The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-02-24
FAVOR A FIRE
RATING BUREAU
Commissioner Emory English Has Bill
for That Purpose He Wishes
Passed by Legislature.
MuLcr LAW KILLED IN HOUSE
Anti-Liquor Law Very otrono--Leais-
lators in Movies-objeet to the
clarkson Compensation Act.
(By George Gallarno)

(By George GallaTnoI
Des Moines, Ia. Feb. 23-A bill hav-
ing the approval Of Insurance Com
missioner Emory English, and the In
surance committees Of both houses OF
tie general assembly, will be intro
duced this week. to provide for the
regulation of fire insurance rates by
the creation OF q state rating board.
The bill has been prepared by AS
sistant Attorney General Henry =.
Sampson and Commissioner English.
Its provisions apply to all fire insur-
ance companies doing business In the
state against the hazards OF fire. light.
ming, windstorm or hail, excepting
such mutual assessment insurance
associations as insure against hail or
tornado. and such other associations
as confine their fire risks TO churches.
school houses. town dwellings and
farm buildings. This would exempt
all state and county mutuals from the
rating features of the bill. but not
from its other provisions relating to
reports to be made to the insurance
commissioner. and the filing with tho
commissioner Of statement showing
their plan of operation and method OF
determining premium rates.
1t is provided by the bill that every
Insurance company not explicitly ex-
cepted shall be q member OF state
rating bureau or shall adopt as its
basis the rating Of q bureau making
insurance rates upon property In the
state of Iowa. A rating bureau may
consist Of any organization maintained
for insurance rating purposes and not
engaged in any way rs an insurer:
or II may be made up Of one or more
insurers. and when composed OF two
insurers or more It shall admit to
membership any insurer applying
therefor. This means that every, COM
pany in the state will hasten to- join
one Of these bureaus. The expense OF
maintaining the bureaus Is to be- met
by each member company paying tts
share in proportion to the gross prem
iums received on business in the state
during the preceding year. and to this
may be added reasonable fee. Every
rating bureau must. maintain an Of
flee in the state. and before Januarys1
Of next year each company is to tils
with the insurance commissioner
statement as to what rating bureau It
holds membership in.
The insurance commissioner Is given
full authority over these bureaus and
can compel them to report to him any
matters regarding its organization and
its transactions with its schedules.
rates. forms, rules and regulations.
All bureaus are subject to examina-
tion by the insurance commissioner
at any time and must be examined at
least once in three years. The COM
missioner also has power to annul an
unjust rate and to fix rate in Its
stead that shall not be discriminatory
or unjust. The bill also has strict
provisions against rebating. and
makes it the duty Of county attorneys
to enforce all the provisions Of the
act and to prosecute those guilty OF
its violation. A bill similar to this
was presented to the 35th general a.
sembly but was not acted on.
Legislators Get Into Movies.
A moving picture film, depicting the
legislators of the state in action In
both houses of the assembly. showing
Governor Clarke and the other state
officers mingling with the legislators
ON the west steps Of the state house.
and forming q part Of local picture
play staged by the Press Club Of Des
Moines. is being shown at Q local the
atre this week. and will be sent over
the state for exhibition. The picture
is unique as it displays an Iowa as
sembly for the first time In q movie
film.
After the Check Kiters.
Senator Clem Kimball Of Council
Bluffs has bill which 10 aimed to
stop the operations Of the check kiter
and the man who draws q check ON .
bank in which he has no funds. The
Kimball bill makes the offense punish
able by fine not exceeding 800 or
thirty days in Jail. 1t is said many
bankers are interested in seeing the
bill become law as il will relieve
them from considerable worry and
loss In the handling Of these checks.
Gro1t's Bill Aids Papers.
Senator Henry Grout OF Waterloo
won the contest brought for his seat
in the senate by former Senator Sher-
man De Wolf. and celebrated the
event by securing the passage through
the senate of his bill providing for the
publication by the city council Of
cities Of the list Of claims filed and
at each meeting Of the coun-
Gil. Under the old law the council
could use its pleasure about publish
ing any or part Of its proceedings.
Senator Grout's original bill provided
for compulsory publication Of all pro-
ceedings OF the council.