The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-07-09

I W" u-U-IS, WuSu Tue COuoL4 uNIAOu ~
the warehouses and the protection
| against fire were exactly the same. In
! fact, cotton stored in the country is
in less danger, and should fire oc-
cur it is more easily extinguished than
in fourth-class town, where there are
no water works. Any one familiar
with conditions in the country knows
that in case of a fire all that you have
10 do is to blow the horn or ring the
plantation bell and all the hands and
the neighbors come, and 1 don't know
in all my experience of serious loss
in the country from fire.
Another thing: Everybody agrees
that the moral risk in insurance is one
of the heaviest expenses that mas to be
dealt with. The kind Of skunks who
burn up their property for insurance
do not live on the farms. They are
distinctly a town product. During tie
hard times last fall and winter, how
many fires did you near of in the coun-
try? There was one night in Colum-
bia when five unoccuped houses be
tween midnight and day were set on
fire. Of course that may have been a
coincidence, but certainly if such a
t. ing as that was Ito occur in State
warehouses I would make an investi-
cation and never pay a dollar of in
surance to anybody until 1 was salts
fed that it was an honest fire. The
moral risk is almost completely elm
mated under the system Of insurance
prac:iced by the State warehouse. The
insurance is in my name, and if fire
was of suspicious origin tie company
could pay it over to me, and you can
rest assured that l would have to be
satisfied before 1 paid it out. The trou-
BILE with these people is that the South
eastern Tariff association is a COM
plete monopoly, and the want to
make this country cotton and other
property in the county pay very 6lgh
rate of insurance in order to give a
cheap rate to those living in the town.
I am authorized under the act to
make direct arrangements about in
surance, and if 1 were entirely con-
fined to South Carolina the Southeast
ern would have the State warehouse
system by tie throat, just as it has all
of the other property in the State. |
ami heartily in favor of the PROPOSE
ton made by Mr.. F. H. McMaster to
drive out Of the State this gang OF
marauders, who have exploited with
out resistance long-suffering public.
They drove the insurance wolves from
Texas, and t6ey had to come hat IN
hand and beg to get back. l think Mr.
McMaster understands the situation,
and 1 am writing this letter in the
hope of arousing such public sentl-
ment that the legislature will be
forced to give him the support WHICH
he deserves.
AS to the unauthorized compa-
MES" the certificate which 1 append
from Mr.. MdMaster is a complete an
swer. haven't got dollar of insur-
ance in any company not authorized
to do business in South Carolina.
Furu: ermore, the warehouse system
did not get into operation until after
most of the cotton was stored-prac-
tically January first. The cotton which
we have was-all of it, practically
already insured by the Southeastern.
If they could insure this cotton, why
not other companies? We nave re-
ceipts slowing that the Southeastern
has been insuring cotton at one dol
lar and ffty-eight cents per hunoreo
since we SSCul ILS
have succeeded in breaking into the
tigntest monopoly that exists in Soutn
Carolina, ito the benefit of the public
whether they are in the State ware
house system or not, 1 think that we
are performing a valuable service to
the people of this State, but am not
surprised that they spew their SIAN
Gers and venom on the State ware
house system.
Second. l would like to know now
politics has been injected into ufe sys-
tenn. Certainly not by the State ware
house commissioner. am far more
deeply Interested in this system than
ANYTHING else on earth. have not ano
never will use it to further any po-
1itical ambitions of mine or any one
else. In fact, if I have any political
ambitions I am not conscious Of them.
There was ali effort in tie legislature,
bv q nercona1 and political attack on