The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-04-07
Both McLauHn and McMasfer,
Governor Manning Says. Were
Both Confident Fire Insurance
Could Be Procured-FaiIure
DevoIves Obligation of Action
on Chief Executive.
Wednesdays State.)


failed in his expectations to provide
relief; the warehouse commissioner
is about to fail in his efforts to Sc
cure the insurance necessary on cot
ton stored in State warehouses;" said
Gov. Manning yesterday in a state
ment on the insurance situation. The
governor few days ago received a
letter from John l.. McLaurin, State
warehouse commissioner, advising
him that the insurance on State cot
ton is intact, but / do not know how
long it may remain So" Commits
sioner McLaurin urged the governor
lature to provide relief in the present
emergency.
"I shall without delay use every eff
fort officially and personally to rem
edy the situation" said Gov. Man
ming.
The governors statement in full
follows:
Before and after signing the
LaneyO Odom bill, had the assurance
from the State insurance commits
sioner, Mr.. McMaster, that he could
secure all the insurance that was nec-
essary for the protection of the peo-
pies property in South Carolina.
81 s1. in this afternoons paper an
article 'appearing over Mr.. McMas-
ter's signature, in which he says, in
reference to the Laney-Odom act;
Therefore, unless the law is re-
pealed, South Carolina must take
care of herself with the aid of the
insurance organization now doing
business here. In my opinion, these
, organization will scarcely be able
= take care of the best insurable
lsks which are protected by munich
q al waterworks. Property not so ps4:2
Is scteds must be insured, otherwise x.
see no chance for this except in
mutual companies. Every thinking
individual know that each class of
property must or should pay its own
fire losses, whether the insurance be
in stock company or in mutual.
There is no prospect of organizinz
many stock companies
$50 that Mr.. McMaster admits his
failure to secure the necessary insur-
ance to protect the proper of the
P~Opi> Va oouIh odioiilid.
'In addition to this, the State ware
house commissioner, Hon. John l..
McLaurin, had been assured that the
Insurance situation could be taken
care of, with especial reference to the
insurance on cotton stored in State
warehouses, the warehouse commits
sioner advising that, in his Judgment,
the State warehause system was am
ply able to take care Of all the cotton
stored in the State and keep it insured
in high class companies.
Warehouse Commissioner Nc
Laurin, in his letter to me, dated
March 30, makes the following state
ment:
81 was assured most confidently,
from thoroughly reliable suorces, that
any insurance in South Carolina
which was cancelled could be placed
I'm New York, but the power of these
big companies has been too great for
the smaller companies to withstand.
There are many good men in the in
surance business, but these large
companies dominate the situation,
and they have appealed to the esprit
Wv NOipo VI Cile insurance men gen.
orally an dare whipping everybody
into line"
"He also makes the following state
ment:
"'But the individual is absolutely
powerless against these great ag-
gregations of capital, and unless the
strong arm of the government is
brought to his relief see no help.
This shows that a most serious
situation now confronts the people of
the State. The insurance commits
sioner has failed in his expectations
to provide itself. The warehouse
commissioner is about to fail in his
efforts to secure the insurance neces-
sary on the cotton stored in the State
warehouses. These conditions make
1T incumbent on me as governor to
act. and | shall use every effort Off
cially and personally to remedy the
situation, without delay, with due re-
gard to the sovereignty of the State
and the interest Of all tie paonlo