The Dickinson press., 1916-04-15
political Advertising)
IS A CANDIDATE
FOR REELECTION
WALTER c. TAYLOR, COMMITS.
SIONER OF INSURANCE, AN
NOUNCES HIS CANDI-
DACY AND PLATFORM.

Bismarck, N. D., April NV. C.
Taylor today formally announced his
candidacy for reelection to the Of
flee of commissioner of insurance, as
follows:
To the Republican Electors of the
State of North Dakota: I am a can-
didate for the office of commissioner
Of insurance. I am now serving my
third term in that office, and my AN
didacy is submitted on the ground of
efficient service, faithful attention to
duty, and a desire to further assist
in placing the entire structure Of
insurance on a more substantial
basis in this state. The program I
have in mind calls for the enactment
of a complete and harmonious insur-
ance code, to take the place Of the
hodge-podge of laws, many of them
more or less contradictory, which
have been enacted from time to
time since statehood.
The state should have supervision
| of insurance rates as we'll as of the
insurance companies authorized to
transact business therein. This ap-
plies with special force to fire insur-
ance rates, but I believe it should
also be extended to provide regula-
ton of rates charged by surety com
panies. 80
Insurance is a public necessity, no
less than railroad, telegraph and tele-
phone systems. Even more intimate
ly than any of these utilities it en-
tiers into the very wool and warp of
our social and industrial fabric. It
was in recognition of this fact that
the United States supreme court re-
Gently said that "the business Of fire
insurance is so far affected with a
public interest as to justify legisla-
tive regulation of it's rates." If re-
elected I shall renew the efforts
which were inaugurated in the last
legislature to secure supervision of
rates.
Life insurance is written either on
what is known as the illegal reserve
basis" or the assessment PLAN" So
far as assessment life insurance is
concerned, I believe it's writing should
be confined exclusively to f%raternal
benefit societies, and on adequate
rates. There would not seem to be
any legitimate reason or demand for
assessment life associations, and this
state might well follow the example
of other states in expressly excluding
them from it's borders. Certainly
the present lack of definition in that
particular should be corrected.
Demands upon the time and at
tention of the commissioner of insur-
ance in examining disputed claims
fo,, o1o,oNsfry ,,olor~ nN1yoSnc IF oooi.
dent and health insurance, has grown
alarmingly. This is due to the vague,
indefinite and misleading character
of these contracts. Standard forms
should be prescribed by legislative
enactment, as in the case of fire in
surance and life insurance.
! The state department of insurance
is not merely or primarily a record
ing office. The. duties devolving upon
the commissioner of insurance are
highly technical, and call for an in
innate knowledge of the insurance
laws and at least a reasonable de-
gree of administrative ability. These
qualifications can be acquired, if at
all, only by experience. In this con-
nection attention is called to the fact
that in addition to the steadily in
creasing amount of work devolving
upon this office: as a result of the
rapid growth Of the insurance bust
ness, the responsibility and labors of
the commissioner of insurance have
been immeasurably enlarged from the
fact that he has been charged with
supervision of the state hail insur-
ance fund, the fire marshal law and
the. state bonding fund. 1t is true,
that the law creating the state bond
ing fund is not operative at present,
but it is likely to become effective
within a short time.
The state of North Dakota owes
me nothing. On the contrary I am
deeply indebted to the people of this
state; and in that spirit-in the de-
sire to give better service to our
people than it has been possible for
me to give in the past-my candidacy
is submitted.
--~~x-~-- "