The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-10-04
He ASKS
FOR FIRE
MARSHAL
INSURANCE CO M MIS-.
StONER MAKES GOOD
RECOMMENDATIONS

That the year 1909 On the whole was
not a prosperous one Tor foreign fire
Insurance companies 50 far as their
Oklahoma business is concerned is
shown BIZ the report Of Insurance
Commissioner Milas Lasater covering
the bns.less cf fife companies in the
state durirg that peiiad The aver
age ratio of loss to premium receipts
of such companies was 62.2 per cent
Add to that the per cent tax on pre-
mium receipts, the enrauce and other
fees and al average expense account
,of 81 per cent OF premium receipts and
4 Il Is shown cCAclusyely that the con-
panies had little left Ior profit on
their Oklahoma business The domes'
tic stock companies Jared somewhat
better. the three reporting a loss ratio
Of So per cent
Toe report shows that 96 companies
( foreign and domestic, were doing
business 81 Oklahoma in l9e9 This Is
3 thirteen less tAan FOR the previous
year The companies We're as foioN 5
I foreign companies 49, domestic stock
/ companies. I domestic mutual com
/ panies. ). domestic mutual hail com
/ panies, 2
fne total gross risks written il Ok
iahoma by foreign and domestic fire
aud hail companies was S255,S6l877.-
"a IN 1908, n against s265, l543i5 IN
( 1908. or a falling off Of s9.7e2IT7 In
gross risks written The net premium
received from all the companies show
an increase from s2SS9,05976 in 1908
TO $3,46S.07549 ulg0a, while the net
losses paid also show au increase from
( $i.736,li6.6i in 1908 to 0l,9S5. .l276l
Mary Companies
i During the year 1893 the following
/ fire Insurance companies were admit
ted 10 DO business In Oklahoma. Cal
umet Insurance company. Chicago, H.
Peoples National Fire Insurance com
narp Philadelphia. p Reliable Mu-
( fuai Hail Insurance company, Oklaho-
ma, Cl.y. Union Mutual Hail lasur-
auce company Enid Western Recip-
recall Underwriters, Oklahoma city
or Tie fire insurance companies u.
cersed by the insurance d partmenl
for ihe year 1909, the following have
ceased business In Oklahoma for tho
reason as lgnei Aliemaluia Fire
Insurance company, Pittsbufg, Pa.
/. Withdrew. Commonwealth Fire lnsur
\ auce company Ottumwa. Ia. rcinsur
Cd IN TIE Manorg gahela Insurance com
pany Of P.t,sbgrg Pa. Guthrie Mutual
Fire Insurance company, Guthrie. con
solidated with the ~ Reno AIutua
Fire Insurance company Of III Reno,
4 Hawkeye Insurance company, Des
Mones, Ia, withdrew Merchants and
Planters Insurance company Of Tulsa
placed III hands Of receiver Phoenix
In spranee company of brooklyn \
r. merged With the Fidelity Fire IN
sufance company under the ganle o
fidelity-Phoenix Fire insurance com
pany OF New York, n. T.. Southern
National Insurance company Austin
Tex. Withdrew Texas National Fire
Insurance company Fort Worth. Tex
withdrew Union Fire Insurance com
pany. Buffalo \ Y reinsured IN West
ern Assurance company OF TorontoI
Canada.
The repofi shows thai tue insur
srce department Is good revenue
producer to the state the entire re
ceipts of the department for the yeai
1903 being si6S,4lS2S The total ex
penses Of running the department in
cluding salaries for the same period
was sll9l7el
Two means Of reducing the heay,
fire loss which IL responsible Tor keep
ing fire insurance rates up in Okla
homa are suggested BY Insurance Con
missioner Lasater In his report Th'
enactment Of a fire marshal law ant
the enactment and enforcement o
better building laws by the municipa
bodies OF the states.
Mr. Lasater suggests the creation
OF the office OF fire marshal or in
spector with laws empowering hin
and his deputies TO inspect buildings
an dto oondem nihDs efould 10 be iire
breeders IL the proper improvements
are not mate. He should be empow
cred through deputies to investigate
every IRE. up0a proper notice. ans
make report thereon, payment Of loss
Is being conditioned UPON his report
] "7'ii= world rnt en- eifoefiva eIecl
upon questionable tires and would ais
materially a eliminating the fir'