The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-19
Wisconsin Senate Committee
Decides Against Adop-
ton of the Plan
Proposed.
Makes Report Relative to In
surance Measure in the
State of Florida.
EXHAUSTIVE REPORT COVERING
CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND
AND MANY COUNTRIES OF
EUROPE, IN ALL OF WHICH, 1T
IS SAID, PRIVATE COMPANIES
ARE ABLE TO HOLD THEIR
OWN.
Special 20 The Journal.

NHbulSOH, WIS, lee, lc,-hlitT TWO
years Of investigation of what has
been done by various countries in the
way of government and state life in
surance, and especially what steps
Florida has taken from time to time
10 inaugurate department that
would write policies for it's citizens,
the Wisconsin senate committee has
decided not to recommend state in
surance for adoption in the next ses-
sion of the legislature. The majority
or the senate committee finds that it
Is not feasible to conduct state insur-
ance and the legislature will refuse
10 go into the business.
Touching on conditions existing in
Florida, the report of the committee
says:
Report on Florida.
No state in this country has at
tempted to enter the life insurance
field In 1905 comprehensive bill
providing for state life insurance was
After consideration it passed the
house with only seven dissenting
votes. It never reached the final vote
and che governor of the state has
publicly charged that the measure
was stifled purposely by insurance in
fiuence working in the state senate.
In a published statement OF mat
ters to be brought before the Florida
legislature for 1907. Gov. Broward of
Florida urges the passage of state
life insurance law that will enable
The state to compete in all the
branches of life insurance with old
line companies. He supports his rec
concentrations therein with instruc
five statistics and other information
hearing on the subject. Florida is
the only state that has taken any
steps toward enacting state insurance
laws. so far as your committee has
been able TO ascertain"
But in spite of what Florida is
doing, Wisconsin will not go into the
business. The committee has made
an exhaustive report on what II
found in countries that have tried
government and state insurance. Fol
Instance New Zealand writes a CHEAP
Insurance. Yet in spite of the fac
that this country is held up as
model on state and municipal owner
ship projects. private insurance com
nanleS on the island are in control OF
The business that is done there in the
life insurance line The committee
finds that of the entire business done
IN life insurance only 40 per cent Is
handled by the government while the
private companies wrote so per CEN
OF the politicies. For every 81 of insur
ance per nhabitant in New Zealand
IN Wisconsin 81 per inhabitant Is
written.
Other Countries.
The committee also investigated
The conditions in England. Germany
Hungary. Russia, Finland. Belgium
and several other European cOuntrie:
hut found that in all of them private
companies are able to hold their own
Some countries have compulsory in
surance for certain lines of work ant
many carry accident and health in
surance. But as a rule the countrie:
that have compulsory insurance arr
not always able to enforce the Law
and by many it is violated and no in
surance is carried. In fact the com
TitteC found that in countries tina
tried compulsory insurance, a woefu
lack Of interest existed among TIT
people. The conclusion reached wa
that the people could not be depende'
upon to take out insurance withou
solicitation and that 1t is necessar
N employ agents TO obtain the bus
moss. These agents of the govern
nCnt are as a rule paid lower con
missions than private companies pa
and for this reason private comps
MICS get better men and are able I
round up more business. This has bee
notably the case in New Zealand
where Insurance is not compulsor!
The committee found that as
rule the insurance departments col
Quoted by the governments wer
economically administered and foun
no evidence Of dishonesty. This I
some extent accounts for lower rate
ny the government, but the commi
i'e holds that what the governmen
can do private companies can do
Woll and does not see any special az
vantage in that direction of recon
mfnding state insurance. For thl
reason the report concluded that stat
lnce in Wisconsin is not to b
mended.