Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-25
CHANCE IS SLIM
FOR LEGISLATION
LEGISLATIVE INSURANCE CON-
MISSION FAILS TO REACH
AN AGREEMENT
Figures Compiled to be Given to the
Legislature in Connection With the
Consideration of Family Abandon
ment Sill.

u.
Des Moines, Dec 24-The failure of
ers to agree is believed to have re-
duced the change for insurance legis-
lation this winter to the minimum.
While a majority of the commission
opposes any legislation restrictive Of
the issuance of deferred dividend poll
cies in Iowa. the minority comes for
ward to indict the system and to re-
commend laws for the extinction OF
this class of policies.
There also is disagreement as to the
extent of the permission to be given I
companies to extract funds from the
surplus or undivided dividends for ex-
penses. The minority of the commits
sion fayors a law which will limit the
companies to the expense loading
which they themselves estimate and
which may vary from twenty to forty
per cent of the premium collected,
but the majority would not make this
restriction because OF the fact that
in vigorous competition it sometimes
becomes necessary to incur extraor-
dinary expenses.
Differ on Deferred Dividends.
This subject is closely akin to that
of deferred dividends. also If the divi-
| dends are apportioned each year to the
policy holders and the amount due to
each is credited to his policy, this max
ing 1t definite liability on the part
Of the company to the individual po-
! Icy holder, then the law should con-
tain a correlated provision that the
expenses shall not infringe on this sur
plus SO set aside for the policy hold
ers, in the judgment Of the minority
of the commission.
| In view of the very radical differ
ence of opinion among the members
of the commission the opinion seems
to prevail that its work is likely to ap-
peal to the legislature as non-futile.
Lawyers differ as to the enactment
of uniform fire insurance policy and
/ It's effect on matters of business, as
4 well as upon the present code respect
ing fire insurance.
i Auditor Carroll believes that the
/ enactment Of standard form of policy
i would not make 1T the sole criterion
of the contract, but that the repre-
sentations of agents to the insured
I, would still be competent evidence 70
4 modify the policies as appearing I'M the
} code OF the state. sss32--z
Lawyers have stated that the enact
: ment of the uniform policy law means
the repeal of section 400 of the code
which provides that insurance agents
are agents Of the companies they re-
present and not of the insured.
Abandonment of Families.
Miss Clare LunbeclS, one of the state
} agents in charge Of the finding Of
! homes for children taken from the
state institutions, has prepared an ad.
dress which will be used to good adj
vantage in the campaign to secure
Legislation to punish family desertion
from the assembly this winter
She passes over the mere wife de
sertion evil and says mat the children
are the ones who deserve considera
!, ton of the world and that fathers who
munity to take care of should be ade
Iquately punished. Wife desertion is
a crime which should be met prompt!
!. and effectively but the protection 81
r children is more important than the
4 protection OF the wives.
In part Miss Lunbeck says:
i "As steadily increasing number o
. children enter the Soldiers Orphan!
home at Davenport whose parents arr
. both living, and separated, decided
y to examine the records of that insti
: tuition for the last three months prio
= to the preparation of this paper O
= from August ! to November ] of thi
+ year. found that fifty-two children
:, :, we're admitted during that time. Fou
= Z of these were soldiers children ant
= Il
= = eight were supported by the countie
' from which they came. OF the entir
number there was one full orphan
twelve half orphans and thirty-nin
little ones whose parents are both liy
ing and are separated. Some came Il
" groups of from two to four from on
family; the whole fifty-two represent
ing thirty-cne families The paper
{,l, tod nh oh
g ed that of the thirty-nine whose pal
II ents are both living, thirteen childre
ID representing six families had been dt
K serted by the father, leaving the mott
e. er without means of support for he
,e self and them The other twent,
Is seven representing seventeen familie.
o. did not specify desertion. although tn
IN records of children of three differer
n couples stated that the mother secure
20 divorce on the ground of drunkenness
is and non-support. Three children {
two other families were sent by tn
juvenile court because in each cas-
both parents We're inebriate and faile
to provide for them One-half orpha
was deserted by his father, maxim
y seventeen children out of forty who
we know to be abandoned by parent
s. and there may have been good mar
IL more.
s. Exoense of the State.
I'd Let us see what the expense
te likely to be to the state for these for
a children, whose parents are both Ii
of ing. and who have been admitted to
single institution in the short space
three months. The support fund at II
institution is s144 year per capt.
=. The average length of time the ch
!, dren remain in the home is three al
one-half years. Figuring on this bas
we find that these children will in {
ic probability cost the state in cash su
NJ port the sum of s2016o. And plea
so remember this startling fact, tn
We these forty children, whose paren
We have abandoned them, or at least a
er failing to support them, are this ella
ch of admission for three months only
es one institution, caring for juvenile
pendents." Leon Brown.