The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-08-03
Model Insurance Act .t3
Crimps Poor Fishers
Life Companies Will Not Take Them
AS Risks and They Cannot Put y
Up Bonds With Board


and sustained by the supreme court
there are certain classes of employers
who win be literally legislated out Of
business. These are employers who arC
conducting insolvent businesses in haz
ardous occupations.
This has been brought to the atten
ton Of the Hawaii Accident Board by
applications for insurance of sampal
fishermen. The finances Of at least
halt of these fishermen are such that
they cannot file a satisfactory state
ment giving assurance of their ability
TO pay all the required compensation
for accidents. nv "A
sanpans Are Barred
None of the Insurance companies vii
insure fshermen--not even the solvent
ones. The rule il very stringent in bar.
ring from Insurance all sea occupations
'tIt is doubtful IL even the Inter
island would be given assurances, al
though il might, on account of the
volume of its business,'' says one
agent. Tho insurance companies will
not even insure employers engaged in
shore1aunch business, it being held
that they come under the tabu as YES
sells. - -
With the sampan fishermen, mostly
Japanese unable to file satisfactory
bond; and unable to obtain liability in.
spranee, there is nothing else for the
Hawaii Accident Board to do, under
the provisions Of the act, but to i'm
pose a penalty Of n dollar a day, and,
after thirty days, sue out an injunction
TO restrain, them from continuing their
business until they have complied with
the law--which they cannot do.
This is the opinion rendered by
Assistant County Attorney Heen to the
Hawaii Accident Board. What actions
the board will take is undecided. 4
Board VIII Go slow
y Most Of the members have decided
objections to forcing the sampans out
Of business. They are trying to plan
some system Of self-insurance for the
fishermen in the hope the law can he
enforced and their employees protected
II this, cannot be done, it is very likely
that the board win "forget" cases in
which insurance, cannot be 0btaii.ed
and a satisfactory statement cannot be
6led, None of the board is anxious to
stir up litigation that might result in
DECLARING Of the law as unconstitu-
tionaL Neither are they DESTROYS of
making any legitimate business, even
II insvlyent, an. "outlaw."
4: 1t Is likely that ut the next session
of the supervisors the question of TAX
ing out liability insurance for the
county viii be a subject of much dis
eJssion- From estimates made by in.
sqrance men il appears that IL will cost
the county about $500 a year to carry
insurance. Whether the supervisors
will consider it wise to protect the
county with liability insurance, or run
the risk Of heavy loss, as Oahu has de-
cided TO do, is mooted, question.
Small Profits Says Agents
Local insurance men argue that it Is
mistake to think that the liability i'm
surance business is a profitable one for
chem on Hawaii. They contend that
the volume of premiums is too small to
make'it a profitable and safe business
Ono Of them cites the Honokaa district
to show the comparatively small pre-
ninms such a large district will give to
me company. He says that $500 is
he total of liability premiums writ
ten there and everyone has insurance
who has not filed financial statement
According TO this insurance man, much
If the business, outside of the planta.
ions, which take their own risks, is
ondurted by Orientals, who have few
employees who are NOT members of their
Iwn families. In such case they carry
no insurance.