping ac- counts of the various government depart ments in Washington, came to oyster | Bay to present tue report ana nnuihsS of his commission in the recent inves,isa- ton of the proposed purchase or type setting machines for the government printing office.
 The commission made a thorough ih- ..l vestigation of the matter. taking large volume O: testimony.
 } Further than to say that the fres'oenl , had approved the findings of the commas sion. and that whatever announceiheh. may be made concerning the report must come from the President Mr. Keep ue- clined to discuss the natter IL ID known, however that the commissiolh, h developed an unfortunate conditlon oi