Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-24
COMMITTEE APPOINTED
TO SECURE INFORMATION
RESOLUTION Providing for investigation
Appropriates Three Hundred Dol
lars to oefray Expenses-captsIn
Berkeley Explains Status and De-
clses Th,re viii be No Compromise

With every one OF the thirteen mem
bers present voicing his hearty APP
Lroyai OF the course taken by Com
monweaith's Attorney Berkeley 10
causing the arrest of the officials oil
the Southeastern Underwriters As
ISOLATION. theScommon council, SIT
TING last night in special session, I'M
aniinously adopted a resolution pro-
yidfng foI the appointment OF
committee OF five-three from the
lower and two from the upper
branch OF the council-tO investigate
and report at the earliest possible
moment on the insurance matter. IRIS
resolution carried with it an APP
propriation OF $500 for the use OF the
committee, which Is to confer with
committee of the Chamber OF
Commerce and gather such data and
information as will be of assistance
In the fight against the Insurance
Trust.
Captain Berkeley made lengthy
address before the council last night
relative TO the criminal proceedings
which he has begun against the
Trust. He declared that there could
be no compromise with the common
wealth in this fight and that II the
State should be SO unfortunate as to
lave the case determined adversely in
the first instance. II will be only
skirmish at the beginning OF a big
fight. Every insurance policy writ
ten under the rates prescribed by
the insurance association Will, Cap
tain Berkeley said, be an overt act in
carrying out the purpose OF the al
legged conspiracy
A Criminal Organization.
Captain Berkeley said, at the out
set. that ne considered the South
eastern Underwriters Association
very strong organization and that the
people of this city had only recently
been made to feel the effects of its
strength. He went on to say that he
had had this organization in mind for
the past two years. or ever since he
had been made commonwealth at
torney, add that he had regarded II
as a criminal organization with the
idea that members of II were aniena-
BILE 10 the criminal law.
You undertook TO raise the license
tax on the insurance companies,
said the speaker. 'Nou didn't impose
any tax on the Southeastern Under
writers Association You displayed
what | consider extremely good judg-
frent in arriving at tax on a per
centage basis. The tax, | think. was
very just one. but the response to
your action In raising the rate was
pink slip of paper from Richmond,
headed the southeastern Underwrit-
ers' Association and signed by a
Mr.. Harris and stating that since you
had raised the license tax, the rate on
insurance was raised. IL didn't come
from the companies you taxed, but
from the association.
aIron Was Hot"
"The people were incensed by such
high-handed proceedings The associa-
ton, IN effect, said that IL would take
you by the KNAPP of the neck and
thrash YOU Il said that 1t resented
this tax by imposing a penalty on
the people. Naturally, every man
here in whose veins ran Anglo
Saxon blood had his fighting spirit
np. | thought the iron was hot and
ready for the blow TO be struck in
the proper manner. ] then began to
look into this association. | went in
10 the matter with MIR. w. c. Stuart
and studied Il very thoroughly with
him. I could have arrested a few
agents here in Newport News as
parties 20 the conspiracy, who in the
eyes OF the law are just as amenable
as the members OF the association, but
that would have been but a feeble ef-
fort. so | decided to get az the foun-
tain source"
Here Captain Berkeley went on to