The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-17
CURB BOGUS AGENTS.
I. S. Lewis, superintendent of Insur-
ance, Has Plan OF His Own.

Ike s. Lewis, superintendent OF lnsnr-
ance, is sending out the new blanks TO
lie and accident insurance companies 70
oay which are designed to protect inc
public and the companies from irresponsl-
bic and dishonest and bogus agents. Inc
blank requires answers to questions con
corning the life and character OF the
agent and he must answer them saus-
1actor1ly and secure commission oe1ore
he can sell insurance in Kansas Com
plants in the past against bogus agents
have been numerous enough to warrant
the superintendent making the new ana
rigid ruling regarding agents.
The superintendent today gave out the
following statement regarding the blanks
and his new regulations regarding agents:
Hereafter no agent for life or casualty
companies will be licensed by the state
factorily executed the blank. In order to
do this he must give history OF hlmseiI
for least five years prior to his apph-
cation for license from the Kansas de-
partment. He is required to state Wnere
he has resided; If life insurance agent
with what companies he has been as
ISOLATED; his reasons for leaving one com
pany and aSSoc1ating h1mSeH Win an
other; he must state whether or not his
license has ever been revoked or suspend
ed by the Kansas or other state Depart
ments. He is required to satisfy the de-
partment that he is not indebted TO IN
Surance companies or general agents on
account of nets due the company or gen
eral agents; and must testify that ne Ia
80
the back of the blank prohibiting agents
from negotiating the sale OF premium
notes prior to the delivery OF the pohcy-
These are among some OF the import
ant questions which the applicant for an
agents license must satisfactorily an
Swer and file with the department DeIore
license will be issued.
1.-THE insurance department OF Kansas
has more real trouble because OF charges
of Misrepresentation upon the part OF NE
insurance agents than upon the part OF
all other insurance agents combined. He
says that the business of a life insurance
that there have been in the past individ-
uals who are irresponsible, dlSnonest ana
wholly unfit to act in the capacity OF a
life insurance agent or any otner nonest
business.
s'The whole purpose of this new require
ment is to get rid of the crook in the life
insurance business in Kansas. There are
hundreds of capable and honest lie IN
surance agents in Kansas VINO VIII Wel-
come this new requirement. 1t Will be no
hardship upon them and If 1T accomplish
es the purpose for which 1T is aimed non
est life insurance agents will be oenerited'
and every life insurance company III the
state as we'll
'For some time now the superintendent
has steadily refused to license an agent
for a life insurance company against
whom charges have been filed; ana, aIter
investigating, the superintendent has peen
convinced that the charges are correct
This department believes that license
issued to an agent to solicit insurance IN
Kansas should be a certificate OF good
character and he is resolved, so Tar as
in his mower. that in the future this shall
be true.
a life or other agent for insurance is
transacting business contrary TO the Jaw,
by instrumentation or otherwise, Just
that soon the license of the OFFENDING
agent will be cancelled.