Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-11-04

ton. There were no executive sessions
and the public was invited. in South
Dakota the Union and Non Union
companies, including South Dako-
ia mutuals, are about equal and prob
ably a small majority of the members
present were from non union compan-
les. Questions were publicly discussed
and papers presented. The meeting
appointed an executive committee to
draft propositions and to present their
recommendations to the legislature.
A second meeting "a called, attend
ed by at least sixty representatives.
To this second meeting the commit
tee reported and their report was un-
animously adopted. Minutes Of these
meetings and a full text Of all recomr
mendations, including the standard
policy, were printed in pamphlet form
and distributed to all legislators.
All Woods talk about combine and
dark lanthorn procedure is more hot
air. No matter was ever put TO a
legislature in a more open fair and
intelligent manner. AS a result our
state today stands in the front with
other states that have been advan-
cling the insurance laws for the pro-
lection Of the public.
"TuREE-F'ouRTu VALUE CLAUSE,
The three-fourths value clause as
applying to personal property may be
a debatable question, but where there
is a valued policy law covering total
loss OH real property the writer believ-
es that the retention of the clause Is
exceedingly wise.
Bear always in mind that the in
sured must pay the freight III the
laws are SO made as to encourage
fraud and arson the honest man will
foot the hill in the end The fire
waste IN this country is appalling.
Over three-fourths of a million dollars
was lost In South Dakota last year by
fire. The loss occasioned by fires set
with premeditated purpose to de-
fraud is astonishing. The Fire Mar
shall Department closed it's record OF
three years last June. During the
three years ten men have been sent
to the pen, five boys to reform school
and six men fined heavily for setting
prairie tires>contrary to law, and one
woman committed suicide while I'M
der bonds for appearance at circuit
court. At the present writing one
person is under trial In circuit court
for Hamlin county, n is under e.
100000 bonds to appear at the next
term Of circuit court In Moodycounty;
one under SO, 900. 90 bonds: and one In
Jail at Oacoma for wilfully setting fires
that came near burning up that city.
For the loss of life accustomed BY
these tire-bugs, no n can pay, but
for the loss Of insured property the
insuring public must pay. While
laws need to be made to protect the
public: it is not protection To give In
centives to the vicious.
GOV. vEssEY's RECORD.
Friend and foe of Governor Vessey
admit that he has been a successful
business man and that he has given
more personal time and attention to
the duties of governor than any pre-
deceSSOr.
One Of the early acts of his adminis-
tration was to save the state largely on
the Insurance. OF its public buildings.
AS a member Of the Senate Insur-
ance Committee, when a member OF
the legislature, he was largely resp0n-
sible for the passage of the Fire Mar.
shall Law which is maintained solely
by the fire insurance companies, and
under which in three years m UGH has
been accomplished.
Few governors have taken the time
to study and investigate this import
ant branch of our commercial life a.
has Governor Wesley, and no man
could bring to bear upon the subject
a mind more fair to the int rests Of
the insuring public.