Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-04-20
PRESIDENT ASKS
tNoUhANCr LAWS.
Urges tie Passage Of Z Lii Which
VIII Prevent Any More
Scandals.

WASHINGTON. -. c., April IL
President Roosevelt today transmitted tC
Congress an important messag re relating
to insurance legislation. Accompanying
the message were the report and rec
concentrations Of the insurance conven-
tiaG which was held in Chicago last
February. Among the recommendations
is the draft of bill which Congress Is
urged to enact into law with sucL
amendments as its wisdom may suggest.
To End Insurance Scandals.
The President urges the enactment OF
the proposed measure as, he says, We
are not to be pardoned if we fail to take
every step in our power to prevent the
possibility Of the repetition of such scan
dals as those that have occurred in con
nection with the insurance business, as
disclosed by the Armstrong committee.
Text of Presidents Message
The text of the Presidents message is
as follows:
To the Senate and House: I herewith
transmit the report and recommendations
with accompanying papers, of the insurance
convention which met in February last at
Chicago The convention was called be.
cause of the extraordinary disclosures OF
wrongful insurance methods recently made
by the Armstrong legislative committee Of
it should be called coming to me originally
from Gov. John A. Johnson of Minnesota,
through Commissioner of Insurance Thomas
u. O'Brien of that state.
Describes the Convention.
The convention consisted of about 100
governors, attorneys general and commits,
SiouerS of insurance of the states and ter
ritories of the Union The convention was
seeking to accomplish uniformity of insur.
ance legislation throughout the states and
IL, 1sf
this purpose decided to endeavor to secure
the enactment by the Congress Of the Unit.
ed States Of q proper insurance code fol
the District of Columbia, which might serve
as a model for the several states Before
adiourning the convention appointed a
committee of three attorneys general and
twelve commissioners of insurance Of the
various states to prepare and present tc
the Congress draft of a bill which should
embody the features suggested by the con.
Yention.
The convention recently met in Chicago
and in thorough and painstaking fashion
sought to prepart a bill which should be al
once protective of policy-holde and fail
and just to insurance companies, and which
should prevent the graYer evils and abuses
of the business, and at the same time fore
stall any wild drastic legislation which
would be more harmful than beneficial
The proposed bill is discussed at length in
the accompanying letter by Superintendent
Thomas e. Drake of the department Of in.
surance, In the District of Columbia.
Urges Immediate Action
/ very earnestly hope that the congress
at the earliest opportunity will enact this
bill into law, with such changes as it's
wisdom may dictate. l have no expert
familiarity with the business, but 1 have
entire faith in the right judgment and
single minded purpose of the insurance con-
vention which met at Chicago, and of the
committee of that convention which for
mulated the measure herein advocated. We
are not to be pardoned If we fail to take
every step in our power to prevent the pos
isibilty of the repetition of such scandals
those that have occurred In the insur-
sance business disclosed by the Arm
strong committee.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, April II. 1906.