The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-08-23
THE TRUST PLEA
IS NOT POPULAR
OUTSIDE INSURANCE COMPANIES
OPPOSE CARROLL.
BUT PEOPLE ARE SATISFIED.
The Blanchard Law Is Popular Be
cause It Has Saved Property
Owners of the State Thous-
ands of Dollars.

Des Mpines, Aug. 21.-Dell Huntoon,
for three consecutive sessions the lob
byist of the non-Iowa insurance com.
panies at the sessions of the Iowa
general assembly. has been endeavor.
ing to organize fight of the insur-
ance men against the reelection OF
Auditor of State B. F. Carroll.
Just how successful Mr.. Huntoon
has been is not known, but it is known
that several to whom he has gone
with his proposition have turned him
down. Mr.. Huntoon, lobbyist for fire
insurance companies organized and
having their Offices in other states,
has gone to Iowa fire insurance and
fraternal life insurance companies In
Des Moines with the proposition that
IL they would join in fight against
Auditor Carroll he would put 100
agents in the field, which would be
one in each county, to do aggressive
political work against the state audi
tor
The fraternal insurance companies
have seemed an especially fruitful
field to those who would compass the
defeat of Auditor Carroll, because OF
the fact that in the membership OF
these fraternals in the state there are
about 200, 900 voters. Whether any of
these have Joined in the fight and TAX
en- up with the scheme is not known,
but it is known that some have re-
fused to listen to it, just as the fire
and old line life men of the state have
in number Of instances refused to
listen.
The Cause Of Animosity.
The thing that seems to have ARGUS
ed the enmity of the fire insurance
lobby is the attitude auditor Carroll
has taken against the repeal of the
anti-compact law, the provisions of
the law as to pro-rating of losses and
the anti-co-insurance law. All OF
these laws now on the statute books
the insurance lobby would like to see
repealed, their heart is set on it, and
large number of witnesses have
been rushed before the insurance COM
mission to testify in favor of their
repeal. So far as is known the Iowa
companies are satisfied with these
laws as they are and are willing, at
least, that they should remain UNI
changed. Fire insurance companies
outside the state, however, would like
to see them repealed.
The Blanchard law is the law that
prohibits insurance companies doing
business in Iowa from getting togeth-
er and agreeing on rate of premium
that shall be charged for insurance.
It is an antitrust law as applied to
insurance companies and the state of
Iowa has spent great deal of money,
successfully, in prosecuting a case
through the supreme court of the
United States in which the law was
held to be constitutional and is now
in full force and eHect in the state.
The law according to those well in
formed on insurance matters has
saved the people of Iowa many thous-
ands of dollars in the cost of fire in
surance.
A Legal Fight.
1t was through the enorts Of the in
surance companies that an injunction
was secured against Auditor Carroll
to restrain him from enforcing the
anti-compact law and the insurance
companies fought desperately through
the supreme court in an endeavor TO
keep the injunction from being dis
solved. On the best of authority the
insurance rates increased from so to
20 per cent during the time when the
auditor was under an injunction not
to enforce the anti-compact law. Tes-
timony has been given during the
sessions Of the insurance commission
to show that since the law was held
to be constitutional and the injunction
against the state auditor dissolved the
rates have gone down in some in
stances from 80 cents a thousand for
one year to 60 cents thousand for