The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-18
BARNES STANDS PAT.
Tells Texas Insurance Company to
Keep Out of Kansas.

Reciprocity between Kansas and
Texas In insurance matters has been
declared off, and Kansas has opened up
war OF retaliation on the Texas in
surance department which recently
disbarred all mutual insurance com
panies of other states from doing bust
ness in Texas
Inc declaration of war came through
the runng OF Insurance Commissioner
SnarleS Barnes that the Standard Live
stock Insurance company of Dallas
Iexas, must not try to write Insurance.
In Kansas. The company Objected
stre I to this ruling, and has is
sued a circular headed: 1.-THE Standard
Live Stock Insurance company has a
legal right to operate in Kansas Agents
not subject to a fine or penalty of anv
nature. The circular consists of COP
les of letters which have passed he
tween the insurance Commissioner
and the company
Ihe Texas company can't come in
70 Kansas and do business" said Mr..
Barnes this morning Our laws on the
subject of admitting COMPANIES 70 DO
business in this state are recinrocaI
II state bars out our mutual com
panies from doing business in that
state we Will also disbar the mutual
companies of that state from entering
Kansas. 1 have nothing to retract in
my letters to the company. If the com
pany attempts to do anv business in
Kansas, shall have the agent prose-
will not desire to place any agent in
jeopardy of punishment for the few
dollars in premiums which would he
received. The penalty for acting as
agent Ior an an unauthorized company is
a fine OF $500 and Imprisonment
The company when notified that If
must not solicit business in Kansas.
placed the matter in the hands of its
attorneys. ana the attorneys wrote to
superintendent Barnes and said:
I'VE trust that after thinking this
matter over you will retract and in the
best way you can remedy the injury
you have done. The idea has become
prevalent, we know that an Insurance.
company not tied hand and foot is dis
honest, but you have no right to say
that cannot do business in Kansas
SIMPLY because you are insurance
superintendent. You must show this
business in Kansas. If you will show
me any such statute the company will
promptly withdraw, and we challenge
prosecution under the law you have
This is but a sensible proposition.
LAS before stated, the company is
young; 1t is making money and paying
all losses within ten days. We chal-
lenge anyone in the world to show that
this is not true; that is. to find loss
not Irrigated that was not paid within
ten days from time of proof or loss
We depend upon the integrity of the
management for the business we do,
and could not expect to get business
unless we showed it. Therefore, we in
wife the prosecution from you.
IF you see fit, after investigation, to
retract and remedy the harm you have
done, all we'll and good. If not, until
legislation is had in your state regulat-
ing live stock insurance companies
which we invite, we shall attempt with
all the power that is within our hands
to enforce our rights under the present
Kansas law.
Trusting that you will not be forced
to any drastic measures, we await
favors in regard to the same'
To this letter Mr.. Barnes sent the
following "ultimatum:"
I'm reply to your letter of Novem-
Der IS, 1 desire to call your attention
to the fact that insurance department
of Texas has ruled that no mutual in
surance company organized in an
other state can be admitted to trans
act business in Texas. 1 assure you
that your determination to make
fight in Kansas will be met by the
same effort to prevent your company
from operating in this state. I think
1t unnecessary to engage in prolonged
controversy by mail upon the subject.