The San Francisco call., 1906-06-07
WILL HONOR ALL IT'S POLICIES
JOINT LOSSES
ARE TAKEN Up
Hearings Which Involve
Several Companies
Are Begun.


The beginning of the adjustment of
the large losses in which several COM
panies are concerned and the surveys of
which have been completed was made at
the ferry building yesterday. Three
losses Were brought before the repre-
sentatives of the companies interested
IN these specific cases, and the general
process of finally arriving at conclu-
sions was put In motion. The parties
whose leases were taken up were the
Baldwin Jewelry Company, NJ Schuss-
Ter, dealer in art goods, and Eugene
Kern, hats. formerly of TAG Market
street.
AT the outset difficulty was met
with In the first case some of the
companies interested were without
representatives in tsle new assembly
hall that has been created in one of the
corridors of the Ferry building The
second and third cases also failed to
get full attendants of the under
writer's directly concerned. The net
result was that no case could be finally
adjusted. Partial progress was made
and that was all.
This situation is supposed to have
been caused by the fact that some of
the underwriters maintain their offices
In Oakland or Alameda and the re-
mainder are in San Francisco Those
IN San Francisco are very busy, being
In immediate contact, daily, with the
parties whom they insured. who still
remain very numerous in the city. The
companies that have present head
quarters across the bay, although sup
posedly less busy than those that are
more accessible to San Francisco losers,
may be able to put up the excuse of
delay by boats or in some other way
NO DESIRE TO DELAY
Secretary Mohrharat of the under
writer's very strongly combated the
idea that any company's representa-
tives remained away from the several
hearings of yesterday by reason OF
desire TO create delay and gain time
He attributed the lack of full attend
ance TO the fact that it was difficult TO
set a time that would be convenient for
all the companies. Especially this
might be the case of the first day of
the consideration of specific cases
Beginning yesterday. Secretary Mohr-
hardt began TO schedule the cases to be
heard on the following day. A large
blackboard has been set UP at one
end of the room occupied by the adjust
ers in the ferry building and on this
Mohrhardt caused 10 be posted the
names of the parties whose losses will
be taken up for adjustment by the un-
derwriters today. This practice will
be followed daily. SO that any one who
desires to know what the next business
step will be may easily find out by
looking at the bulletin board. In addi-
tion, notices are sent to the under
writer's.
While no final result was reached
yesterday the cases of loss that were
begun will be considered additionally
today and the final adjustments in the
three will be effected possibly.
~
Fire Underwriters was present at the
proceedings in the ferry building yes
terday Several matters were explained
to the assembled representatives for
companies and Coogans advice was
sought on various points. The attorney
for the Board of Underwriters will be
present every day for awhile during the
progress of the adjustment of joint
losses
The proceedings of today and GER
tainly during the remainder of the pres
ent week will definitely determine
whether any decided effort will be made
by what are known as the weaker in
surance companies to postpone action
by staying away The stronger com
panies are ready to go on, as a rule,
They desire to know what can be done
and they are not likely to consent to
have lot of losses hanging in the air
by reason of the remissness or fnten-
tional delays of others. While there is
no rule that can compel the attendance
of any underwater, the larger men in
the business say that there is neverthe-
less way to bring all adjustments to a
focus.
WILL NOT ENDURE CLOGS.
If local representatives of any COM
panies persistently fail to appear or
make too profuse excuses, the fact will
appear on the face OF events that they
are too much of clog to be endured
If they are acting under instructions
by home offices or are moving too
slowly on their own Initiative the fact
can easily be ascertained, and the other
companies that wish 10 do business will
take steps to protect their own inter-
ests, for the value of good service in
case of fire losses as a leverage to in
sure the popularity of an underwriting
company is we'll understood and is much
appreciated now, when the public is in
clined to look with decided suspicion
and dislike on any act that tends to
hold back the moneys upon which San
Francisco must depend for rebuilding.
The ferry building from now ON
through an indefinite period, until ALI
the Joint losses have been adjusted. and
while developments OF various kinds
are taking place, will be the center of