The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-03
Sent Members Wild at 375
Words a Minute.
E. C. FOX ON FIRE INSURANCE
Facts and Figures Brought Out
by Famous TOpekan.
More Names (and Checks for
st. Joe Trip.

Il minute NOOuleS FaBln OF New OIh.
overwhelmed the Rotary club at din
ner today with rapid-fire enthusiasm
or publicity and good fellowship.
When I got into Topeka I heard
woman on car say, I'm going down
to Kansas City to buy a dress for Ell
len. Now why shouldn't that money
go to make Topeka better and bigger?
l suggest as a new slogan for the town
See if you can't buy it in Topeka
Front makes a town. Why. look at
New York. Boston, Philadelphia, St.
Louis-these are all great cities, but
what is the town you go to when you
want to do something-why New
York-and you go there because New
York has the front! They have some
of the greatest newspapers in the
world and they are always boosting for
New York.
That's what YOU want to do in
Topeka. Put on the front and get
next to the families. Get them to turn
to the business center when they want
something instead of thinking that
they must go out of town for the best.
BE original and pushing. There is
one restaurant in New York that is
making a success because the man
who calls the orders studies his bust
ness. The restaurant is clean and in
Viting and the food good, the same
conditions existing as in hundreds of
others. But the caller has developed
not long ago. a man came in and
asked for n rare steak with gravy and
a couple of baked potatoes.
"Out sings the caller, one red bull,
rave him sloppy-two Irishmen with
their pants on Another man asks for
a bowl of milk-the caller yells,
Graveyard stew for a stiff. In comes
a Dutchman and asks for wienerwurst
and kraut; the order is 'Unchain a
couple with a load of hay An order
for mince pie n la mode is Indiges-
ton in snow storm
That's why he's a success. He
gives them good food and a laugh ad-
ditionaL Everybody goes away feel
ing happy It's the same way with
the show business. We do our best
to entertain you and feel rewarded
when we get the applause.
It's the front that counts. Take a
circus for instance. Fronts why a
circus gets the dough. You see the
elephants and the cages and spenC
Your cash for admission. Publicity
with honest business and honest mer-
chandise is the secret of success.
New York gets there because of its
hustle. The push and hump are there
and people realize that it's the show
ing that counts. Smart sayings are
worth millions That's why the big
advertising writer's get big money. But
even if you manage to make the noise
that attracts publicity you have to de-
liver the goods. The lion roars and
people let him alone; a rabbit roars
and gets ate up because he can't de-
liver anything.
kidding such as you fellows enjoy
a this club dinner is what makes life
sweet. Don't be Adam sour guy-be
a regular fellow. The knocker that
hurts is the crouch who don't do any
thing openly. He'd better buy a one
way ticket out of town"
Mr.. Fagin, who is an honorary
member OF Is Rotary clubs in the
United States and Canada was voted
into honorary membership in Topeka
and received with outstretched arms
by the Topeka club. He is at the Nov
city this weekend and is the acme
Of enthusiasm. His home is in New
York city and during off hours he en-
cages in the publicity business. He
preached the Rotary sermon in place
of John Brunt who was unable to be
present.
Speech by T.. c. Fox.
The speech of the day was by Edwin
{. Fox, fire insurance adjustor, who
spoke on Fire Insurance from Fac
tory to Consumer" His points were il
Illustrated by clever negro stories.
The fire insurance business in
Kansas is handicapped by two big
bugbearS of our buSineSs"losSes and
heaviest of any state in the union" he
said.
u do not believe there are many
articles or produces upalced in he hanrs
of consumers al so low proportion of
expense to cost. In five of the past
seven years Sc per cent has not been
sufficient to cover the losses mean-
ing an actual loss of money to all com
panies in this great and prosperous
state
sST>a live q, ax-ara1a Of oil e+a+as
some underwriting profit has been
made but how long do you expect 9TH
er states will be willing to make up
the deficit here. Indeed Kansas has
been too long in the unprofita Bile class
for the people to expect a rate reduc-
ton until a reasonable level average of
a least per cent profit is assured
over d period of five years, and it
should be greater until the actual loss
is returned, because company that is
sound, and expects to remain so, must
accumulate reserves for such emergen-
cies as a San Francisco conflagration.
AS to the Iosses-those which we
are called upon to pay are mostly the
honest claims of honest claimants.
And some dishOnOred claims of honest
claimants. (refers to fictitious val
ues) with some dishonest claims
of dishonest claimants, and a few ar
son cases.
And | could cite to You what are
these classes right here in Topeka
but please let me get farther away
from home.
''Of the honest claims which are the
majority a large per cent are due to
carelessness but they cost just
much as if they were una voida BILE
and of them you never hear
But let me assure you that it is 4
real pleasure 20 adjust an honest loss
with an honest claimant-pay the
saI Mt
Headline Advices.
Il anticipate that within a few
weeks there will appear in the news
papers in flowing headline advices to
the effect that fire insurance COM
panies have received something like