Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-10-29
RESIDENT AGENT
Law IS DESIRED
BY Underwriters
Life Insurance Men Address
Letter to Nominees for the
Legislature, Setting Forth
Their Ideas.


law which will require that all appli
cants for a license to sell life insur
ance in the state of Idaho must first
show to the satisfaction of the state
insurance department that they are
bona fide residents of Idaho, and for a
more adequate appropriation for the
state insurance department. the legis
lative committee of the Gem State
Association of Life Underwriters, has
addressed letters to the Republican
and Democrtic nominees for the legis-
lature asking support, in the event
of their election. The association
feels that 1t is entitled to u frank
statement from the men who are be-
fore the public seeking seats in the
legislature. 1t believes that the Re
sident Agents" law will give better
protection to resident agents and pro-
tect citizens from the unlawful meth
DDS INDUCED in by certain type of
non resident agents.
The letter of the committee which
is composed of r. G. Pennington. c. +.
KutnewsAy. d. G. Whyte, L. J. Phelps
and E. A. Crooks, is as follows:
THE Gem State Association of Life
Underwriters is the recognized state
association of life insurance men. The
undersigned are the members of a com
mittee appointed by said association,
with instructions to communicate with
each candidate for the state leg!sla-
ture in Idaho at the coming election.
1.-THE purpose of this communication
is to call your attention to certain
remedial legislation which this asso-
citation deems necessary and of vital
importance to the people of this state,
and we beg to submit especially. for
your consideration, the following;
WANT RESIDENT AGENT LAW.
First: We favor the enactment of
law in the state of Idaho similar TO
that recently enacted by the states Of
wyoming Washington, Colorado and
others. which law is popularity known
as the Resident Agents Law" and
which, in effect, would require that
all applicants for a license to sell life
insurance in the state of Idaho must
first show to the satisfaction of the
state insurance department that they
are bona fide residents of the state of
Idaho We already have upon our
statute books such a law governing
agents selling fire and other lines OF
insurance. and since the same evils
that prompted the law governing the
qualifications for such agents, pre-
vail in the matters affecting tn life
insurance agent. we see no reason why
this code should not be amended as
to cover all classes of insurance agents.
including life agents We believe that
this law would eliminate many of the
existing evils in the business today and
better protect our citizens from the
unlawful methods INDUCED in by a
certain type of non resident agent who
now infests our state, and who, by
reason of his being nonresident, is
practically immune from prosecution
or any FORM of supervision by our state
insurance department.
Second: We would also direct your
attention to the fact that the insurance
companies doing business in the state
of Idaho pay into our state treasury
each year. as a consideration for the
right TO do business in the state, GER
tain annual fees; and thai we are al
so required to pay what Is known as a
: premium income tax" The records
at the state insurance department dis
close the fact that the moneys received
into the treasury of this state upon
account of the fees and taxes above
mentioned amount to the enormous
appropriation made by our last lcgis-
lature for the maintenance and super
vision of the state insurance depart
ment was $l1 900 for the two years
Or $500 per year; and from this APP
preparation a salary of s2,400 per year
is paid to the state insurance commits
sioner. thereby leaving out of said APP
preparation available for other costs of
supervision salaries of clerical help,
travelling expenses. printing. library.
ETC., the small sum of SO, 100. You viii
note that the appropriation made Is
only q little more than per cent of
the income of this office.
INCREASE APPROPRIATION.
ut is quite apparent that the very
spirit and intention of the law which
imposes an annual fee and a premium
income tax upon the companies do
ing business in this state was to pro-
vide fund out of which the state
might give to it's citizens the protec-
ton and assistance in their insurance
matters to which they areajustly EMIT
led We most earnestly recommend that
more liberality be shown by our next
legislature in the matter of the appro-
priation to be made for the mainten-
ance and support of our state insur-
ance department, since we feel that the
people of this state are entitled to eff
ficient and careful service from our
state insurance department. We know
that our insurance commissioner is
very desirious of giving such service,
but is materially handicapped on ac-
count of lack of funds with which to
properly discharge his official duties
to the people.
I'VE beg OF you to give the matters
herein suggested your most serious
thought and consideration, and after
having done so we will highly appre-
ciate a communication from you, tell
ing us what your attitude will be upon
the matters under discussion, in the
event of your election to the state leg
tslature on next November We feel
that the request herein made is in
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