Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-01-09
MEMBERS OF LOCAL INSURANCE
ORGANIZATION MEET IN EAST
COURT ROOM.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON
GIVES ANNUAL ADDRESS
consratulates Association on Accom-
pIishments, Despite Heavy Year For
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Credited With
Being Responsible For Increased
Hazards.

cial Mems Association, the heauQudt
1ers OF which are in this city, met IN
the east court room this forenoon IN
their ninth annual session. President
\. G. Johnson gave his annual address
III which ne congratulated the members
on the accomp hshnents Of the associa-
ton. despite heavy Year for accidents
President johnson credited the auto-
.,7oo.le with being responsible tor me
increased hazards
Members az the association from Wa
re-loo. Des MONIES ard Cedar Rapias
were II attendance at the meeting. to-
gether wlta local members. Rev 3. r
Martin delivered me invocation short
II after tne association. Mas called "a
order BY the president
Presiasnt Johnson's Address.
i. MS annual address President
Johnson spoke II part as follows:
Gentlemen oc the Hawkeye Conn
-re7csal Mems Association: Il IS wlih
q great dsa. Of pleasure that ! come
before THIS the ninth annual neeiins
OF me E2wkeye Commercial. Mems As
ISOLATION. The year 3us- completed has
been one q unusual distress and SUI
te-;ug. IL Europe me great powers
have engaged il a conflict that spreads
INFINITE suffering an6 horrible ca!anl :
ity IT It's waAe- n our own country
tho q. peace wiki the world, we have
been subjected 10 an industrial depres-
sion and have suffered as never before
from the increased number OF acc.den
tai injuries IRE awful effects OF ms
great war, we have come 10 appreci
ate fully, but while at ease by our
comfor IA bic hresides, we are too prone
to forget that lives are unexpectedly
cut short and our fellows MANNED II
the great march OF human progress.
1T is with a full realization OF the
great work in which we are engaged
that / address you today. In caring
for those who are unfortunate, and II
providing for those left destitute. we
are performing service for which We
may feel justly proud. At such times
as this, when we come together TO dis
cuss our efforts there is pleasure II
knowing that our work is one of,help-
fitness. founded in the spirit Of broth
erly love And with these thoughts il
mind, 1 believe that we have ever
greater occasion this year than evei
before to congratu ourselves.
Splendid Record Made.
Since organization, our association
has paid 3,079 claims. totaling $3.50,
6lO76 to comrades of the grip, then
widows and children. Every possible
effort has been made to investigate
claims thoroughly and to pay then
promptly. We have met with some
criticism because occasionally il ha;
been necessary to go into the courts Il
dispute q claim However. l would
have you remember that your Officers
and directors are charged with a sacred
trust in handling the association funds
and if it is doubtful whether a CLAIM
should be raid, we are only executin;
our duty in CARRYING the dispute int
: the courts. For the most part l an
| happy TO say that we have been un
usually exempt from legal difficulty il
! comparison with similar organiza tons
/ I only mention this matter by way o
explanation of some criticism that
/ have heard expressed from time t
! time Our best efforts have alWay
I been directed toward meeting claim
promptly and generally the associa
tons best boosters are those VINO hav
] received indemnity
Has Had Steady Growth.
with no paid solicitors, and Yer
little advertising, we nave brougn
1852 members into or association
/ During the first few years Of exist
ence our growth was simply phenom
inal The past year We have had
steady increase.
Tine board Of directors has aiway
insisted on high standard of selectio
in admitting new members Becaus
Of the natural death funeral benefit {
5000. old members keep up their assess
ments and many new applications al
4 received monthly While we are boun
to lose some each year. the unusual al
tractiveness of our proposition recon
mends the association to thinking me
thruout the country We are scat
F! tered from Maine TO California. and
! New York city we have more member
than in any other one place. Your off
GERS are very proud Of the record "
+! have made. and ] believe that ever
! member il a booster
Some Difficulties Met
We have just passed thru peric
Of business depression. Accident il
surance is not always viewed as
necessity, and in consequence o.
growth has been somewhat retarde
Men generally are becoming better il
formed in insurance matters and ear
new proposition is weighed careful
and investigated thoroughly. Simil.
organizations, promoted to make pr
fit for their management. have tend'
to bring discredit upon the purely mi
tual associations such as our own II
whole country is more or less suspi
ious of all classes of insurance. ar
state legislatures in an effort to Or
tect the public, nave placed lnnur
cradle obstacles in the way of legit
mate growth.
Automobile Increases Hazards.
Among the more recent causes {
n increasing accidents, the automobile
surely entitled to first place. Not ma
years ago we considered the railw
i train the greatest single instrument
human destruction. Today. about
re per cent of all the accidents to viii
o this association is liable come from, t
e autom obile In adding to our conye
fence and pleasure. we have Iikeg
Increased accidental hazard Inco,
petent drivers and defective n1achfr
main thousands each year. Instead
being driven by competent engine