Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-17
DRAWS LESSON
OF GREAT FIRE
JOHN LANDERS RELATES HIS
EXPERIENCES
DISCUSSES INSURANCE LAWS IN
THIS STATE
Dean of Underwriters Explains Ter
rifle Strain Imposed on Best Conn
panies by the San Franz
cisco Disaster

John Landers of San Francisco is at
the Hotel Alexandria. To the average
citizen or tourist this may mean little
ested in the life underwriters conven-
tion and he will at once take notice.
For John Landers is notable figure
in the insurance world. and especially
at this weeks convention. Being the
doyen of all the insurance men-life,
fire or marine-on the coast, he would,
for that alone, be prominent at these
meetings, but he comes from San Fran
cisco loaded with an unusual fund OF
information, from the insurance stand
point, on the disaster of 1906. No man
is better qualified to tell what 1t meant
to the companies, how 1t made them
sweat blood, or what lessons have come
out of 1t for the policyholder as well
as the company.
Throughout the week Mr.. Landers
will be surrounded by eager question
ers who will wish to benefit by his FUND
of experience. While the San Fran
cisco conflagration primarily affected
the fire insurance companies, 1t was
test of tremendous importance for all
insuring methods. The life underwrit-
ers are anxious to learn of this at f1rst
hand. When they learn that John
Landers is at the convention they will
make every day his busy day.
Among California insurance men
John Landers is known as the dean of
Pacific coast insurance" because no one
else approaches him in that regard.
He established, so far as it goes, the
California system of insurance regula-
tion, drafting in 1868 the law establish
Ing definite insurance regulation in this
state. He has had fifty-five years of
experience in insurance work and more
than forty of them in California. AL
WAYS a close student and thorough
dissectionist of insurance affairs he has
been known for q long time as one of
the leading authorities in that line. This
reputation has been particularly en-
hanced by the 1906 confiagration, and
Mr. Landers was able at that time to
use his position materially to the as
sistance of his fellow citizens by Sc
curing proper adjustment of San Fran
cisco claims with foreign companies.
Mr.. Landers talked freely to a Herald
reporter last night regarding the re-
suits of his observations, particularly
as a result of the San Francisco dis
aster; more freely, in fact, than he has
since that event.
81 am hoping" he said, "that one
benefit from this convention will be a
realization of the Importance of bring
lIlR lIC la VS. VI SdlllOi
up to date. We ought to be in the pro-
cession with New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and other states, yet as
matter of fact the insurance laws of
our state are crude as compared with
what they should be. There are fla
grant injustices which affect the policy
holder no less than the companies.
and they are at present without the
least excuse for their existence.
Tax Is Unjustlflable
''For instance, our law taxing the
life insurance companies 1 per cent
of the gross income has absolutely no
reason for remaining in force There
are states where this tax is imposed
which are deeply in debt, and which
must turn to every available source OF
revenue. That is not the case In Cali
fornia, which is out Of debt and has
not a dollar of bonds outstanding.
More than that, the income Of the
state insurance department is so much
larger than its expenses that 1t is now
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