Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-01-30
REFORM MEASURES
GIVEN APPROVAL
sENATE DISCUSSION OVER sHER-
ifs BILL SHOWS SURPRISING
TENDENCY TO AcoUlEscE IN
THE NEW MEASURE.

turn was taken yesterday in the In
evitable fight of the insurance people
TO undo some of the work of the past
In legislation to protect Iowa policy
holders. Representative Harding In
troduced bill to legalize the violation
Of the Blanchard anti-compact law.
The first section of the bill provides
that
1T shall be lawful for fire insurance
companies authorized to do business
In the state of Iowa to collect statis-
tics, eliminate as far as possible the
fire hazard, reduce the fire waste, fix
and apportion upiform rates for fire,
lightning and tornado insurance fairly
among the people of the state, and
prevent discrimination or favoritism
in the apportionment of the cost Of
fire, lightning and tornado insurance
to the public
The bill authorizes convention Of
representatives Of insurance COM
panies to be held with the head of the
insurance department and the attor-
ney general and it also authorizes for
nation Of "lpcaI boards for the main
tenance and enforcement of the rates
and rules established" by the COM
panies.
A short time ago local daily paper
which maintains commercial depart
ment published modest news item,
which was evidently furnished by the
insurance interests the substance Of
which was that the companies had CIV
en- up hope Of securing the direct ap-
peal of the Blanchard anti-compact
law but would try to circumventfit in
some other way. 1t also stated they
had decided upon making a fight for
retention Of the insurance department
under the present official in charge.
sheriff's Specific Duties.
The senate discussion over the bill
TO give the sheriffs specific duties as
TO enforcement of law and especially
to obligate them to engage in de-
tective work and to ferret out crime
and to file information where a crime
has been committed or where the
sheriff has reason to believe a crime
has been committed, showed a surpris-
ing tendency to acquiesce in the re-
form measures which have been set
down in the official program for this
general assembly. A committee amend
ment tackled to the bill provides that
the county attorney may direct a
sheriff to make special investigation
and report thereon and that under
such circumstances the county can
pay a reasonable fee for expenses In
Cured. Even this did not cause re-
sentiment, though Senator Frudden
pointed out it might open the way to
presenting large bills. 1t was admit
ted by the author of the bill, Senator
Cosson, that in writing it he had his
ltory liquor laws especially, though
other laws were violated without any
Effort on the part of the chosen officers
Of the law to prevent violation.
The AntI-eompact Law.
The chief grievance of the insurance
interests against Mr.. Roe, who had
been for six years at the head of the
insurance department, was with re-
gard to the anticompact law. Judge
Mcpherson had held unconstitutional
a similar statute In Nebraska and the
insurance department then said he
would not appeal. Then he held the
iQWa anti-compact law illegal and at
once the companies commenced to re-
organize the old local boards which
were declared to be legal. But Mr.
Roe insisted upon appealing the case
10 the United States supreme court
and when this was done the Iowa law
was upheld. The companies now claim
that this anti-compact law is exceed
ingly burdensome, that it has had the
effect Of materially decreasing the
gloss amount received from fire in
surance policies and that rates In
Iowa are lower than ever before be-
cause of the inability of the companies
to meet and fix rates.
The bill just introduced would be in
effect repeal of the Blanchard anti
compact law, and its introduction is
taken to mean that the companies are
prepared for pretty fight all along
the line.
First Contest From Clinton County
The first of the contest committees
to report was that in the contest from
Clinton country. The committee re-
Gontinued on page ~