The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-28
INSURANCE MEN
 OPEN CONVENTION
Delegates Present From Can
 ada and All the States
WELCOMED BY JELKs
The Most Important Matter Before the Convention Today Will Be Bill Regulating FraternaI In-
 surance Societies

Mobile, September 27.-(Special.) )-With insurance commissioners present from all parts of the United States and officers and representatives of insurance com panies from this country and Canada watching the proceedings the forty-fifth annual convention of the National In- surance commissioners was called to or der this morning at 10 o'clock by Presi- dent John A. Hartigan of St. Paul, Minn, in the convention hall of the Battle house.
 President Hartisan introduced former Gov. w. D. Jelks of Eufaula who well comed the delegates on behalf of the state of Alabama. Governor Gray was detained in Birmingham. W. E. P Will son of this city welcomed them to Mobile on the part of the commercial bodies and lical underwriters. Vice President Eu- gene A. McGivney of Baton Rouge, La, insurance commissioner for that state. replied to the address of welcome. The regular order of business was then taken up, President Hartigan delivering his annual address, followed by reports of committees, after which the convention adjourned for the day.
 The principal business and, in fact, the most important to come up before the convention tomorrow Is the adoption of a uniform bill regulating fraternal in- surance societies. The representatives of the American Fraterna association and the National Fraternal congress have agreed on the vital provisions of the bill and will support the provisions of sec- tions 23 and 23 A the principal points being valuation annually for publicity and biennially for submission to the in- surance departments coupled with manda- tory provisions insuring that where so- cleties under valuation are shown to be not providing sufficient income to meet pelled to make provisions for the same. The convention, 1t is believed, will adopt the bill by Wednesday,
 The most important report of the after noon was that of the committee appoint ed to investigate expenses of fire insur- ance companies. Commissions were given the most attention, the committee find ing that commissions varied between 15 and 40 per cent. No excuse was found for the insurance broker and the present system of compensating agents and brokers, 1t is said, increase fire losses and other expenses and is the cause of conditions of which the insuring public complains.
 The committee recommended a sub stitution of system, by uniform com pany action, if not by statutes, by which local agents shall be compensated by flat commission and a commission contingent upon profits of respective agencies, the flat and contingent rate to be uniform brokers representing the insured to be compensated by persons, firms or cor porations by whom they are employed and in whose interest they work
 The executive committee recommended that 1t hold periodical meetings at least once every three months and that state commissioners whose legislatures did not meet in 1910 be urged to secure adoption by their legislatures in 1911, the so-called health and acident provision bill, now a law in New York and Massachusetts, and that all states adopt law similar to the New York amended law giving full power to the insurance department of such state to examine into and report upon all companies 'organized under any law of such state, or having an office in such state, which corporation Is claiming or in any manner taking part information or business of an insurance corporation or corporations or which Is holding the capital stock of one or more insurance corporations for the purpose of con- trolling the management thereof, as vot- ing trustee or otherwise.'
 The executive committee noted with re- great the death of Commissioner Thomas D. Drake of the District of Columbia.