New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-14
INSURANCE MEN GR|[[ED;
SDPER CENT PROVE FIT
c,oio Examiners Under New
aw Tes. Ability of Brokers
to Protect the Public.
AGENTS APE LESS GLIB
Come Refuse 10 Meet the Or
deal, but All Must Yield
Those Who Fail May
Try Again.

II FOR once the glib insurance agent-the
fire variety and all others except life
who for years has talked people into in
.urins their buildings, business stocks
and other property without giving much
attenuation as to what this insurance
Rally meant, has found his match He
must either answer questions directly or
fail to obtain a brokers' certificate Of
authority, as prescribed by the new law
In a steady stream of fifty to seventy
Eve day the insurance brokers of New
York are meeting an oral examina-
non Of their duties-not toward the in
surance companies. but toward the in
sured, as whose agents they are regarded
BY law.
Old and YOUNG. gray haired and bald.
including many who have been in the
business for scores of years. are required
TO reply 10 the interrogatories of James
? Conway. chief examiner. who has been
installed by the State Insurance Depart
ment in Room 1906 No. l65 Broadway. for
the purpose OF passing upon the fitness
and trustworthiness of the brokers. as
ar as the interests of the insured are
concerned.
There are between 1000 and 1900
brokers' in the state. and between 5000
and 5000 in New York City alone. Only
ssi0 have been examined thus far. and 50
fper cent. Mr.. Conway said Yesterday,
proved their fitness The unfit were in
structed to study and try again after
July l. Meanwhile those rejected can
continue their business. as they are IL
censed under the old law.
The questions put to the brokers are
simple and practical, Mr.. Conway SAID.
Little attention is paid to technicalities.
The time when a broker simply solicited
Insurance and turned his client over Ia
the insurance company he knew and did
not bother his head how well or how
poorly the client Jared has apparently
passed.
The kind of question that has proved
the undoing Of those sent back is indi-
Gated I'm the printed application blank
which has to be filled out by all DESTROYS
10 obtain a license. It is the query as to
what broker should do in assisting the
insured 10 obtain the best policy under
the circumstances. Apparently many
brokers have never thought OF aiding the
insured all they did was to get his decla-
ration that Re wanted a policy and then
turn him over 10 the insurance company
with which they were doing business.
\ majority of the brokers coming up
for examination are passed in fe"
minutes, Mr. Conway said. Others require
closer examination. while small num-
her try the examiners patience. In this
last category belong, he said. those VINO
refuse 10 answer. try 10 argue. dodge
questions or fatty declare that the ex-
animation is unnecessary.
Bat they viii all have TO do II. MI.
Conway added. or stop insurng. None
has been rejected definitely as yet So
after all. he thought the test is not so
very eXactine.
The Brokers' Bureau Of the Insurance
Department will also receive complaints
against brokers and investigate them
particularly any charge Of crookedness.
The data gathered will be used IN con
sidering applications FOR renewals oil
the licenses. that are made from year 10
year