The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-08-17

until II Is settled right Tn. los 4
ne hr>t contest IL not the l.@S - n
cause. Your State Will not allow a
monopoly 10 collect 81 Gee q n
premiums from her people ;pr n
necessity like fire Insurance ~ rates
arbitrarily fixed. without some trloL-
nal 10 pass upon the reasonatl,ueSs
OF the rate. Neither the ir. tu>ur-
ance agents. the heu.triaries Z feNor-
ed rates. The employed representatives,
OF these great companies. nor to. IS
bright young men can long persuade
Norm Carolina this - either WIS. IT
night II IL important therefor hat
YOU and all the peuul. prepar. 10
meet the>. arguments You Niu
hear them again In the coming con
test They Will te debated. for the
people viii want - know ia advance
now Senators and Representatives arc
going To vote upon the question -
Stale regulation. Had any member Of
the Senate Of 1918 been asked ms
position. while he was seekin, cleo
ton. II Is not conceivable he would
have declared his Intention az casting
Il vote which would permit the in
surance monopoly 10 TX rates and
prescribe penalties. without superNi-
sion. The defeat Of the legislation
proposed Will bring discussion and
vigilance. Those who believe some
department Of government should lie
clothed with the power to supervise
and regulate rate making in insurance
must combat the contentious of those
who oppose.
When the local agents importune
You not to support those who favor
regulation tell them the protection ~
the property holders against un-
reasonable rates and arbitrary pen
alties is a duty which the state owes
its citizens. tell them il is for their
own good the people should feel they
are dealt with Justly and fairly. When
some cartalnS of industry urges that
State regulation will interfere with
business, and may ~injure the insur-
ance companies. ask him what rate
he now pays. When YOU learn that
he is paying only q fourth or a third
the rate YOU pay, tell him tnAt You
do not want to increase his rate, that
you believe the companies are writing
bis business at Il proft. or they would
! not write il at all. Tel him also that
YOU too want a reasonable rate, that
the same instinct which prompted
him a few years ago TO fight for n
| lower rate, through the mill mutualS,
l now prompts you, that what he was
q able to get through an organization
Of brains and capital. you hope to get
Z at least in part. by the aid of the
State. But tell him also. with frank
HISS that II - Unjust ~ tilaf * ~ Il
rate of 90 cents per sl00 on a build
ing. while he pays 33 ID cents for
500 on the adjoining one. or upon
the same building if he buys II from
e you. More than n century ago a wise
man declared Equal rights TO all.
and special privileges to none TO be
essential in government. and il Is as
true today as it was then.
e When the companies or their rep
( resentatives declare this agitation
e comes from politicians and not from
the people, you may we'll answer:
It Thousands and thousands of property
V owners in the State-son1 Of them
0 needy widows, some Of them unfnr-
Y tunate orphans and some Of them men
.e tOiling to liVe-are now paying SO
J. premiums on furniture insurance
it where they paid but 81 before Nav
e Z. 1912. This is 81 taken from those
a who need it most They must pay
e because it was levied by the South
eastern Underwriters Association 81
they must leave their household goods
re uninsured. They are unwilling to sur
n render their insurance. because II
&c the event Of fire they cannot refurnisf
l. their home. The believe. and many
re Others believe his extra s shoult
not have been levied upon them. anC
Il. they welcome the aid of anybody
" even the despised politician-in AZ
effort to right what they feel 10 be
1e wrong. 1t i'll heccmes those who's
BY treasures contain hundreds Of thou
sards Of dollars collected from thes
- people 10 say they are indifferent {
= the increased rates
he We are not urging any la that vii
by its own words change OF reduce
rate. We are but asking the stat
IL exercise its sovereign power p
authorizing some officer Or depart
g ment Of government u investigate ]
d. 49,. ;.,acfgatiop Il ends tho 1T
unreasonable. then reduce il.
! When the insurance Companle
~ threaten - leave the State. # such a
act IS passed, We answer: ma
Suggests or desires that you shall b
deprived q a reasonable rate f"r YOU
= business. This is . righteous and