The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-08
GOES
ON COMMITTEE.
PROMISES LAWSON HE WILL
STAND BY MOVEMENT.
Trustees Selected Are to Reorganize
Companies by Putting In Directors
Who Will Sue to Recover Vast
Funds Lawson Claims Were Mis-
appropriated by the system

( Governor johnson has agreed to serve
on the policyholders committee selected
by Thomas w. Lawson. After a four
hour conference at the capitol yester
day afternoon, Mr.. Lawson went to his
train and left for the east, satisfied
with the result of his mission. He
convinced Minnesota IS governor that he
was not trying to unload any RESPONSE
bility. but was only asking the commit
who send proxies to him. This com
mittee. if it holds control, is to elect
directors at the coming annual meet
ings of the New York Life and Mu-
tual Life, who will appoint an auditing
committee and have the past trans
actions of those companies probed to
the bottom, and suits brought to, re-
cover what Mr.. Lawson claims has been
stolen from the funds belonging to the
policyholders.
The Lawson committee consists of
Governor Cummins of Iowa, Governor
n. B. Broward Of Florida, Governor
johnson of Minnesota, f. s. Monnette,
former attorney general of Ohio, Ere
mont Older, editor of the San Francis
co Bulletin, and James Hemphill Of
New York. Governor Broward and
Messrs. Monnette and Older have agreed
to serve. Governor johnson s consent
is understood to carry with it the ac-
quiescence Of Governor Cummins. Gov
chairman Of the committee. He says:
/ Won't Serve as Chairman.
g Mr.. Lawson went over the situation
in detail with me and told Of num-
Der of the transactions of the com
panies, which, Of course, cannot be
made. public at this time. Six months
ago he wired me to act on this com
mittee, and replied I would if it were
satisfactory to the other members.
! "Today he asked me to serve az
would not do. ] told him my duties
here would keep me from travelling very
much and I could not assume the duties
Of chairman, but L would be glad tc
serve on the committee. The Other
members Of the committee are salts
| factory to me and shall be glad tt
serve with them.
II might add that I believe Mr.. Law
sol, is dong great good for the people
and also that I believe he will wiz
in his fight against the system. - X
Mr.. Lawson declared yesterday tina
the present homogeneous Of the tw.
companies are paying money for prox
les, and are also giving policies TO-
practically nothing to people who will
turn their proxies over Those VIII,
will not give up their proxies are urge,
not to give them to Lawson, but t.
come to the meetings.
have gone them one better,' sail
Lawson. II have, sent out word t.
give no more proxies, but to come t
the meetings. and I will pay the rail
road fare of every man who comes
They are trying hard to wrest contro
from me, but the policyholders ar
J, aroused, and will insist on reorganiza
ton. a.1., - :. - -;
4 '1"You can get insurance today for
, dollar a thousands if you will give Their
) your proxy A friend Of mine who ha
been refused sixteen times for consumI
tion has policy for $3.50, 900 and is &C
ing over to London to get $4,000
{ more >,...... r., @.-,-t = @&,~~* IT, i +
3 Investigation Was Superficial
; ''This Investigation at New York ha
proved every statement [ made yea
and half ago, and more. It has onl
touched the edges, however. They hav
g only thrown to the sharks few dun
mics, such as Mccall, a mere office DO,
McCurdy and Alexander, who did M
!. comprehend the Gaming Of his .trus
e to the stand Rogers, a Rockefeller {
Q a Stillman. If they had the thin
? would have spread beyond petty stea
: ing: They confined it to tens Of thou
ands instead of millions
!. s'That Perkins check, for $4,000
It which they caught was only the fag en-
e Of a deal involving $12 100000 in whie
a 100000 were misappropriated.
}: THE system is keeping people in ii
J. dark all it can. AS it stands the polio
J. holders have only secured a few hui
y, bred thousand Of the stealings whe
I. there are millions to get, and these va
l, funds are now in the hands of the sy
Z, tenn direct. - -, e~ -
[. >"But the American people a
: aroused over this thing, and they res
+ ize that those vast sums never shou
have been taken from them. TIL.
want restitution and reorganization al
4 that is what is coming Those annu
g meetings will be great events. I ha,
E proxies enough to keep commit
i busy for two weeks auditing, and
! there is any question raised about the
q we will appeal to the courts at once
!. iniunctions. The more policyholde
v attend. those meetings the better I W
r be satisfied.