The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-27
ADVICE OF LAWSON
WRITES ARMSTRONG COMMITTEE
 AND OTHERS.
Willing That Proxies He HaS Collected be Declared Void if Other Rec concentrations are Made Into
 Law.

Boston, Feb. 26.-In a series of com munications issued tonight. Thomas w. Lawson, of this city, who, for several months has ben active in securing proxies from policy holders in leading life insurance companies, states that he is ready and willing to do all in his power to aid in the passage of the laws recommended by the Armstrong Investigating committee. MT. Lawson issued three letters, one addressed to the Armstrong committee, another to the so-called committee of governors, to whom he has turned over all in- surance proxies that he has thus far secured and third to the policy holders themselves.
 Mir. Lawson's statement regarding the proxies he has obtained has been awaited with interest. in view of the fact that one of the laws recommend cd by the Armstrong committee would invalidate each and every one Of the proxies already secured. In communi- cation to the Armstrong committee, MT. Lawson says in part:
 "On behalf of scores of thousands of policy holders of the New York Life and Mutual Life Insurance Companies, ! would respectfully submit:
 At an expense of hundreds of thou sands of dollars I have collected suf- ficient proxies from policy holders to
  trol at the coming election of both the New York Life and Mutual compa- nies. I have turned these over to a committee composed of governors of States and equally representative pub lie men.
 My reason for collecting such prox- ies: I had reason to believe the policy holders of these two companies have been pIundered of from $175,000 to s2a0.O00 which can be recovered, pro- vided these companies are placed in the hands of honest, fearless men. believe that if these companies are placed in the hands of such men, some of the richest and best known men in the country who have systematically pIundered the people for a quarter ol a century past will be sent to States prison for long terms"
 MT. Lawson informed the investigate | ing committee that he has closely fol' lowed it's entire work.
 While l know 1t has accomplished l much" continued MT. Lawson, T alsC know from personal knowledge 1t has 1 not exposed or touched upon single foundation evil or exposed or evar placed upon the witness stand single one of the head criminals responsible ! for the evil From personal knoWl- 1 edge know the policy holders cannot 1 come into their own or be insured | against the total destruction of theil | companies and the loss in whole ol 1 in part of the funds which have in thC | past years been grafted from them l unless thcir companies are taken ou of the hands of the men who have either footed them or stood by whil' | they were being footed
 MT. Lawson adds that if the compA nies arc turned over to such honest fearless men as the governors commit tee will nominate for directors an' trustees" all necessary reforms vii follow.
 In concluding his communication u the Armstrong committee, MT. Lawson says:
 If your committee will ask the Leg islature to enact the law which vol have said should be enacted, towit That all proxies now in existence b, whomsoever held shall be made void that the annual election shall talk l place only after sufficient time ha eIapsed to allow the committee to sen all policy holders as many sets 0 names for directors and trust$s T shall be nominated by any 100 polio holders, together with set nominate by the companies present trustees an that such nominations shall be treate fairly and alike, and that there sha
 he onen to call a list of policy holders names and addresses, I will not onl advise the governors committee to con
 srnt 10 voiding all proxies collected b
 me hut I will do all in my power
 assist in the passage of the laws yo
 have recommended and advise the gov
 nrrors' committee to do the same,'