The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1916-04-20
TAYLOR IS CANDIDATE
FOR REELECTION

TAILOR Is CANDIDATE
FOR REELECTION
Bismarck, April 12-W. C. Taylor
today formally announced his candi-
dacy for reelection to the Office Of
commissioner Of insurance, as follows:
| To the Republican Electors of the
State of North Dakota: am a can
didate for the Office Of commissioner
of insurance. l am now serving my
third term in that Office, and my
candidacy is submitted on the ground
Of efficient service, faithful attention
to duty, and a desire to further assist
in placing the entire structure Of in
surance on q more substantial basis
in this state. The program l have in
mind calls for the enactment of COM
plcte and harmonious insurance code,
to take the place Of the hodge-podge
of laws, many Of them more or less
contradictory, which have been enact
ed 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 believe it should also
be extended to provide regulation Of
rates charged by surety companies.
Insurance is 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 woof and warp Of
our social and industrial fabric. 1t
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 iegisla-
tive regulation of its rates" If re-
elected shall renew the efforts which
were inau gurated in the last legisla-
ture to secure supervision of rates.
Life insurance is written either on
what is known as the "legal reserve
basis" or the Assessment plan" So
far as assessment life insurance is
concerned, believe its writing should
be confined exclusively to fraternal
benefit societies, and on adequate
rates. There would not seem to be
any legitimate reason or demand fol
assessment life associations, and thi:
J, state might well follow the exampl
of other states in expressly exclud
ling them from its borders. Certainl,
the present lack of definition in tina,
particular should be corrected.
Il Demands upon the time and atten'
tion Of the commissioner of insur
ance in examining disputed claims
for indemnity, under policies of acci
dent and health insurance, has growr
alarmingly. This is due to the vague
indefinite and misleading character oi
these contracts. Standard form!
should be prescribed by legislative en-
actment, as in the case of fire insur
ance and life insurance.
The state department of insurance
is not merely or primarily a record
ling Office. The duties devolving upor
the commissioner of insurance ar.
highly technical, and call for an in
innate knowledge of the insurance
laws and at least reasonable de
gree of administrative ability. These
qualifications can be acquired, if Al
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 devolvinl
upon this Office as result of the
rapid growth of the insurance bust
ness, the responsibilities 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 anc
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 short time.
The State of North Dakota owe:
me nothing. On the contrary an
deeply indebted to the people of thi:
state; and in that spirit-in the de
sire to give better service to our peo
pie than it has been possible for MI
to give in the past-my candidacy i:
. submitted.
Walter c. Taylor