New-York tribune., 1906-12-20
INSURANCE ELECTIONS.
BOTH SIDES CONFIDENT.
More than 100000 alleged Mutual
Tncb Ballots" VOted.

Mutual Life administration interests declared
yesterday that at least one hundred thousand of
the administration votes received by mail
were of the untitled" variety, the cost of which
President Peabody testified recently before Com
missioner Prewitt, of Kentucky he himself had
betrayed. These are the Statements" which the
internationa! committee designates peabody
trick ballots" because. while they contain only
the names of administration nominees, there is
nothing on the ballot TO indicate which ticket
the nominees represent AT the offices of the
international committee the belief expressed
that these ballots were illegal, although the COM
mittee declared confidently that it had poed
more votes than the administration. regardless
of the question Of the legality of these alleged
trick" ballots.
1t was intimated further that the Legislature
would be asked to order new election in both
the New York Life and the Mutual the
ground of alleged fraud, undue influence on
voters and electioneering by the companies
agents.
Samuel Untermyer, the international commit
tees general counsel, said that the elections
demonstrated that proxy voting, which assures
the administration perpetual power in ordinary
elections. ought to be abolished"
The insurance commissioners of various states,
he added had already recommended to their re-
SpeclFe legislatures lnS aDOHtlon OF proxy VOL
ing. Similar efforts would be made. he said, to
prevent electioneering by agents henceforward.
The boards of inspectors of the New York Life
and Mutual Life have obtained the services of
expert accountants, who will have charge of the
counting and tabulating Of the votes. Price,
Waterhouse & Co. Will have charge of the work
in the Mutual Life, and Touche, Niven & Co.
in the New York Life.
conference took place yesterday between a
representative Of the firm of Toucne, Niven &
Co, John C. Mccall. representing the New York
Life, and George r. Scrugham, of the interna-
tional committee. A system for canvassing the
votes IN the New York Life considered at
The conference, and will be submitted TO the in
spectors of that company tomorrow.
The inspectors of the New York Life con-
ferred also with representatives of the admin
lstratfon and international tickets. Mr.. Inter
lnyer and Mr.. Scrugham represented the policy
holders, and James II. Mcintosh the company
Mr. Mcintosh raised an objection to counting
the policyhOlders ballots. on the ground that
they We're received in sealed packages and were
not opened in the presence of the inspectors on
Friday The inspectors Of the Mutual Life also
conferred with representatives of Price Water
house & Co. To-day representatives of the
three tickets will consult with the Mutual Life
inspectors.
The work Of counting the ballots will not be-
gin, 1t is believed. until next week
The time occupied in counting the ballots will
depend largely on the number of chaengers.
The international committee believes that there
should be at least six of these While this dueS-
tion has not been decided il is said that the in
Spectors favor only challenger for each
ticket. With one challenger only the commit
tee predicts that the count will not be closed
before next summer.