The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-22
INSURANCE PRESIDENTS
 START AN ASSOCIATION
FIRST STEPS TAKEN AT 4 FEFT. ING IN NEW
 YCRE.

purposes of the Organization, Said to
 be, to Further the Interests of Pol
 icyhOlders and to Bring About More
 Nearly Uniform Practice in the Con-
 duet of Life Insurance Business-Au
 the Leading Companies of the Conn.
 try Represented.
 New York, Dec 21.-The first stems were taken to-day towards the forma- tion of an association of life insur- ance presidents" Broadly speaking the purpose of the organization will be to further the interests of policy- holders and bring about a more nearly uniform practice in the conduct of life insurance business.
 To-day's meeting was at the sunges- tion of President Paul Morton of the Equitable Life Assurance society and brought together representatives of tWenty-four companies while three other companies sent out communjca- tlons expressing approval of the nro- posed association. MT. Morton presid- ed and Thomas A. Buckner, second vice president of the New York Life. was made temporary secretary. A committee was appointed to draft constitution and bylaws and subse- quently reported a tentative plan of organization Copies of the plan which met with general approval were dis tributed, but final action was deferred until December 2S, when it was pro- posed to affect a permanent organiza- ton. Presidents and vice presidents representing their companies will be eligible to membership. Companies represented to-day include:
 Aetna Life, Hartford, Conn. I. I. English, vice president; Berkshire Life, Pittsield, Mass, James w. Hull, president; Connecticut General Life. Hartford, Conn, R. w. Huntington. jr, president; Equitable Life, New York, Paul Morton, president, G. E Tarbell, second vice president, and George T. Wilson, third vice president; Home Life, New York, George M. Ide, president: Manhattan Life, New York. N W. Torrey, secretary; Massachu- setts Mutual, Springfield, Mass., John A. Hall president, and F. c, Ayres, fourth vice president; Mutual Life, New York, Charles A. Peabody, presi- dent; National Life, Montpelier, vt. Joseph A. De5hoer, president, and J. T. Phelps vice president; New England Mutual Life, Boston, Mass, Alfred D. Potter, vice president; New York Life, New York, D. P. Kingsley and Thomas A. Buckner, vice presidents; Pruden- 'tial, Newark, N. J., Dr. Leslie D. Ward vice president; Travellers, Hart- ford, Conn.,, s. c. Durham, president; United States Life, New York, Dr. John P. Mum, president
 Mr. Morton said tonight:
 The presidents of about thirty companies were invited to be present, and twenty-four were represented.
 Tt was the general disposition to enter into an asociation provided one could be formed on the right line. A committee of seven was appointed to draft a tentative plan. The commit SNO ASPOf tSO elI o V GlUCh dtlu Il6IT re- port was received by the meeting and ordered printed and distributed for the careful consideration of all pros- pective members. The plan is only tentative, but under it the welfare of the policyholders will be the first thing considered, and next will come a bet ter and more uniform practice general- ly in life insurance. Expenses are to be reduced where possible and waste eliminated. The association will pub licly present it's views to law making bodies, and all others wishing light and information on life insurance mat ters and it was the unanimous opin- ion of all participating in the meeting that there should be the fullest discus sion of the plan at the next meeting to be held December 2S.
 "The newspapers are given the full report of the committee, and there will be nothing about the proposed organi- zation that we care to keep from the public. It is their interests we are try- ing to serve"