The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-06
INSURANCE BEYOND
FEDERAL CONTROL
Neither Fire Nor Life Risks Are
Interstate Commerce, Say
House Lawyers.

Special to The Journal,
Chicago, March GA Washington
special to the Chicago Tribune says:
Neither fire nor lite insurance bust
ness is interstate commerce within the
meaning Of the constitution.
This is the view of an overwhelming
majority Of the judiciary committee OF
the house, to which the question was re-
ferred as to the power of congress to
regulate the insurance companies. A
report to this effect will be prepared
soon.
An informal canvass of the commit
tee has shown that practically all the
members, republicans and democrats,
are inclined to the belief that under the
decisions Of the supreme court OF the
ance cannot be considered in the light
Of actual commerce between the states.
No Specific Power.
This means that congress has no spec
cifc power to regulate insurance COM
panies and the campaign in that direc-
tion will have to be dropped because
the house of representatives scarcely
would pass bin which it's own com:
mittee on Judiciary, the highest legal
authority it can appeal to, has pro-
nounced in advance to be unconstitu-
tional. ...
This decision of the house committee
is pretty much what has been expected.
individual members of the house and
senate have been extremely suspicious
of the whole propaganda for federal
regulation Of life insurance companies.
Dryden as Sponsor.
The principal sponsor for the entire
idea and the author Of two or three
bills on the subject has been Senator
Dryden of New Jersey. He is an
estimable gentleman, whose personal
| motives are not a matter Of criticism
in any sense. He, however, is the pres
ident Of the Prudential Insurance com
pany. ..... H.. 49,.
According to the records Of congress,
insurance companies always has been
fostered by the New York insurance
companies themselves. It was first
proposed seriously by Mr.. Pattison
now governor of Ohio, who was then
as he is now, president of a fourishing
and well-conducted life insurance com
| pany in Cincinnati. Mr. Pattisor
failed to make any impression on con
gress and the movement was dropped
entirely until Senator Dryden, another
/ insurance president, renewed the at
tempt. Now the judiciary committee
of the house is about to sit down OF
the whole scheme from purely lega
standpoint, and before long will admin
lister a constitutional black eye to tn.
project of unadulterated government
regulation Of insurance companies.
! AS to Campaign Funds.
Washington, March 6.-Offcials O
the New York insurance companies ar
to appear here next week to tell tn
committee on election Of president
vice president and members Of congress
exactly what contributions have bee
made to campaign funds. Not only ar
| the life insurance officials to be rcalle
and made to testify under oath, bu
/ Charles E. Hughes, the inquisitor in tn
insurance investigation in New Yor
city, will be asked to appear befor
the committee and give what informa
tion he has secured, as we'll as hi
views on the subject. Those who hav
been conducting the investigation, tn
Armstrong committee and others ident
fed with it, will be asked to come her
} and testify, and will be ordered
bring with them all papers, document
and records which have any bearin
on the subject of political campaig
contributions.