The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-25

the matter of the telephone business in this state and find that the Southern New England Telephone company has a monopoly of the telephone business in this state, and that, in our judg- ment, the present laws pertaining to the telephone business are unwise.
 We therefore recommend that, if it is the desire of this association that there be competition in the telephone business, the legislative committee be instructed to draw bill and the same to present to the legislature of the state of Connecticut for the repeal of such law or laws as restrict competi- ton in the telephone business in Con- necticut."
 E. S Valentine, of Derby, submitted a minority report on the matter of re- pealing the telephone law MT. Valen- tine said that the present law does not necessarily give the Southern New Eng land. Telephone company a monopoly, as it allows other companies to operate where it can be shown there is neces- sity of another company for the benefit of the people.
 Immediately after Mir. Valentine sub mitted his report the delegates voted to postpone discussion on the telephone matter until after recess.
 The delegates are about evenly split up on the question of repeating the tel ephone law, so it was stated. It was claimed that the Southern New Eng land Telephone company has canvassed the delegates all over the state and as a result a change of sentiment relative to letting rival companies operate in the telephone field in this state has been brought about in State Business Mems, organization.
 A. M, Cooper. of Bridgeport, present. ed report from the committee on in- surance In this the insurance commit tee reported that it had bills in process of composition whereby there will be created state Insurance board of ap- peals, to which any aggreved policy holder may apply for relief from bur densome rates and conditions. The com mittee has also a bill prohibiting any fire insurance company that writes in- surance amounting to more than 80 per cent. of its surplus to policyholders in the confagration district 0l any city from doing business in this state. A bill was also presented requiring fire insurance companies to hold it's rein surance reserve as a trust fund for the benefit of its policyholders. The report further says
 "The most glaring faults of the pres ent system of the insurance business, we feel, ought to be attacked al this ] time. We may proceed to still further | improve conditions."s
 This report produced considerable dis cussion, but was accepted.
 The report of Frederick w. Mills, of South Manchester, state treasurer, showed receipts amounting to S915.33, and the expenses $544,99. There is a balance on hand of $390S4
 President Atwater's annual report follows:
 Gentlemen, Delegates to the Eighth
 Annual Meeting of the State Bust
 ness Mems Association
 In reviewing the reports of our pre- vious meetings I am inclined to think that an error has been made regarding the number of state meetings that have been held by this association. Our secretary in sending out his no- tice has called you together for the eighth annual meeting, but, according to the statistics and records which we have, this is really the ninth meeting of the state organization, as our first meeting was held in January, 1899, at ' New Haven, when the organi2ati ton was perfected by delegates from New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford, Norwalk, Danbury, Waterbury and New Lon don.
 When l was elected a year ago to the office of president l found, according to the report of my predecessor, MT Hewes, an association consisting of twentyfour local associations, with a total membership of about 5000 mem- l bers.
 To-day I am proud and pleased to 1 tell you that We have a state organiza- tion consisting of twenty-seven local associations, with a combined member ship of nearly 4,0OO members. ] During the years we have organized local associations in Guilford, Nauga- tuck and Wethersfeld, all of which have to-day become members 'of the state association. and plans are already made to organize other associations within a short time.
 regret to be obliged to report tc you that one association, viz, Putnam seems to have fallen from grace and l has not been identified with the state association in any way for the past two years Therefore, we really have only twenty-six local associations ir