Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-31
TRUST ALLEGED
Ten Fire Companies Involved in Action
Is Commenced at Lincoln.
IN VALUATIONS OF LAND
Tn Many Instances state Board Does
Not Like Apprsisements Made
ny Boards of County
Commissioners.



LINCOLN, Jan. oo-CspeciaL)- ALLEGING
that the foreign insurance companies do
ing business In Nebraska are in a trust to
keep up insurance rates and that these
companies maintain a bureau in Omaha
and Lincoln for the purpose of fixing in
eurance rates, Il. II. Shoemaker and Charles
A. Shoemaker today hled a protest with the
auditor against the issuance of a license
90 the following named companies:
Hartford of Connecticut, Underwriters
company Of London. The Phoenix Of New
York. Phoenix Of London, German Amer
,san oa ne% of Nsw york Insurance com
pany of North America, Home insurance
company of New York. London, Liverpool
and Globe Of Liverpool, England.
The protests set out that the insurance
companies have violated the trust laws Of
Nebraska In that they have entered into
a combination to fix the rates to be charged
for insurance: the amount of commissions
20 be allowed agents and the mPnner of
transacting fire insurance business in this
state.
That the said companies have agreed
between themselves and other companies
in like business TO employ and have en-
ployed for all Of them common agent 10
FIX the rate of insurance on buildings upon
which they write insurance throughout Ne
braska, commonly called the Nebraska
Inspection Bureau agent, whlch agency ~
owned. conducted OF OOntrOlleO ny one a
q. Beeson with Headquarters at Omaha,
and said Beeson also employing for all OF
the said companies as an assistant or
common agent one Daniel ii. HartWell AT
the city of Lincoln.
1t is asserted that these two men have
fixed the RE of insurance throughout
Nebraska at exorbitant rates. II is as
serted that these two men keep a set of
books in which is listed all the Insurance
properties, I'm the state and owing to the
trust It is impossible for any one to get in
surance below the rates these men f1x.
All policies that are written have to be
reported to these two men, the protest al
leges. 1t is stated that by reason of this
alleged trust the rates in Nebraska are
30 to 40 per cent higher than a just rate
and that much higher than they would be,
were the trust dissolved. The protestants
ask that no license be issued to any Of
the above named companies.
difference in Land Valuation.
The discrepancies in the value placed
upon school land by the county commits
sioners in some counties and the appraise-
ment by the three freeholders selected by
the Board OF Educational Lands and Funds
has given rise TO the belief that the county
commissioners are prejudiced in favor OF the
lessees OF the land who desire to buy.
Recently the county commissioners in one
county placed value on a piece OF land as
follows: Seven tracts OF forty acres each.
$40 an acre; one tract of forty acres. SIS.
The board refused to accept the appraise-
ment and ordered IL reappraised by nom
interested board OF three freeholders. These
mon valued the land as follows: Five tracts
ut SIS an acre; one tract at s45 an acre, and
two tracts at $40 an acre. The commission
ers placed total value on the land of s., 100,
while the disinterested appraisers valued IL
at $4,000. Another tract of land In another
county comprising 1.30 acres was valued by
the commissioners at s1ssso. while the APP
praisers appointed valued It ct s2s,96o.
In q number of cases the lessee OF land is
willing to pay the higher appraisement,
while in others they object. II is the belief
of the board that the county commissioners
residing in the county with the lessee OF the
land who desires to purchase prefer to place
a low value on their land rather than bring
down the displeasure of the lessee upon
their heads. Thus the commissioners place
the burden on the state board. No appraise-
ment Is ever accepted by the board until
land Commissioner Eaton or his deputy
have personally examined the land and
passed upon the appraisement. The law
gives the board the right TO order a new ap-
praisement whenever IL thinks the FIRST ap-
praisement is not the value OF the land.
Culver Back from Guard Meeting.
Adjutant General Culver returned this
morning from Washington. where he HAD
been attending the meeting of the Interstate
National Guard association. General Culver
brought back with him the ONCE OF vic,
president and the Craftsmanship OF the com
mittee on armories. and his colleague
Colonel Evans. brought back the chairman