New-York tribune., 1906-12-18
INSURANCEVOTE TO-DAY
BOTH SIDES CONFIDENT.
POhcyhOlders' Committee to Continue
Mutual-Nezc York Life Fight.

OF binghamton
The greatest interest. however, is being taken
IN the contest by the international Policyhold-
ers' Committee to elect tickets In opposition TO
the administration ticket OF the New York Life
and Mutual. The campaign begun by this conf
mtttee eight months ago will end when the
polls are officially opened at 10 a. m. to-day.
Samuel Untermyer, counsel for the committee
said last night, however that the work of the
committee to reform these companies had
only begun and that whatever the result of
the elections might be the committee would ask
TO have another legislative investigation as a
basis for much needed remedial legislation"
George r. Scrugham. manager of the cam
paign of the international committee predicted
last night that the committees ticket in the
New York Life would win by $4,000 and in the
Mutual by 1900
Vice-President Thomas A. Buckner of the New
York Life said he willing to go on record
that the administration ticket of his company
would win by 100000. George T. Dexter
perintendent of agencies, predicts victory for
the administration ticket of the Mutual Life by
100000 to 10000. Estimates of the time it will
take to canvass the ballots range from one to
two months. Some contests in the courts are
expected
Although the policyholders of the two COM
panies have had since October Is to send in
their ballots. the elections themselves will act
ually be held to-day, when the polls will be open
in the offices of the respective companies, under
the supervision of the State Superintendent of
Elections from 10 a. m. until p No ballots
reaching the polling places after the latter hour
will be received
Superintendent Kelsey yesterday appointed
boards of inspectors ofelections as follows
New York Life ]. Earl Lawshe, No. 60 Wall
street: Alphonse Koelbe. No. 40 Cedar street;
Ellis Guy Kinkead of Cincinnati; Fred W.
Marks No. 6S7 Broadway; Robert Selden Huse,
of No. II Pine street.
Mutual Life-Alexander Rice McKim, No SO
East 2Sth street; J. Bayard Backus. No. 14l
Broadway; George s. Ludlow, No. % Broad
street; Joseph A. Arnold, No. % William street.
and Melvin H. Dalberg. No % Broad street
The boards met yesterday afternoon in the Of
flee of Superintendent Kelsey No. II Broadway
fer organization. Mr. Lawshe was chosen chair
nan of the New York Life board, and Mr.. Nc
Kim of the Mutual Life board. Most of the in
speCtoTs are lawyers.
Superintendent Kelsey will open the polls at
the New York Life. briefly outlining the pro-
, Cedure of the election. and Robert H. Hunter.
his first deputy. will do the same at the Mutual
Life Samuel Untermyer VIII represent the in
ternational committee at the New York Life
and Louis Marshall his law partner. will per-
form the same service at the Mutual Life.
Regarding the elections Superintendent Kelsey
said: when we place the polls in the hands of
the boards Of inspectors for the purpose of re-
/ Ceiving the ballots my duty will cease. From
that time the inspectors will he in entire charge
of the election and of the ballots until they have
! canvassed them, turned in their report and are
discharged. They have entire discretion to make
/ such ARRANGEMENTS for receiving the ballots and
the canvassing of the same are not provided
! for by law. ANY dispute that may arise as to
the validity ofany ballot, or over any other mat
/ ter viii he between them and the courts. They
! are level headed common sense men, and hope
/ there will not he any trouble. What we want is
/ square deal. and have made every provision
/ to insure il"
It was said by superintendent Kelsey that
both sides had agreed that the progress of re-
I ceivfng the ballots would not he delayed by any
protests or challenges while the polls are open.
/ Every ballot will he received subject to such
/ protest challenge as may be made when the
I vote is canvassed.
The law says that each side has the right to
have watcher, who may file protests against
! the canvassing of any particular vote. Whether
/ each side will have more than one watcher will
/ be determined by the inspectors.
Mr. I-ntermyer said that. while they would
! not protest any of the ballots to-day, he would
! file a nrotcst against the reception of several
! nroxios of The New York Life, on the ground
! that they had been obtained under false pre-
tences He will also protest the reception Of
auy proxies from others than the proxy holders
! in person.
Most of the ballots already IN the hands
of the two companies or the International com
nittee Those that have been sent by mail to
/ the New York Life have been stamped with
/ the hour of receipt and filed away in packages
of 80 without being opened. in steel cases.
I These cases have been locked with two pad
locks. one key being held by representative
. of the company and another by Isaac Fuld, the
representative of the Insurance Department.
These ballots have been kept in the suite OF
rooms near the Lafayette street entrance of the
New York Life Building which are to he used
for the polls to-day. They will be formally
turned over TO the inspectors. Ballots may also
he received by proxy. Each ticket has proxy
! committees who will vote in person large num-
bers of ballots
/ The third way of voting is for the policy
! holder to take his ballot to the polls I'm person.
/ A large box made in the fashion of those used
I'm CITY elections but many times larger. has
been provided for these ballots, and it is be-
/ lieyed that many policyholders will take advan-
tage of the opportunity OF seeing their vote
placed in the ballot box. Facilities for making
out ballots have been provided at the polls.
Commissioner Bingham has refused detail OF
police Similar arrangements have been made
for the casting of the vote at the Mutual Life
Each company will turn over about 100000
/ ballots received by mail. 1t is not thought that
the canvass of the votes will begin before to-
morrow. Mr.. Scrugham said last night:
Even if we allow 10000 votes In the New York