The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-20

IS NECESSARY
MlNNESOTA'S INSURANCE IN,
MISSIONER CONDEMNS
PRESENT DISSlMILARITY
IN STATE SUPERVISORY lNsup
ANcE LAWS-URGES NECss.
SiTY OF REFORMING.

WASHINGTON. ID. c., Jan. 19-De.
hclaring that expense is the only resu,t
to the life insurance policy holder
from the present great dissmilartv
of state supervisory laws, John 4
Hardigan, Commissioner of Insurance
OF Minnesota, urged at the third an.
nual meeting of the Association of
Life Insurance presidents today that
steps should be taken to obtain uni
fcrmity.
Certain uniform insurance laws OK.
ist in a number of states and certain
requirements are the same, as for in
stance, the form of annual report"
said Mr.. Hartigan, but the multiple.
ty of other requirements is as great.
almost, as is the number of states
This lack of uniformity is exasperatIng
both to the departments and the COM
panies.
"The work of the department is in
creased and the result of this work
diminished on account of the diverse
demands of different states A know
ledge of the laws of the home state
must be supplemented by a thorough
familiarity with the laws of all other
states, as companies are governed
sometimes by the laws of the home
state and sometimes by those of the
licensing state. A company comply
ing strictly with the law of one CON-
E1onwealth, may find itself, on that
account, a lawbreaker in another As
different state laws prescribe different
standards for admitted assets, the an
divergence as published in different
places. If for the annoyance caused
sating benefits to the policyholders, it
might be tolerated but of these there
are-none. The only result to the policy
holder is increased cost Of supervision
which increase he must bear"
After relating various efforts that
have been made to obtain uniformity
since the convention of insurance COM
missioners was organized in 1871 and
after stating that the greatest ac-
complishment in the line of uniformity
was the enactment within the last
few years in more THAI twenty states
of the laws known as the COMMITTEE
Of Fifteen Bills" the commissions
said:
eff the causes for existing lack o.
uniformity have been properly and cor
rectly set forth, then the following
remedies are apparent: Action on one
subject at time; agreement between
supervising officials and company rep
resentatives on proposed laws anu
amendments to existing laws; CEN
trail bureau in touch with the leglsia-
lures; education of policy holders anu
appeal for their support; proper insight
into the needs of the business.
"The policy holder must be impress
ed with the idea that everything that
affects a company adversely anec'S
him in like manner. In considering
laws that may be uniformaly ADOPT
ed, personal, selfish desires and arnDl'-
ions must be eliminated. Only sue"
laws can be generally enacted ana re-
tanned as tend to the Improvement oi
the business as whole and any ID"
that will have this effect must receive
the support of companies, departments -
and policyholders. Where laws arc
the same interpretations may vary
I think I can assure you that the next
convention of insurance commission
ers will take up the matter of uniform
rulings and Interpretation of existins
laws. Never before have the depart
ments worked so tremendously To-
gether and the outlook is bright lol
more complete and more effective Gu
operation"