New-York tribune., 1906-04-19
"BIG BILL" AMENDED.
NO POLTCYHOLDERS' LISTS
Senate Decides Insurance Companies
Need Not Publish Them.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune.l

10
Au,an. April lS.-With throng OF high IN
surance officials and agents watching the work
from the gallery. the Senate this evening adopt
ed an amendment TO the big bill" striking out
she ,rovisions relative TO the publication of lists
- ,,oIicvholders and the filing OF such lists with
the Superintendent of Insurance Thus, OF the
elaborate provision drawn by the Armstrong
committee TO enable the policyholders 10 eiecl
.be,r own directors there was left mere sheii
the permission vote. but no posslnlhty Oh
connecting successfully with any administrator
machine"
As ,be hill was originally drawn. each policy
holder OF one years standing was 10 pe ai'o"e
- vote IN person by mail or by proxy at eacn
-, for directors. and policyholders were 10
y, ,ilo,,ad under certain specified conditions TO
ose,,t their lists OF candidates for directors OF
oNscers The bill provided that each company
e,orld file two complete lists of It's polcs
with the Superintendent of Insurance anu an
other complete list in each general agent oii0o
z,-ban the section regarding the lists was
reached senator Malby protested that II wouiu
,lace a premium on ''demagogues like La"soi'
of Poston. and Hearst, of New York senator
Grady moved 10 strike out the section pul WIN
drer the motion when Senator White came for
ward with his amendment This amehuihei'
srrncl, out Of the bill every alusion TO the pup
sttuted for that provision the following arrange
ment:
A. any, time and from time to time within Ave
,oTrjs nrior TO each such election every doInesue
corporation %hoSe 0oD request OF 100 more
qualified voters thereof. who have maze OF VIZ W.
-cs,5cIeS in the board Of trustees 10 be filled at
such election. shall, with all reasonaDLe and
mailed 10 each policyhoder thereof or 70 eaeh pI1 po
;n,,ioi5er in any locality designated by such y"
led
Office address. any and every cornInuncats0n ssh ~
CO.. mar riIrpose securely incIosed in appropriate
envelopes each having thereon s9ilce beer not 10
enpiy 10 the holders Of industrial policies.
AMENDMENT PUT THROUGH
7,esri+a reneated warnings by Senator Arm
.+rore who declared this amendment would en-
danger the whole reform scheme of the commit
tees hills. Senator White pressed 1t to passage.
He was supported by Senators Grady MaIOy
o,,5 Cassidy Heretofore Senator White has been
strongly in favor OF all the insurance commit
tees bills. and his attitude on this particular
measure reused much comment He is a "eaithy
lawyer of Syracuse. man of large property IN
terests and considered one Of the cleanest and
..-a,sb+est men in the Legislature. His argu-
,7en+s indicated a belief that the provision could
not be carried out successfully
The vote was 26 TO "a for the adoption Of his
amendment Those who voted for 1t were
Brown. Burr, Carpenter, Cassidy, Cobb, Cogse-
shall. Cooper. Davis. Drescher, Fancher Fech-
ter. Gardner, Gates. Hill, Hinnan L'Homrne-
dieu. Malby, White and Wilcox. Republicans
and Frawley, Grady, Hezenfug. HAWKINS
Keboe. Martin and McCarren. Democrats.
Immediately after passing the amendment the
Senate adjourned II had considered less than
half Of the big bill" though It had been at work
all dav The measure will be taken up again
to-raorrow and Senator Armstrong Will try TO
have reconsdered the vote which passed the
amendment In view Of the conditions attending
its passage, however the general opinion here
is that opposition to the insurance reforms
which so far has proved so abortive, VIII de-
velop its real strength now.
SENATOR WHITES ARGUMENT.
In arguing for his amendment Senator White
declared that it would be almost physically I'M
possible for the companies TO carry out the oilIs
requirements as to filing lists Of poicyholhers-
Even if IT were done he said, IT would only open
the way to greater evils than those existing now.
since the honest policyholders would fall into
the hands Of scheming Adventures or The 1nan-
cial powers, who by the liberal use Of money
and the creation Of a machine could obtain the
necessary proxies 10 swing the election
Senator Armstrong defended his bill. but TO no
effect. HaIf the rollcau showed that the amend
rnent would carry. Then. interrupting proceed
ings he burst forth:
It is plainly to be seen that YOU gentlemen are
going to pass this amendment striking out one OF
the most important provisions OF this inport,Ilt
bill / have said all could to dissuade YOU By
striking out this section you VIII cripple ana dis
arrange a carefully considered plan. each part OF
which was essential success. Well. go aheao'
but next year and the year after youn regret II
I don't say this in any spirit OF threatening as
I've been accused of doing / only say youu re-
eret this days work when you see these com
5anies rent asunder with scandals ana oissension
and CORRUPTION only half prevented by warped
and incomplete law. while the policyholders-you
Togrselyes among the number-huri reproaches on
fhe Legislature for preventing them from taking
a hand in the cure.
MR. ARMSTRONGS COMMENTS.
After the session Mr.. Armstrong said: