New-York tribune., 1906-07-21
JUSTICE ASKED REBATE
WANTED COLLECTION FEE
Insurance Official Uses His Letter
to Point Moral

Milwaukee, July 20-Justice Rouget d. Mar
shall, of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, to-
day admitted that he was the high court officer
referred to in yesterdays proceedings of the
Wisconsin legislative life investigating com
mittee when ]. G, Albright, state manager of
the Union Central Life Insurance Company of
Cincinnati. produced correspondence showing
that a Supreme Court officer asked that the
agents commission for collection Of the premium
on his policy be remitted. The justice. however,
said there was nothing irregular in any of the
letters because there was agent in Madison
and ne only wanted TO be reimbursed for the
trouble of collecting his own premium
The original correspondence was produced by
Mr.. Albright to-day. The letter soliciting the
commission for collection is dated State of Wis
consin. Supreme Court Madison Wis. October
i, 1902. and is addressed to the Union Central
Life Insurance Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
The letter says that the annual premium is
S671 40 and adds:
am not at present advised as to whether
VIII De obliged to remit to the principal office
Not knowing that you have any agent in this
city. and suppOsing that If you have such agent
ne mas no claims upon you for percentage for
the collection Of my premium, I suggest that you
SEND my receipt TO the First National Bank, of
Madison Wis, with a draft attached for the
S671 40 and instructions to deliver the receipt
upon payment of the draft on or before the due
date of the premium and that in such case you
mission for the collection with permission TO
pay the same TO me. My policy came from an
agent entirely outside of my circle of business
acquaintances. I see no reason myself why
cannot be permitted to make the payment in
the manner suggested, but If there are reasons
of course you will write me, suggesting where to
send the money.
This letter from Justice Marshall was referred
by the home office of the insurance company to
Mr.. Albright who wrote to his superior officer,
saying
When a Judge Of the Supreme Court of this
state makes an appeal for rebate and does it
direct to the home office is 1t not time that there
oe some elevation In the moral conscience or
the people in high places before we can hope
for much change for the better among the rank
and file on the rebate question?
Mr.. Albright also wrote to the Justice inform
ing him that rebating was forbidden by law in
Wisconsin. Justice Marshall then wrote to Mr..
Albright as follows:
Here is the draft for payment on my policy.
am not unacquainted with the law to which
you refer. On reflection you will probably see
that there is nothing in the law to prevent your
company from paying to any bank any col
lection charges you see fit 1 do not take your
letter very seriously. 1t would not be out Of
place for your company to establish agency
outside Of Milwaukee.
II wrote the letters which were read before
the life insurance investigating commission on
Thursday" said Justice Marshall over the tele-
phone from his farm in Kilbourne this after
noon. 1.-The company did not deem it proper to
grant me an agents commission, and sent the
money in full. That is all there is TO it IL
any one wants to make a mountain out OF a
molehill they viii have 10 do SO. The CORE
spondence as published is correct In every par
ticular. and defy any one to read into my let
ter any demand or request for any rebate or al
lowance other than the usual collection fee all
lowed agents who handle premium renewals.
wrote for information. and got 1t
acted upon it and remitted my premium in full.
"I added that, in my opinion, the company
would do we'll to appoint agents at other places
than Milwaukee, with the idea that it would
tend to convenience in collections"