El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-14

The net result in action of the lengthy
meeting held at the chamber of COM
rnerce Friday night under the auspices
of the chamber of commerce TO dis
cuss the matter Of the raise in insur-
ance rates under a new state insurance
law, was a motion authorizing the ap-
pointment Of q committee of nine to de-
eide what action should be taken in the
matter. The committee viii be appoint
ed by president d. NJ. Payne, of the
board of directors Of the chamber OF
commerce, Saturday and the commit
tee will report back to the board of di-
rectors next Wednesday night
The meeting originally planned to be
held was the Retail Merchants league,
which a number of insurance people
were to attend and participate in, but
on account of the fact that so few OF
the members of the league were present,
the meeting became a general one
Acting agent Is Heard.
At the outset A H. ROdeS repre-
sentative of the fire insurance actuary,
who has opened offices in the City Ma
tIonal bank building, was introduced by
Horace B. Stevens Mr. Rodes took as
a text an editorial OF The Herald Of
the issue Of the 18th, entitled THE New
Insurance Rates. to which he took ex-
ceptions While admitting that the
rates here were high, he stated that
they were based on complete investi-
cations of risks to which the properties
protesting were exposed He said that
he did not believe the property owners
OF Ell Paso should take any organized
action or make any organized complaint
until the new rating had been thor
~ He Of cd u
specific instance of piece of property,
showing wherein il failed TO come up
10 the standard specifications required
by insurance companies, and showed
where the rating could be lowered by
complying with the specifications, stat
ing that 40 cents could be taken off the
rate in this instance by a general house
cleaning.
Piled With Questions.
Mr. Rodes, while on the floor, was
asked a number of questions, but his
answers did not seem TO satisfy the
ouestioners Several Of the larger prop
erty owners were there with cooked
and primed kicks, and it was evident
that the meeting would not accede to
Mr. Rode's request to delay action un-
til the rates were tried out. In some
cases it developed that should the
property owners make the improve
ments suggested by the insurance men
in order 10 make the specifications
standard, they would even then nor be
able to get the rates which they for
merly got.
Mr. Rodes was asked by Mr.. Stevens to
state now the new rates had been re-
ceived in other parts of the state. He
said the people of Amarillo had made
a strenuous objection, but that the
complaint had since been withdrawn.
The people of Fort Worth had raised
$4,000 with which to fight the new
law. but he understood that the com
plant had also been laid aside. At
Dallas the rates have been lowered all
over town, but that city had probably
been paying a higher rate than FL
Paso. Dallas's key rate is now 81
cents, whereas FL Pasos is so cents
Hudspeth and Slater.
Claud Hudspeth, state senator for the
FL Paso district, was present at the
meeting and stated his connection with ,
the new law He was chairman Of the
committee to which it was referred in
the senate. He was personally opposed
10 the law, he said, but he yielded to
the desires and judgment of his consti- |
tnents who petitioned him on behalf |
of the law. and the bill was reported |
on favorably after having been kept in |
that from the first he thought he saw
the clOven hoof of a certain man in /
Austin in the bill, but that he so far |
yielded to the opportunities of friends I
Of the bill to report K from commit |