The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-07-26

~ i"""iy-Vi IeW scOr1pdii1eS, the
Augusta public might not have dis
covered that 1t has no rights under u
fire insurance policy which the COM
pany Is in any way bound to respect,
unless 1t Is pleased to do so.
But enough has developed IN Angus
ia since this great fire to acquaint the
public with a few things about fire in
suruncc- policics--as permitted under
the laws Of Georgia-which the insur-
ance companies. themselves. framed
that the dear old gullible public never
knew before. And. one of these Is,
that in case Of a loss the assured is
compelledr--in fact is bound under the
Georgia laws--to let the insurance
company select one of the arbitrators
and the "umpiro." That Is. where the
assured refuses to be cajoled. or brow
"aten. into settlement, without ''ar-
bl,ratiou."
And nothing will stop those Augusta
people who have interested themselves
In this vital matter--neither a bclatcd
settlement. nor explanation, nor any
thing elsc--from carrying this matter
forward, as far as 1t can be carried,
In the legislature or before the courts.
And. yet. none of this Is to be done
In the spirit Of ''reprisal' against i'm
surance companies; for the men he
hind this movement are clear-headed.
conservative bushes men. and they
would not seek legislation that woul.i
work an injury to any interest In Gcor-
gia. The Chronicle. itself. agrees
with the Insurance Herald ARGUS, that
the danger of such movement Ia In
permitting 1t to so too far and 10
this tho Chronicle Is opposed.
But, certainly. it Is not going too far
to. ask the legislature. to let somebody.
besides the insurance companies them
selves have word In framing the
insurance laws Of this State. And, GER
tainiy, 1t is'inot going top far to ask
chat the Legislature provide some ma
chinery fcr, the selection of "umpires''
In case Of arbitration of losses, instead
|of leaving this vital matter almost
wholly TN the lands OK the insurance
company. or companies. at interest.
3 In this connection. however. 1T might
be mentioned. In the case of the
Chronicle building. that the insurance
ad1usters IN charge have absolutely
refused TO agree upon any umpire
proposed by the assured. and have in
sisted throughout upon the latter ac-
|cepting an umpire from the North"
who is IN no way familiar with build
ing conditions in the South. But even
this does not represent all of thnir
arbitrariness. as will be shown at the
propsr time; for. after taking up three
weeks OF the assured's time., In an
'ostensfbie effort 20 "adjust" the Toss,
tho Insurance representative Slandly
Iinormed the assured that they had
mo proposition To make and that the
natter would rhave 10 20 to arbitra
tion'--since which time they have
cooily and persistently refused to
agree to every proposition that would
have made arbitration possible.
The truth of the matter Is, more
one-sided and unfair. II not downright
dishonest. contract was never devised
than that under which fire insurance
companies are permitted to do busi-
ness In this State. II an individual
citizen wore to propose similar con-
and nothing for you
with another individual. the latter
would. probably, regard it either as q
joke or piece Of impertinence. Aud
no man, II he has business sense
enough toy administer his own affairs,
would knowingly sign such contract
and pay out his good money on 1t.
year after year.
Yet this purposely one-sided con-
trnct In permitted under the laws of
Georgia! Which Is only explained by
the fact that the insurance companies,
themselves or their representatives,
framed the law.
But, as for that matter, Georgia has
the weakest insurance laws of any
State In the union, and has had all
along; fact very often remarked. and
generally laughed about by men in
the insurance business. As. for in
stance, we once knew an insurance
mana member Of the legislature, at
one time--who. when he could stand
the demands Of the insurance compa-
MES no longer, was candid enough to
tell them, that like the liquor men,
they were making themselves so "ac-
tive" In the matter Of State legislation,
and were so opposed to any and all