The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-10
ALSO RED HEADED
Bailey, Insurance Man, Inti-
mates Stubs Is Like Nero.
"GOes About Talking While
Kansas Is Burning"
LESS COMPENSATION.
Rate Reduction Will Cut Local
Writer'S Profit.
Away From Politics" Cry at
Insurance Mems Banquet.

Nero strummed a harp while Rome
was burning. Nero was red-headed.
Other red-heads go about talking
while Kansas IS burning" In these
remarks, George A. Bailey, a local in
surance man, at a banquet given last
night for the insurance men at the
Elks hall, referred to Governor Stubs.
He intimated that the executive was
responsible for the reduction of the
insurance rates which would result in
a cut in the local insurance writer's
commission
The sentiment of all the speeches
was that the insurance man had been
made a tool of petty politicians too
long and that if the law decided that
it was a business of public use, as legal
decision indicated, it should have leg
islative protection In this connection,
d. r. Hite, a local attorney, in a
speech on authorized Companies and
Agents. advocated the Insurance
mems banding together to pass a bill
prohibiting any insurance company
from doing business in any state with
whose laws it did not comply. This
measure, he said, would prevent COM
petition with companies operating out
side of the state and paying no taxes
on premiums, and thus enabling them
to cut rates beyond the competition of
local concerns.
c. G. Blakely, president of the Kan
sas State Fire Insurance association,
who presided, supplemented this idea
by urging the effecting of a stronger
local and state organization which is
now only three years old and numbers
about sixty members.
The story of the national association
was told by Clifford Jones of Kansas
City, vice president of the national as
ISOLATION. He said that one man.
Robert Brandon of Denver, fifteen
years ago, after months of discourage
ing work. with very little cooperation
at first, secured about fifty members.
but last year at the annual national
association meeting at Chicago over
as the insurance business was a profess
sion as that of medicine and needed
protection, bill should be passed re-
quiring certain qualifications for local
agents so that every Tom, Dick and
Harry couldn't get into the business
just to help out a special agents re-
port.
Mr.. Bailey's talk was extemporan-
eous. as he had not expected to make
an address and was in opposition to
talk made by Judge Singleton of
Chicago. The latter appeared to have
thought that Kansas legislation was
working for the ultimate good of the
cause.
Mr.. Bailey said in part:
IT am sorry can not agree with
Judge Singleton. can not believe
that the measures taken in Kansas
will be for the ultimate good of the
companies, policy taker or property
owner. We are facing the lowering of
agents compensation, if not voluntarily
by the companies then from legis-
lation
within the last three years in Kan
sas the net loss on total premiums has
been sixty-two per cent with an ex-
pense averaging forty-two per cent.
iG Io irS TsaY na
ness is taken out of the hands of petty
politicians with whom it has been a
football Romance says that Nero
thrummed a harp while the Eternal
City burned. And other red-heads go
about talking while Kansas is burn
ing"
The inference is that politicians Tell
the people that they have reduced in
surance rates and therefore deserve
another term of office
In speaking of the legislative side
of the Insurance business, Mr.. Hite
said in part:
Remedy against cut-rate compan-
les must be sought in laws controlling
the rights of the corporations. The
consensus of modern legislation is that
insurance business is charged as
public use. If the state determines the
regulations of the business it should
provide protection for it.
1.-The majority of the fire insurance
corpOrated in the state of New York.
If q bill should be passed so that a
New York company bv it's own domes-
tic law could not do business in any
state or territory with whose laws it
did not comply. no New York company
would dare TO operate in Kansas
take this state just for an example
unless that New York company COM
Piled with the laws of our state as to
rates, etc.
"As to the local agent: A law might
be passed that no outside company
could do business, except through its
local agent.
Again, if a New York company. by
its own domestic law, could not do
business in q state where it did not
comply with the law, the overhead
writing would be done away with
NJ. w. Van Valkenburg. special
agent for the Liverpool and London
and Globe Insurance company, spoke
in favor of the careful. intelligent
agent, who uses great judgment in
writing insurance and steers his COM
pany clear of too great risks and other
reefs He said that he thought those
present were such agents.
Isaac S. Lewis. superintendent of
insurance, and Governor Stubs were
scheduled to speak, but were not pres
emit
Curtis Bailey and others of the local
association had charge OF the banquet.
1t was an lInprOnlpLu AFFAIR given TO
get the insurance men together and to
increase interest in organization. Over
100 were present
These heard congratulatory teIe-
grams from A. w. Neal, of Cleveland,
O., president of the national associa-
ton, and from H. Putnam, of Boston,
secretary. c. T. BIakely is presiden
of the Kansas state association. S. T.
Bailey is secretary and treasurer.
eraNanann navo r,A,r