Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-03-22
BILLS ARE OPPOSED
LOBBYIST AYERS DEFECTS IN IN
SURANCE MEASURES.
ONLY REFORM NEEDED
Proposed Legislation Is Too Drastic,
According to DR.. Frcke-How
Policy Holders Might Be
Given Greater Benefits.

Madison, March 21-For two hours
DR.. f. w. Fricke of New York, former
ly insurance commissioner of Wiscon-
sin and now special legislative repre-
sentative of the Northwestern Mutual
Life company of Milwaukee, address
ed the joint legislative committee on
banks and insurance in opposition to
the II bills introduced in the legis
lature embOdying the recommends
tons of the legislative insurance in
vesti%ation committee. Mr.. Fricke at
first made Il general attack on all of
the bills, and later took several of
them up in detail and figuratively tore
them to shreds.
He particularly opposed the bills
which propose to limit the amount of
loading" for expenses or the proper
ton of the premium charged that may
be used for expenses. He also at
tackled the bills requiring insurance
companies to make certain deposits
with the state to safeguard the inter
ests of their policy holders in Wiscon-
sin.
wrong way 10 Hc1oTIfls
DR.. Fricke declared that one of the
bills, If passed, would completely dis
organize the agency force of the
Northwestern and cause the company
no end of trouble and expense. He
believed that most of the reforms
sought to be accomplished could be
better secured by making some
amendments to existing laws, and he
proposed one relating to the valuation
Of policies.
Greater benefit to the policy hold
ers would be attained he said, if the
heavy state tax on life insurance com
panies were reduced or abolished and
the companies permitted to refund the
money thus expended to their policy
holders. DR.. Fricke expects to con-
sumo most of the week in presenting
his arguments to the committee.
Prof. J. w. Glover of Michigan uni
versity, the actuary who assisted the
legislative investigation committee
last summer, has been employed to
help the joint committee now sitting
and was present at the hearing.
s>@enare New Bill at Once.
AS soon as it became known that
the supreme court had declared the
Milwaukee school board law uncon-
stitutional Superintendent c. G.
Pearse, of the Cream City schools
and Secretary Frank Harbach of the
defunct school board, who happened
IN In IN, tn1
to discuss the situation with the Mil
waukee members in the legislature
and it was the general sentiment that
a bill should be prepared and intro
duced as soon as possible providing
for school board to be elected by
the common council. 1t is probable
that such a bill will be introduced
and a committee hearing had on it
some time next week. 1t is under
stood that the bill will provide that
the board shall be constituted much
the same as the present one, one-third
of its members going out of Office
every two years and their places be-
ing filled by general election. 1t was
at first proposed that the bill pro
vide for the election of the new board
at the election next month, but it
was later decided that the time would
be too short to do that.
No Auction on Capitol Bids.
The Wisconsin capitol commission
held a meeting to consider the ques-
ton of awarding contracts for the
erection of the west wing of the new
state house All of the bids were
carefully canvassed and tabulated, but
no action was taken on any of them.
In addition to the bids submitted sew
eral weeks ago the commission has
received several more. One Of the
latter is from W. A Amberg of the
Amberg Granite company, which has
quarries in Marinette county and
wants to furnish the granite for the
foundation walls of the new building.
The commission will take some action
on the bids at once. The bill direct
ing that the new capitol shall be con-
structed of marble or granite or both,
has been passed by the legislature
and the commission is now in a posi-
ton to proceed with the erection of
the building.
Asks Congress to Condemn Property.
The Wisconsin assembly committee
on federal relations reposted for adop-
ton the social-democratic resolution
asking congress to condemn and take
over all public service property that
may hereafter pass into the hands of
ho
courts.
Court Bars Golf Club.