Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-20
Mr.. CIRCUIT WON'T STAND
FOR fX0RBITANT RATES
President OF Shipyard and o. D. Land
Company, Says IL Necessary I'VE
Shall Garry Our Own Insurance IN
Future"-Public Eagerly Awaiting
Developments.

Col. joseph Button. the state IN
surance commissioner VIII arrive III
this city this morning at 1880 O'Clock
for the purpose OF comforting with re
representatives. OF the Chamber OF Com
merce and the Merchants Association
relative to the fire Insurance matter.
Col. Button will be met by NUMBER
OF the business men and escorted TO
the Warwick hotel. where he Will re
ceiye all of those Interested In the in
surance rate fight.
The announcement that the State
commiss Toner was coming here 10
gather all of the facts in the insuf-
ance matter at first hand caused
something of surprise. Tuesday.
Col. Button 'phoned here saying that
he would be glad to have the Merch-
ants Association send him data so
that he might go before the virginia
committee of the Southeastern Under
writers Association and read the
riot act" TO the members. The Merch-
ants Association appointed a com
mittee to gather the facts and send
them to the commissioner. Instead
OF that they will be presented 10 him
today.
Has Agents Guessing.
No one here seems TO know Just
what power Col. Button has for the
relief of existing conditions. A num-
Der of insurance agents who dis
cussed the matter yesterday do not
seem to think that the State commits
sioner can make the Virginia com
mittee rescinu the ten per cent. IN
crease in the rates, which the com
mittee authorized on May IL. How
ever, they declare that II would be
well for everyone interested to call
on the commissioner at the Warwick
hotel today and see what can be done
in the matter.
Shipyard to Garry Its Insurance.
Replying 10 a Telegram from the
Daily Press. President Calvin b. Or
cult, of the shipyard, and the Old
Dominion Land Company, wired yes
terday that If compelled TO do so by
increase OF rate on part of Southeast
ern Association we shall carry our
own insurance in the future.
President Orcutt was asked by this
paper ii the shipyard would take part
in the fight against the Insurance
Trust on the increase of rates and the
ebove telegram was his reply.
One insurance agent said last night
that the insurance on the shipyard
is not written under the Trusts
schedule OF rates. The insurance is
written through brokerage firm of
Jersey City and. it is said, most OF il
is placed with independent compan-
les. A portion of the insurance is
written by local agents. but at a rate
which is said TO be lower than that
prescribed by the Trust.
II is presumed that President Or
cult means that not only will the
shipyard carry it's own insurance. hut
that the Old Dominion Land Com
pany and the Newport News Light
and Water Company also will carry
their own insurance. on their proper.
ty in this city. il the Trust persists
in demanding the advanced rates.
Arrests Caused Sensation.
The arrest of twenty-three members
of the Southeastern Underwriters
Association Wednesday on warrants
sworn out by Commonwealth At.
torney &. c. Berkeley was the one
topic for discussion here yesterday.
Throughout the cay the local agents
sBt others were clamoring for new
developments in the insurance fight.
but there were no new developments
yesterday. And there are not likels
10 be any until June s. when the in
surance men will he tried by Police
Justice J. u. G.. Brown.
Chief Reynolds returned yesterday
morning from Hot Springs and gave
out the details Of the arrest of the
insurance men. Captain Berkeley and
Chief Reynolds reached Ho