The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-04-20
|U fkEvEN MORE
SCANDAL He SAYS
President Roosevelt in Special
Message to Congress on
Insurance.
HE URGES LEGISLATION
I'VE Are Not to Be Pardoned If We
Fail to Take Every Step in
Our Power" Says
Roosevelt.
HE URGES LEGISLATION

Washington, April 19.-Presiden
Roosevelt today transmitted to con-
,gress an important message relating tic
insurance legislation.
Accompanying the message were the
report n recommendations of the in
iisurance convention which was held in
.Chlcago last February. Among the
recommendations is a draft of a bill
which congress is urged to enact into
law with such amendments as it's wis
dom may suggest. The president urges
the enactment of the proposed meas
lure, as he says:
w are not to be pardoned if we
rfa1l to take every step in our power
TO prevent the possibility of a repeti-
ton of such scandals as those that
nave occurred in connection with the
insurance business as disclosed by the
Armstrong committee"
Why Convention Was Called.
The text of the presidents message
follows:
To the Senate and House of Rep
resentatlves: | herewith transmit the
report and recommendations with ac-
companying papers of the insurance
convention which met in February last
at Chicago. The convention was called
because of the extraordinary disclos-
hres of wrongful insurance methods
recently made by the Armstrong legis-
:atlVe committee of the state of New
york; n suggestion that it should be
Failed coming to me originally from
Governor Johnson of Minnesota
through Commissions of Insurance
Ihomas d.. O'Brien of that state. The
convention consisted of about 100 gov
ernors. attorneys general and commits
sioners of insurance of the states and
territories of the union. The CONVEX
Ilon was seeking to accomplish uni
tormity insurance legislation through
out the states and territories, and as a
prime Sten toward fbot ,,,,rpo.o .la,;l
ca TO endeavor to secure the enactment
by congress of a proper insurance code
for the District of Columbia, which
might serve as a model for the several
states.
Work of the Committee.
Before %adjourning the convention
appointed a committee of three attor-
ineys general n twelve commissioners
OF insurance of various states to pre-
pare and nave presented to congress a
bill Which should embody the features
suggested by the convention. The COM
tmittee recently met in Chicago, and in
Ia thorough and painstaking fashion
sought to prepare a bill which should
,be at once protective of the policyhold-
ters and fair n just to the insurance
companies. and which should prevent
Igraver evils and abuses of business and
drastic legislation which would be more
harmful than beneficial. The proposed
bill is discussed at length in the ac-
letter by Superintendent
Thomas E. Drake, of the department OF
OF the District of Columbia.
y very sincerely hope congress at the
earliest opportunity will enact this bill
Into law with such changes as its Wis
may dictate. l have no expert ia
miliarity with the business, but l have
entire faith in the right judgment and i
singleminded purpose of the convention
WnlCh met in Chin1p0 and fhn oo,,~,;+
tee of that convention which formu-
lated the measure aerein advocated.
w are not to be pardoned if we
fail to take every step in u power 10
prevent the possibility of a repetition
Of such candals as those which oc-
CURED in connection with the insur-
ance business disclosed by the Arm
committee"