The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-01-29
Insurance Agents are
Urged to Stand by the
Trust.
FIGHTING AYCOCK BILL
The Big Insurance Trusts Arc Work
ing Up Il Scare Among Insur-
ancc Agents.

The usual thing has happened The
big fire insurance companies, which
have organized q trust-(and one of
the worst trusts in eXistence) under
the name of THE South Eastern
Tariff Association" have sent down
the line a terrible scare among their
agents and told them that the Aycocl
bin would injure the agents.
This is on a par with the widow
and orphan plea put up by railroads
which say if YOU reduce rates YOU Will
hurt the widows and orphans who own
stock in our companies. See?
1t is always "the little fellow the
trusts say they are trying to protect.
The Aycock bin would give a blow to
the insurance trust but it would ult
mately and surely result in cheaper
rates in North Carolina. and the very
agents who are now being scared
would soon gain in business and in in
dependence.
The big trust insurance companies
are ''layin low and sayin nothing
and are calling upon their agents to
plead for the continued existence of
the insurance trust on the ground that
the Aycock bill would hurt North
Carolina agents. No doubt these
agents are sincere. They know and
have felt The terrible power exercised
by the insurance trust and they are
afraid it will hurt them and they have
had a hurry call' and sent out the
following letter to all agents:
Hcidsville. n. c., Jan. end, 1907
To the Fire Insurance Agents of North
Carolina:
The "Aycock Bill" now being con-
sidered by the Legislature. contem-
plates driving the southeastern Tariff
Association out of the State. While
the agents have their own petty an
noYances to contend with. Yet the bus
mess generally is on u more satiSfac-
tory basis and the rates are lower than
the citizens of North Carolina have
ever enjoyed. Instead of being imposed
upon by the South Eastern Tariff AS
sociation charging eNhorbitant rates,
which is lower than any of the States
in the jurisdiction Of the Tariff -Asso~
Ciation-a condition due to our present
excellent insurance laws.
The bill prohibits companies or
agents from combining to fix rates and
if passed business would be 50 utterly
dCmOralized that it would bring about
rate wars, With their attendant 'knocl<
down and -drag-out'' effects. and to
the agents, a case of the survival of
the tittest'-the agent having the most
capital driving his competitors into
bankruptcy. This process of freezing
out the little man would soon bring
about Capitalization of the insurance
business which is the very essence of
trust methods.
While Gimed at the companies Chat
are able to st2nd an eNterminating rate
war) the blow falls heaviest on the
agents who are the least able to bear
it.
There are approximately 500 agcn-
cics in North Carolina and many more
dependent upon the success of these
agencies. and if this vast bod~ of
workers Will do the needful we may be
able to defeat this bill that is so inim-
ical TO our interests.
Therefore, please write TO your SEN
ator and Representatives at once.
and ask for their aid and support III
defeating this measure, that was OBJ
viously conceived under a misappre-
hcnsion of the facts With this done
/ do not fear the results
Faithfully yours
FRANCIS WOMACE. President