The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-03-09
TO Be FOCUS OF
INSURANCE FIGHT

otiio piCpol GU Wy tuC fhl hlotiOhS WIN
mittee in New York will be intro.
duced in the Ohio legislature in 2
few days.
Following the Introduction of these
measures, all the forces which have
! been behind the investigation of in
surance conditions in New York, will
be put to work to secure, If possible,
the enactment of the bills into laws.
With this end in view the insurance
| committee of the house, to which the
measures probably will be referred,
| will hold a public hearing when the
| presence of Senator Armstrong head
of the New York committee and Attor-
ney Hughes, whose questioning pro-
duced the evidence at the hearings in
New York, together with Thomas w.
Lawson, is assured.
Ohio is one of the largest states, in
point of life insurance written and
held, in the Union, and it is the pur-
pose of these who are behind the in
surance movement, to force the fight
for proposed remedial legislation, in
Columbus simultaneously with the
battle in Albany.
BILLS ARRIVED SATURDAY.
The bills reached Chairman Earl
Stewart, of the house insurance COM
mittee, from Albany, Saturday, and
work at once began to change them
to fit conditions in Ohio. The repeai-
ing clauses will differ from those of
the Armstrong bills, for the laws to
be repealed will be different; but
aside from this there will be but
slight change. This work will take
some time and the attorneys and ac-
tuaries who are at work on the meas
ures say 1t may be as late as the
18th before all are completed. The
introduction of the bills will not, how
ever, be held up until all are finished,
but they will be introduced as rapidly
as they are drawn. This will give the
committee to which they are referred
time to go over them carefully.
WHAT THE BILLS PROVIDE.
The most important of the measures
will probably be the first to be. intro
duced. 1t provides for annual divi-
dends, and the distribution of surplus
on hand, among the policy-holders of
the companies. Another bill provides
that companies shall not pay as COM
mission to an agent for writing new
business more than the loading on the
policy for oe year. This would reduce
the commissions about two-thirds, 1t
Is asserted, and the difference would
accrue to the policy-holders in the
form of dividends.
The amount of dividends permitted
to stock companies is to be regulat-
ed by another bill. This bill fixes
limit upon the dividends that can
be paid upon capital stock, when the
company is stock company, at 10 per
cent, and provides that all excess
loadings, earnings and surplus above
that amount shall be divided among
the policy-holders annually.
A PUBLIC HEARING.
The plan to hold public hearing
here after the bills are all in, is not
new. The same method of acquaint-
ing the Legislators with the provisions
of the bills has been followed in New
York, where public hearing is to be
held next Friday morning when will
appear the men who have been be-
hind all these Investigations. At that
meeting wiIl~>be George III. Schrug-
ham, head of the Ohio Policy-Holders'
association, who has taken great in
terest in the whole insurance fight. Mr..
Scrugham has been active In the coun-
ellis of the insurance reformers'
since the inception of the present
fight, and has spent much of his time
recently in Albany, where the Arm
strong committee made its report.
Mr.. Scrugham came to Columbus
last week, to confer with those who
have been considering the insurance
situation since the legislative session
opened. The present plan was discus
sed at length with him, and he has
agreed to devote himself to carrying
it out. abandoning the project of an
investigation similar to that held in
New York.
Mr.. Scrugham went directly from
here to Albany, where he met the
Armstrong and Hughes people, and
secured from them copies of the bills
which have been presented to the
New York legislature. These he for
warded to Columbus, for the basis of
the work proposed.
TO SECURE A HALL.
1t is thought that when the COM
mittee holds its open meeting, to
which the public will be invited,
hall in the city will be secured in or
der that the crowd drawn by the pres
ence of Lawson, Armstrong and
Hughes, may be accommodated. The
state makes no provision for such ex-
pense, but 1t is thought the funds
would be readily forthcoming from
individuals who are interested.
1t is the purpose of those who are
preparing the bills to make them ef-
fpnfiva tInOn all oom no m fac doiuo h,,o