The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-05-11
TIMES BUREAU
At STATE CAPITOL.

AT STATE CAPITOL.
indianapolis. Ind, May lit is a /
serious question whether any of the
$50 fire insurance companies in Indiana
that belong to what is known as the
union can legally write any insurance
policies while the temporary restrain
ing order obtained in this city by At
| torney General Bingham stands against
them. This order restraints them from
! performing any act pursuant to the
combination agreement until the case
can be tried on its merits Then the
temporary restraining order will be
made permanent or dissolved entirely.
Injunction Aimed at Dean Schedule.
The main thing against which the in
! junction is directed is the use of the
/ Dean Schedule Of fire insurance rates
/ in Indiana. This is schedule Of rates
/ that has been adopted by the western
/ Union of fire insurance companies and
! governs every risk written by any Of
i these 1870 companies in this state. The
: Dean schedule does not apply to IN
dianapolts alone. but to every city,
town and county in Indiana, so that
whatever would be a violation of this
restraining order in indianapolis would
also be a violation anywhere else in
the state
Dean Schedule Everywhere.
In all of the counties there is main
tanned a local inspection bureau with
a local inspector in charge. Each agent
required to send through this bureau
his daily report on every policy writ
ten by him. This report describes the
7-fr
charged and the amount Of the pre-
MUM. The inspector keeps a record
of all of these reports and 1t is his duty
to see to it that no agent cuts the
rate. but that they all maintain the
raes fixed by he Dean schedule. It is
this fact that has caused such a howl
to go up all over the state against high
, insurance rates.
Write No Insurance Mt Capital.
Since the temporary restraining order
was issued by the court here Saturday
afternoon the Indianapolis local fire in
spection bureau has not done any in
specting, Tor 10 do so would be a vio-
Iation Of the restraining order and
would make the person doing it, liable
to punishment for contempt of court
1t was said at the inspection Office yes
terday evening that no daily reports Of
| policies written had been received from
/ agents and that none win he received
from them until after the Injunction
case filed by Attorney General Bling
| ham is settled. This. means of course
that if the agents are still writing bust
ness they have to send their reports
direct to the home offices of their com
= panies without inspection by any Ioca
q / Inspector.
f Injunction No,v in Force
t And the gurther question arises
whether any agent has any right tc
= issue a policy at the rates fixed by tn,
t Dean schedule while the restraining
s order is in force. 1t is pointed out BY
a some lawyers that when an agent
t writes a policy at the rates fixed bl
y that schedule he violates the injunc
ton. because the Dean schedule of rate.
I, itself is illegal if anything connecta,
s, with the case is Illegal The schedule
/ of rates is the ''nub" of the who'll
trouble. 1t is against that schedul
t of prices fixed by the union" of com
y panies that the suit is directed TIL
+ allegation is that the companies havr
It formed a combination or fruits fer tn
y purpose of maintaining the rates dxe,
q in the Dean Schedule. and that sueI
II combination is illegal
: May Break Up Trust.
: 1t is not known here whether the 10
cal inspectors in the other cities of tn
II state are still inspecting policies o
e, not. but it is believed here to be dang
:, erous for any Of them to do so unit
8 the outcome Of the present suit i
1t known. If the court dissolres the re
straining orler, of course, the inspector
It viii go right ahead the same as the.
g have done, but if the restraining orde
is made q permanent Injunction ther
d viii be no more Of the local inspector
II for rates win be smashed and the un
= ion or combine or trust, as you may b
t pleased to call It. will be broken III
II IN that case there will be open com
/ petition. Each company viii stan
alone.