The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-17
GOOD SHOWING
MADE BY DONE
Insurance Commissioner Pre-.
sents Annual Report to
the Governor.
BUSINESS is EXCELLENT
THROUGHOUT THE STATE
Statements of Companies Show
Marked Increase in 1910
Over 1909.

Governor william Spry the annual re-
port covering insurance business trans
acted III the state during the year l9lo.
Although the insurance commissioner
| department has been in operation ut
| tie over two years, this being the sec
ond annual report, an excellent sho"
| ing is made. with noticeably substan'
| tial increases in all branches. In his
report Mr.. Done says In part:
"The assistance which the commls
| soner has received in the carrying
out Of his policy from the insurance
companies operating in the state and
| their representatives has been lnvalu-
able. 1t is u cause of congratulatlon
| that general harmony has ordinarily
prevailed between this department, the
| aforesaid interests and persons and
| the general public.
lone leading aim Of the department
| has been TO act as bureau of Infor-
nation and means of education to the
people in insurance matters. IT has
been felt that publicity as 10 general
and specific information viii act as
the greatest deterrent Of questionable
| practices and the best means of secur-
| ing beneficial results. II is no longer
| the case that a necessary unfrienoh-
ness exist between the people who take
| insurance and the companies that give
|
| to basis of mutual agreement, and IL
has been and is the aim of this de-
partment to assist in bringing about
this very desirable condition.
Business Increasing.
"Unceasing vigilance and activity
have been put forth by this office for
the mutual protection of legitimate
companies and the public against weak
companies and evil representatives.
| While n great deal remains to be ac
complished along these lines. 1T is still
! thought that much has been done TO
remove unfortunate conditions which
of necessity prevail where so many
people and so many interests are In
volved in one great line of business.
.'The statements of the life insur-
| ance companies operating an the state
| show marked increase of business for
| 1910 over 1909, This has been brought
about by increased written business and
premium income of the regular life
| Insurance companies. Outside COM
panies show n marked tendency to in
vest increasingly in Utah securities.
| These companies have returned to the
state in investments, dividends, ma
! tured policies and death claims, an
amount considerably in excess of the
money they have taken from the state.
| The receipts Of the insurance depart.
ment are increasing at the rate of some
| $4,000 year.
''This increase is due TO the fact
| that more insurance is written and pre-.
MUM collections are increasing CORE.
| spondingly with proportionate in
crease of premium taxes. This is be-
ing accomplished without placing any
additional burdens on the insurance
| companies in the way of increased rate
g -, Low col t~,- 4 tha
recent legislature placing tax of / per
cent on fire insurance companies for
premiums collected within certain
cities. this fund to be used for the bene.
| fit of disabled firemen. The law has
| Just gone into effect and the depart.
ment will proceed to advise the com
| panieS of its requirements. Your at
| tention is called to the detailed state
ment of receipts and expenditures
which has been certified by the state
| auditor in accordance with the insur.
ance law.
Field Is Excellent.
utah presents an excellent field
for the PRONUNCIATION of this work. No
where are conditions more favorable
to health and long life. and ii is re.
markable how much lower the death
| rate is here than is shown in the gen
| eral average. From the report of of.
| ficials who have made the subject 4
study, it is gathered that whereas the
average death rate in the registration
| area of the United States as whole
was l6.5 a thousand in 1910 the rate
| in Utah was only los thousand. As
! a large proportion of this comparative
| " small number of deaths were pro-
duced by partially preventable diseases,
it follows that proper activity in ex
tending information as to disease pre-.
vention and health promotion will do
much to reduce still further our small
mortality. \ few of the life insurance
| companies have taken the initiative
in this worthy movement and the state
| insurance department stands ready to
| second their efforts.
| The report calls attention to the fact
that FIRE loss per capita is nearly ten
times as high i'll this country as in
Germany and other Euror~an nations.
| 1t declares that at least half of the
| fires could be prevented by proper
steps to prevent and fight fires. High
rates il is set forth are directly. due
to high losses, and proper education
as to fire prevention would result in
a double benefit Il
| During 1910. Utah life insurance
held written risks amounting to ST.,
| Sl1 ,4S2.50 received premiums amount.
ing to S209.23S,22, and had riskes in
force December 81. 1910. amounting TO
| s.. 1851 ,570.50. The comparative figures
for the year 1909 are 81 ,9lS,623. sl60,-
| 1869 and S5,02+, ,623.
Business Is Good.
Life insurance companies of other
states during 1910 wrote risks amount
inc to S7,764 ,375.35; received 81 .377,-
| l27.17 in premiums. and had risks in
force December 81 amounting to SAL.
| OSQ AIS The comma ratiye figurov
for 1909 are 1926. 1856, 81 $50 Az 40
and S27 900, 1880 During 1910. as
sessment associations and fraternal or.
| ders wrote risks amounting to S2,T95,-
$50, received $lo2,3s9,46 in premiums,
and on December 81 had risks In force
amounting To $1T 13,943.69. The com
parative figures for 1909 are S556,2O0.
S23 $3.50 and $3,608,200.
] Fire insurance companies Of Utah,