Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-07-01

A side view OF reform occaslonhiiy
raises doubts as 70 her Projections.
The beautiful creature that dwells In
the worlds best idealism and in the
advertising matter Of her press
agents sometimes on close acQuaint-
ance appears a bit "frowsy." 1t is
too bad.
A case in point is the development
of the Kansas insurance laws. Kan
sas has been reforming the insurance
companies by statute. Every prop
erty owner Is now receiving, along
with his notices Of expiration, a state
ment of the impossibily under the
new state law of making any depar-
ture from the fixed rate-even to the
extent of scaling down the agents
commission.
Kansas has been whanginE away
for free and open competition in in
surance rates. Besides the pain OF
the money 1t costs, to have combined
rates now protected b. statute, 1t IL
little embarrassing to have a gen.
Grafton OF steaming hot indignation
run off In this fashion.
From a local standpoint, we are
not dealing with statute book
theory, but withan insurance rate
condition. The man with big prop
erty to insure in Ottawa-property
big enough to have commanded the
competitive interests of the agents
heretofore---can get nothing more ex-
hiIirating out of his proposition for
business now than look at the state
law to which has been attached q
copy Of the old Eldridge rate book
as the established rates Of fire insur-
ance companies. Not only Is the
local insurance agent restrained by
his conscience from offering a COM
petitive rate to get the business, but
he is held in considerable check by
the fact that If he does cut the rate,
or split his commission, or adopt
some of the ordinary devices of COM
petition to land business for himself,
he is liable to fine or imprisonment,
or fine and Imprisonment. Hereto
fore, the insurance BIZ siness OF Kan
sas has been divided between two
classes-union companies, which sub
scribed to a common table Of risks,
while holding themselves open to
meet outside competition, and nom
union companies, which had their
separate notions as to the risks. Be
tween the two, there was fair state
of competition, and the Eldrige rate
book was less Of restriction than
1t otherwise might have been. I'm
der the present law, the fixed rate is
the fixed rate, and there is no devia-
ton therefrom.
1t seems hardly possible that a
provision Of this kind could have been
worked through while the insurance
department was in the attitude OF
fighting "rate books and agreed
rates as impossible agents OF monop-
oily in Kansas. The new law Is said
to have had its-origin in the insurance
department. AS its terms have been
interpreted by insurance men to OF
tawa property owners 1t could not
have been a stronger law for the
union" insurance idea in Kansas ii
the union companies had dictated
it's terms themselves.
There may be arguments in the
laws favor to show wherein it is not
an act in promotion of fire insurance
monopoly and for the purpose OF
humping the property owner. The
public would be glad to hear that al
Judgment in the face Of rising rates
and iron-cIad restrictions, until the
argument Is made.
There is no doubt but that the.
insurance action was taken in the In
terest of reform. Specifications are
now awaited , to demonstrate wheth-i
er reform looks like this, or whether
she sent a observation-disclosures Her
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