The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-18
Fraternal Officials Indicted

Ihe sensation of the week In insurarc "a
circles was the returning or tbir,oor ;r
uictnents against prominent officials NJ
Iraternal insurance societiev h,, ,ho nj,
r..nlu rr liiiinois) grand jury. The charges
,aas from perjury to obtaining money
peb Inc b,,asL aaIse pretenses, and involve lead
wbere ''ness Tk men OF Chicago and else
t,,3 mat indictments would be re-
S.,. Sutheq -. seemed almost certain weeks ago
oa. the names of the alleged principal
Iiaers Iative snd nave been more or less spccu-
rS ana now that they have been
made public great SURPRISE Is expressed
oi an sldes, significant fact is that
many or the officials against whom, tr,ie
oms ss we're found are sojourning in varI-
ouS parts OF Europe. Many are Of the
npinion thaI their absence at this particu-
.h ,ar time suits their convenience Possibly
.nney knew what was coming and governed
iv,i1seives tn'nos' ives accordinely. The state at
ing ing the hearing before the grand Jury,
mas given II out that "the end is moi
Se| Other indictments may, therefore
anoop9 pookeo i ior' The general opinion
among insurance men is that the exposure
WI result In clearing the atmosphere OF
lraternal Insurance as it did old line in
Ssuuaahce su In 1905, and Ultimately will mean
ma. ,,,S en,adctment ,d OF laws bringing them
unuer Inc regulation and supervision OF
ene state insurance departments the
same as all other insurance. While there
Is no cause for uneasiness or alarm on
iraternai societies the proposition TO see
ene system placed upon a basis to in
sure It's stability and perpetuity meets
se the nearly approval Of everybody includ
selves. many OF whom have announced
themselves ready to cooperate with the
insurance commissioners of the various
states TO this end.
Accident Policy Contested.
a, An accident policy issued by the Aetna
Lue made drunkenness ground for
Volding the contract and payment on a
5000 policy carried by the late Judge
Z. w. Bramel of Lorraine, Wyo. who was
shot and killed In a drunken quarrel is
Delng resisted In the courts. The Judge s
shortly before his death on the ground
Oh drunkenness, but who is named as
nenehciary In the policy, instituted the
SUIT, and son has also interviewed and
is making claim for the money.
To Study Workmen's Compensation.
Acting under authority conferred upon
nlm by the joint resolution OF the last
legislature, Governor Harmon OF Ohio
has appointed a commission to visit Eng
land and Germany for the purpose OF
studying the European system OF a sched-
ule OF compensation for each kind Of in
jury TO workman. regardless OF the
question of contributory negligence. The
republican state convention. which will
be held this month will be asked by
James r, Garfield to declare for This
system. as exemplified in the British
compensation act The provisions OF the
resolution were. that the commission
employers. two of employees and one
lawyer. Governor Harmon conformed to
this requirement and named the follow
Cincinnati. printer; William Winans
(DemocraD. Gallon railroad conductor: ].
P. Smith Republican,. Cleveland. master
horseshoer, George w. Parks tRepubli-
~ nIJ
ican Seeding Machine company; j Har-
rington Boyd Democrat Cleveland. at
ttorney, The commissioners are required
to make their report to the next general
assembly OF the Ohio legislature.
No Decision in Indianapolis.
The case of the 129 fire insurance COM
panies, charged with unlawfully fixing
a schedule of rates, which has been on
trial for weeks pasts before Judge Weir
OF the superior courtsa indianapolis, has
been concluded. so far as the taking of
testimony is concerned, but the court will
not announce a decision until the open
ing of the fall term OF court in October
1t is quite likely that a compromise VIII
be reached before that time. The rep
resentativc of the companies involved re-
quested an early decision. in order hat
they might confer with the Indianapolis
business concerning the reduction OF in
surance rates. Attorney General BinG-
ham says he Will approve movement
looking to lower rates and better insur-
ance conditions, provided the companies
would include the whole state of In
diana The trial attracted widespread
interest and much bitter feeling was en-
gendered. due 10 the caustic remarks OF
counsel on either side.
Companies Withdraw From Texas.
The result of the fire rate squabble in
Texas has been the withdrawal OF
number OF leading fire insurance com
panies from the state. with others 10
follow. The legislature will meet in spe-
cial session this month, when an EFFORT
will be made TO repeal the law creating
the state fire rating board and at :he
same time the governor will attempt TO
get the head of Insurance Commissioner
Hawkins Before Withdrawing the com
against the order OF the state rating
board which made a sweeping reduction
In the schedule rates and the board has
agreed to, modify in some RESPECTS the he
merchants and others are absolutely
without fire protection and in the event
OF a fire loss they propose to hold the
state responsible.
The latest word is that the companies
who have sigRiied compliance with the
order Of the state board; about @ hileon ieoG,
in ALL have not not at indicated how long
Counsel for the various companies
pointed out that during 1909 they sus-
tained loss in Texas aggregating Sl,30O,-
900 and that the business for the last
three years has been conducted at loss
The effect OF the boards new order would
be to reduce the income of the companies
not less than 81 100000. which. in view
OF the. record Of the past three e years cars;
to do business in Texas under the rates
made obligatory by the order. 1t was
also stated that the work so far done in
an endeavor to comply with the new law
Imposed upon the companies an expense
OF fully 5000, 600.
Novel Damage Case.
A suit involving some novel and inter-
esting points has been brought by a Jap
anese in California. who demands OF a
physician heavy damages because he
performed an autopsy on his wife. alleging
that the remains were mutiated which
under the Buddhist religion is a great dis
grace to him. The Fidelity and Casualty
company OF New York is defending the
suit under a physicians liability, policy
The defendant claims that the husband
agreed TO the autopsy but the Japanese
comes back by saying that he aid not un-
derstand the question of the intcrE rcter.
Marriage Insurance Declined
Insurance Commissioner Henry of Mis-
sissippi recently received a charter for
(Which bf rlsr1IlcJ