Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-27
| IOWA MIL HAVE
INSURANCE QUIZ
The Molsberry Attack Has
Brought the Question to a
Direct Issue
WHIPPLE FAvoRs AN INQUIRY
1t Is Said Bill Providing for Com
mission With Power to Summon and
Examine Witnesses Will Probably Be
Introduced Soon = Some of Mos-
berry's Sensational Statements,
WHIPPLE. FAvoRs AN INQUIRY
[By Ora Williams.l

Special to TimeS-Repuollcan.
Des Moines, Jan. 27.-There are as
surances that the senate committee on
insurance will report to the senate a
bill for an investigation of insurance
companies. Senator Whipple, chair
man of the committee is known to IA
vor such action. There is likelihood
that the senate will pass some kind of
a bill for an investigation. The stiff
debate between Senator Molsberry
and Senator Lewis yesterday has
brought the insurance investigation to
the forefront of discussion. 1t is recog-
nized now by the leaders that the in
vestigation cannot be made on the
passage of a resolution. The appro-
priation of state funds to pay for the
investigation will necessitate a bill.
There are two possible courses on ac-
ton in the investigation and one of
these is outlined in the Molsberry
resolution and the other in the War
rem bill. The 'Molsberry resolution
provides for the legislative commission
to call witnesses and hear evidence on
sworn testimony The hearings would
be public and the newspapers of the
state would print many columns of the
proceedings and disclosures if there
were any disclosures Following the
hearing of all this testimony and the
bringing out of the facts from investi-
cations the commission would formu-
late report to the legislature entire
ly or at least largely on the facts un-
covered by it's own labors, and the
facts in the possession of the state
auditor would be used only incident
ally.
The Warren bill provides that the
commission shall advise with the state
auditor, but does not provide that it
can call witnesses and does not
contemplate any public hearings. I'm
der the Warren bill the commission
would meet with the state auditor and
go over the entire ground of the in
surance business with him, having ac-
cess to all the information in his Of
flee and to the use of his employees in
booking UP any ADDITIONAL facts the
commission might desire light on. On
the conclusion of it's investigation it
would formulate a report to the legis-
lature with recommends lions for sucit
laws as it saw fit. But there would bv
no publicity pending it's report such as
has been made in the east by the in
vestigations there There are plenty
of advocates for the Molsberry idea
that the commission should have the
power to call witnesses and examine
them. 1t is claimed by those who take
that side of the question that the in
surance companies would care nothing
for an investigation that made no.
thing public except the recommended
ton of some laws on the conclusion of
it's labors. On the other hand they
claim if the investigation should dis
close only honest management and a
solid condition financially the investi-
cation would have accomplished only
good and if the investigation should
uncover some rottenness in some COM
panies it would be a wholesome lesson
to the insurance companies for the
next twenty-five years and thru the
columns of the newspapers the public
would be given an education i'm in
surance matters and valuable inside
information to which they are entitled
rs policyholders.
MoIsberry's Argument.
In the speech Of Senator Molsberry