The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-21
J|URISI sCH[E'ME'D
10 0 EYlADE.A LAW
Marshall Of Supreme Court o1
Wisconsin Asked for Rebate
on Life Insurance.

on Life Insurance.
Milwaukee, July 21.-Justice Rouiet
u. Marshall of the supreme court of
Wisconsin was the high court official re-
the Wisconsin legislative life insur-
ance investigation committee when
State Manager j. G.. Albright Of the
Union Central Life Insurance company
OF Cincinnati produced correspondence
showing that supreme court, official
asked that the life insurance agents
commission foIr. collection Of the prem
ium on his policy be paid to him.
dence was vouched for by Justice Mar
shall over the long distance telephone
late yesterday afternoon. The Justice,
however, thought there was nothing ir-
regular in any of the letters.
The original correspondence was pro-
duced by Mr.. Albright late. yesterday
The letters soliciting the commission
for collection is as follows:
- In Black and White. ~
State Of Wisconsin, Supreme Court,
Madison, Wis, Oct. /, 1902,-Union Cen
trail Life Insurance Company, Cincinnati,
Ohio-Gentlemen: hold policy No.
2S2009 in your company, on which there
falls due on the 18th day OF this month
the annual premium OF $671.40 am not
at present advised as to whether I will
be obliged to remit to the principal office.
| Not knowing that you have any agent
! In this city, and supposing that if you
| have such agent he has no claims upon
you for a percentage for the collection
of my premium, I suggest that you send
my receipt to the First National bank
lNf NT0 @{~@o H.
for the S67140 and instructions to de-
liver the receipt upon payment of &the
draft on or before the due date Of the
premium, and that in such case you per-
| NIT the bank to take the usual agents
commission for the collection, with PEI
mission to pay the same to me. '3s'1 I
| My policy came from an agent entire
ly outside Of my circle Of business &C
quatntances. I see no reason, myself,
why cannot be permitted to make the
payment IN the manner suggested, but If
there are reasons of course you will
write me suggesting where to send the
| money. Very truly yours, .~,...., .> ~
r. D. Marshall.
Judges Memory logged.
This letter was referred by the home
office Of the insurance company to State
Manager Albright of Wisconsin, = who
wrote to his superior officer criticizing
the judge, and also wrote to. the Justice
informing him that rebating was forbid;
den. by law in Wisconsin. The final.
ahswer,, of Justice Marshall writteh to
| Madison, Wis, Oct. ill., 1902: x --JJ,s JJ,s q.
Albright-Dear Sir: Here is the draft'for
payment on my policy. l. am not unac-
auainted with the law TO which You refer,
On reflection you will probably see that
there Is nothing in the law to prevent
your company from. paying to any bank
any. collection charges you see fit. I do
not take your letter very seriously. 1t
would not be out Of place for your COM
pany to establish an agency outside Of
milwaukee,. Yours, R. D. Marshall.
| Makes Clean Breast Of It.
,*"I wrote the letters which were read
Ibefore the life insurance investigating
committee Thursday said Justice r.
D. Marshall, over the long distance tele-
phone from: his farm in Kilbournelate
EatWI I wrote, as the letters. will sheW ,
that the company had no local agent In
Madison; that did not know wheresto
send the money for the premium and
submitted to the general office Of the
company the propriety of allowing me
to pay the premium into the bank and
receive the usual agent IS collection fee
back, suggesting that they $50 direct
the bank if it seemed proper to them
HThey evidently did not deem. it
Iproper and I sent the money in full.
That is all there is. to it." ..S
No Chance to Impeach. -
The disclosures were the subject Of
1 conversations very generally yesterday,
tand rumors Of all SORTS fill the air. I'm
Ipeachment proceedings were hinted at
in some quarters, but the members Of
the insurance investigating committee
scoff at such a proposition. sf
"The very worst construction that
can BE placed on the incidert,p said
one Of the committee, els that a Judge
attempted to find lawful way in which
the law might be evaded and suggested
it to the agent. There is absolutely
nothing upon which any criminal ac-
tion can be based.
"This incident, however. shows how
far reaching the practice Of rebating is
to TO- correct m the the e evil by law. The y only T
way I can suggest for remedying the
evil is by cutting down the agent IS
commissions so that they cannot afford
to give. rebates.' .-.-. r
| Had Agents at Madison:
The records in the state Insurance
| department show that the Union Cen
trail company had three agents id Madi-
son or credited to Madison in 1902, the
year Justice Marshall asked for a, com
mission. The records shaw that L. A.
Anderson and H. w. Adams, both of
Madison, held agents licenses for the
icompany from March /, 1902, to March
| l, 1908, and Martin E. SERVER of Madi-