The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-04
iskEp.N-.vfp .ovsTERrleI,
MEMBERS OF soUTsHE.AsT,E;RN HI
! UNDERWRITERS URGE COW
ERNOR TO TAKE
(, ACTION.
Plea OF Defence is That Business WIN
be Driven out ana Rates increased-
Matter to BE Considered BY SExeciu. * ,.i
tive. !

Columbia. March 1.-Two score rep
resentatives Of fire insurance compa-
'nies operating in South Carolina, O
majority members Of the Southeastern
Underwriters Association. appearing
before Gov. Manning at public hear
ing today. urged that the Chief Exc
cutive veto the Act passed at the last
session Of the Legislature to put tho
Association out OF business III this
State. The hearing was begun at II
O'Clock In the Governors offace. Il
was announced at the hearing that the
Southeastern Underwriters' Associa-
ton had already ceased business In the
State.
One Of the Representatives of the
insurance companies making argu-
ment. incidentally remarked that If
the bill became law the people would
rise up and cut of the heads Of the
men responsible for It's passage.
This Is not q political question. Il
ID q business proposition. and I wish
that you would confine your remarks
to the business side." said Governor
Manning.
F. H. McMaster, insurance commits
sioner. defending the Act, stated that
right or wrong, the people of the State
were demanding that the Act be
passed.
The general defence of the fnsur-
ance companies was that many con-
Germs will be driven out Of the State
by the passage Of the Act and that an
increase in rates would certainly fol-
low the withdrawal of the Underwrit-
ers' Association. ,i 4.
1t was argued that each company in
the State will now be forced to do the
work that has been done by the As-
sociation and that the rates would
have to be increased because Of the
extra expense. It was pointed out
that the rates had been increased
while the Mauldin Act was In force
and that the same conditions would
prevail under the Laney Act.
Among the agents attending the
hearing We're: s. F. Cannon and b.
W. France. spartanburg; w. B. Mid
dleton. John b. Reeves, f. M. Rob
ertson. s. l. O'Neili. Charleston: W.
r. Dehop. summervilie; q. e. Eayns-
worth, r. d. Graham, Sumter: Geo.
IA Reeves, r. Deal, c. l. Kelly. s. L.
Miller. w. =. McNulty. c.. J. Bruce, r.
M. Davis. G. A. Brady. w. M. Burney,
r. M. Jones. T. L. wardlaw. ]. d. Dial,
Geo. L. Dial, James A. Cathcart, CO.
Lumbia.
While the hearing was in progress
the following telegram was received
from q South Carolina insurance
agent. who is attending q meeting in
New York: ~
Executive committee in view of
provision requiring affidavit March 1,
1917. covering twelve monthc preced-
ing. regardless date of Govern or's sig-
nature, adopted resolution withdraw
ing Jurisdiction Association. February
20. Buice instructed to discontinue
any further action disposition Of office,
an dother details determined later.
General meeting Of Association and
non-Association companies held this
afternoon. Declared sense Of meeting
that no company could safely do busi-
ness In the State should measure be-
come law"
No opposition to the Insurance
Brokers Act was expressed at the
hearing by the agents.
After hearing all arguments by the
representatives OF both sides. Govern
or Manning took the matter under
consideration and will later announce
his decision.
In declaring that 1t would be in the
nature Of public calamity for the
fire insurance companies to lose the
services Of their rate-making bureau,
Mr.. John B. Reeves. Of Charleston.
presented to Governor Manning on
Wednesday morning written state
ment Of his objection to the bill to
drive the Southeastern Tariff Asso-
ciation out Of the State.
Mr.. Reeves Is president Of the
Charleston local agents association.
ex-president Of the State Association
OF Local Agents. a member Of the ex-
ecutive committee Of the National As
ISOLATION of Local Agents and is pres
ident Of the State Savings Bank, of