The Washington times., 1915-01-12
Northeast Citizens Say Charges
Are Excessive. Deplorable.
and Very Unsatisfactory.
CALL CONDITIONS CHAOTIC
First Gun Fired in Expected
Bombardment From the As.
sociations of District.

Chsracterizing the present fire insur-
ance situation in Washington as 'chao-
tic' and as "dcplorable and very un-
satisfactory" and citing the publics-
tion in The Washington Times Of facts
concerning present rates as evidence OF
excessive charges, the Northeast Wash
instnn Citizens Association today fer
wsrded to the Commissioners copies of
a resolution asking proper regulation Of
fire insurance rates.
Speaker after speaker. last night at
the associations meeting. asserted pres
eut rates were too high in comparison
with other cities, and The Times was
commended as the only Washington
paper that had taken an active interest
in giving the facts Of the increases IN
rates made here by the newly formed
Underwriters Association.
The Northeast Citizens Association
fired the first gun in general lombard
lneut of the insurance question expect
ed this month from similar associations.
Resolutions Introduced.
Resolutions about fire insurance rates
were introduced by w. S. Bransom.
chairman of the committee on ASSESS
ments. The resolutions went thorough
ly into the fire insurance situation. Tney
set forth that
Laws in the District governing in
surance are meagcr and inadequate
The authority of the superintendent OF
insurance Is of a meager and inadequate
character. with practically no authority
of a directive nature.
Under present conditions represe nta-
t,es Of insurance companies virtually
Iday charge any rates they please, un-
less they sub NIT to some self-constitnted
board.
Uniform commissions to agents are
not provided for in the present lnsur-
t,nce laws for the District.
In view Of these and other conditions
sst forth in the resolutions. the Commits
slcners are urged Ito correct the glar-
ing evils of the present insurance situa-
ton"
The resolution concludes: I'VE con-
slider that fire insurance has become a
matter of such business and domestic
Importance in our daily lives that II mas
come to be recognized as Dublic ne
oessity, and as such should be regu-
lated by fitting legislation covering
Classification Of rates. and n maximum
rate under each classification.
Schedule of Rates.
Mr.. Bransom said he had from In
surance Superintendent Ncsbit indorse-
ment of the suggestion that all insur-
ance companies operating in the Dis
trict should file a schedule OF rates. and
that a maximum rate should be fixed
by law for each class Of insurance. This
plan, Mr.. Bransom said, would allow
compa nies to make whatever reductions
they wished but they could not even
up the total by charging exorbitant
rates.
Would this enable the commissioner
to prevent a combination Of insurance
men from organizing to raise the rates.
such as has just taken place. asked
President Evan y. Tucker.
1T would enable him 10 keen them
from charging cXOrbitant rates. said
Mr.. Bransom. There would be cer-
tain line in each class Of insurance be-
yond which they could not step. The
way the present system works is ex-
emplified right here in our association.
Roscoe Jenkins. our secretary. Is paying
cent rate for his insurance and I
am paying % cents. 1t looks like they
found the 'chump' to make up what
they lost on him." concluded Mr.. Bra n:
som amid a roar of laughter.