New-York tribune., 1907-06-26
INSURANCE BILL FIGHT.
Effort to Restrict IctiUitics of
Acents FruitIess in assembly.
ra- Te,agro,h - The Tribune. J


Albany. June 25-The Assembly to-day passed the
Fancker insurance bil designed 10 prevent the use
b. Insurance officials OF the agency forces 10 llii
eaee votes for the administration ticket wlth
the Cohalan amendments adopted by the senate
which many here hold practically nullliy lhe oIis
tnal bill Asscmblyman Rogers, member OF the
insurance investigating committee, fou6nt Nlgot-
ously TO kill she Cohalan amendments, but was
beaten by the Assembly machine freaictions s
made freely By the friends O: the origII.ai ni
that Governor Hughes will not sign the measure
81 the form in which it was passed.
This bill had been passed by the Assembly rs
originally introduced by Mr. Rogers In the Sen
ate il amended TO allow agents OF insurance
companies 10 solicit votes for any trustees ticket
after business hours" This amendment, which Is
Caid q have come from the insurance companies
and which was offered by Senator Collalan. Mr..
Rogers said would effectively emaSculate the bin
5ir Roge-s. who is chairman OF the Assembly
Insurance Committee, offered an amendment to-day
restoring the measure 10 its original FORM which
be sa!d. was approved by the Governor ,1 ana de-
sired by him. Assemblymen AVeriH ana CuVilIler
we're the only Assemblymen 20 support MI Rog-
crs. while Asscmblymen Moreiand, Prehnce Oll-
yer and others spoke against the bill In its orig
inai form. and It passed as already amended
by S. 10 =. 49,,
THE argu.asat advanced by Tho advocates of the
F;onsfc amendment was that there was imperative
need of legislation ana that II this pill was not
Iassad as amended in the Senate II would propapy
result n the Of the bill itself bringing with
4; severe criticism OF the Assembly Tor blocking
much needed legislation.
= Mr.. Rogers's amendment ShoWed trldl
e. WAS lost by a decisive majority. Mr. Rogers
then moved 10 strike out the enacting clause OF the
b itself, declaring that it was so emasculated as
&C render il ureiess. He supported by Assem-
blyrnan CUvillier who declared that he woulc not
stand for the Senate amendment, which he said
was put in II by the large insurance companies
ard Cor the benefit of those companies
IN explaining his vote IN the bill AssembIyInan
Oliver attacked Mr.. Rogers. indulging in sharp
personalities. He intimated, as on a previous
occasion, that the amendment offered by the chalr-
man OF the Assembly Insurance Committee was
prompted by that notorious Boston gambler, Mr..
Lawson. and Mr.. Unternsyer. OF New YORK CITY
This led 10 even sharper retort from MT
Rogers, The minority leader said he mas per
sisted in his ungentlemanly conduct toward me-
u object to that language roared Mr.. Oliver
~ sav" continued Rogers imperturbably that
she gentleman from New York has. as usual. at
tackled me in ungentemanly way lie mas IN
ferred before tlis that my amendment was IN tile
interest of Lawson and Untermyer Ihat IS OF
course false and ridiculous. ! remember the
slime when this gentleman Mr. OlYer' ap-
pea-ed before tEe insurance committee nos IN 'he
interest Of policyholders but for pohcy shops:
would advise the gentleman TO De more careful OF
his statements in the future
In a statement made by Mr.. Rogers this after
noon. ke said:
.arhe idea was that the administration ticket
could and should carry on its campaigns through
q campaign committee, whict, could I've organizer
entirely outside of the officers and agents. whose
primary duty is to conduct the business OF the
company and not mix up in The election contro-
versies Subdivision "a of the bill finally sub
1nitted 10 the Senate and Assembly embodied this
prohibition il terms which were carefully phrasec.
While Il prohibited officers and agents from so
hciting and proxies il left them free other
wise 10 participate so that they might meet any
false untrue allegations arguments, and do
such other things proper 10 place the
true situation affairs before the policyholders.
The Senate proceeded forthwith TO emascu!ate
Subdivision "a by making it apply only 10 such
agents salaried. thus leaving the larger
part Of the agency force. who work commits
sons. unaffected, and also by limiting the prohibi
Ton against soliciting votes 10 business hours In
brief, the seeming prohibition of vote soliciting by
the Senate amendment really amounts to no pro-
hibition at all.
After the Assembly had passed its bill without
amendment ana the Senate had passed its bill
With the emasculatirg amendment, the question
naturally arose I'm mind whether the
Epcnsibility should he thrown upon the Senate for
having no legislation on the subject this year or
whether it would be better because of the many
other good features embodied in the bill which
there was no controversy for the Assembly pass
the Senate amended bill. I naturally consulted the
Governor. He said in substance that at the request
OF the subcommittee he had given it such ad-
vice as he could relative to framing this BILL that
afber seeking such advice and Incorporating many
of his suggestions, particularly with reference TO
this very matter in the bill. the Senate had seen
it to emasculate subdivision "a; that he should
decline assume any further responsibility in the
matter; that the LEGISLATURE must determine for
1tseli how II would solve the situation and that II
the Legislature At TO pass the emasculated
bill It must consider itself solely responsible for
whatever consequences might follow.
''ThereupOn ! went before the Rules Committee
when all the members present and verbally
requested them 20 report the Fancher bill with an
amendment restoring il 10 its original form They
declined to do this, but instead reported the bill
as amended by the Senate. This not done at
denied that the eInascuated amendment inserted
by the Senate adopted ar the suggestion of the
companies-that IS say, Of the administration
and officers. They do not deny that they regard
the active participation OF agents in elections
an important factor in the perpetuation Of the
isting administrations They do willing
10 leave the results OF election the free ana
untramnei}ed expression of the pollcyholders,
ee content 10 conduct the campaign behalf Of
Ire administration through outside campaign
committee organized the same footing and with
equaI facilities as that enjoyed by an independent
pocyhoidcrs' organization.
THE Assembly, under the whip of the House
HEADERS, has seen fit to pass the enasculated bill
against my opposition. I resolved to stand by the
original BILL and the views of the Governor en-
bodied therein, even though 1 compelled TO
stand alone IN 50 doing"