Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-04-23
okL\lIOMl RATING BUREAU
ROINDLN SCORED IN BtSI-
NESS MEN on TULSA.
TAKEN UP Ar LUNCHEON
Local Agents Claim til II Being
Given Fair Treatmenf--Citcs
Several Instances

Inc cause OF the eNtOrtlonatt IRE
insurance rates and remedy for the
evil In Oklahoma was the principal
subject discussed at the weekly noon.
day luncheon at the Hotel Tulsn
yesterday After several talks IN
which the private rating bureau run
by c. 4. ingalls, In the interest Of the
fire insurance companies was severely
denounced, resolution presented by
william Stryker. calling on the nat
ional and state government TO take
some action against the fire insur-
ance trust was passed without dis
sentlng vote
Next Tuesdays luncheon will be in
the hands OF the newspaper writer's
of Tulsa and already n splendid pro-
gram is being arranged. President !,
Burr Gibbons OF the Press CLUB will
be toastmaster.
Carl Magee presided as toastmaster
yesterday. The first speaker was G.
c. Williams, publicity man OF the In
ternational Dry Farming congress
who told the men about the state de-
velopment conference to be held here
Thursday.
T.. c. Mills OF Chicago a former
newspaper man who Is here with the
idea OF erecting new vaudeville thea
tre paid some very clever compli-
ments to Tulsa II believe from what
have heard from people all over the
country" he said. that Tulsa is de-
stined to become regular city"
Former mayor w. T.. Rohde was
the first speaker to touch on the in
surance question. "The Commercial
club and business men OF Tulsa he
declared. "are interested in a plan
whereby the business interests can get
fairer deal with the insurance com
panies. | believe we people ar pay
ing more than our share for fire
protection, that we are paying more
in proportion than people in other
states"
He told Of how man in Tulsa
few days ago tried to get insurance
on small house here similar to one
back In Indiana and the agent told
him the rate here would be as much
for one year as it cost for three years
In Indiana II don't believe 1t is
necessary for the people in Oklaho-
ma to pay three times as much for
fire protection as they do in Indiana.
I know some of our high rates are
the fault of the owners but not all.
The Insurance companies have not
kept their word with us"
o. d. Hunt, superintendent OF the
Queen Bee Stove company who at the
request of the State Retailers assocla
ton has made an investigation on the
matter in Arkansas said the insurance
companies were holding up people OF
Oklahoma with that old bug boo
about discrimination. They don't
want us to see the hole Of competi-
ton"
"In Arkansas" he said. "It would
he criminal offonse to run a rating
bureau such as ingalls, runs in this
state. Governor Robinson of Arkan-
sas told me that the big fire insur-
ance companies threatened to with
draw from the state if the rating bu-
reau was abolished but the law was
are now doing business on a cOmpeti-
tive basis with the result that rates
are much cheaper than before"
THE rates in Little Rock are from
40 per cent to 100 per cent cheaper
than here. We are simply being held
up by rating bureau" he said
He then read the penalties on sever
n local buildings, which had been i'm
posed by the rating bureau. The
Wonderland theatre building he said
had been penalized 4O3 per cent
THE highest rate Of insurance ]
ever paid" he declared, was so
cents and my present building would
be a good risk at % cents hut Ingalls,
sent two boys over here and they ran
my rate mp to $3.50 in no other line
OF business would this be permitted.
Secretary +. g. Mceks, Of the state
Retailers association, who has been
leading the fight against the insur-
ance trust outlined what was being
done to prevent the evil. He said his
organization had made Investigations
I'm a number of states and used infor-
nation gathered this way 70 prepare
bill that is now before the state leg
islature.
"The rating bureau" he declared,
"is owned and controlled by the in
surance companies and we are asking
the legislature to give us relief In
stead of a private rating bureau, We
want one controlled bv the people
with power to only fix maximum
rates This bill provides for such a
board composed of the state insur-
ance commissioners. the bank com
missioner AMI one man to be selected
by the business men OF the state.
Under the present law you have to
take what ingalls, gives you with no
appeal. The present insurance COM
missioner has ruled that II com
pany changes the rates fixed by the
rating bureau. that company shall he
guilty of discrimination and expelled