The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1916-04-20
v. c. TAYLOR
CAND|DATEFOR
REELECTION

NL-LllUUUI
Bismarck, N. D., April 12.-W. C.
Taylor 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 candi-
date for the Office of commissioner Of
insurance. am now serving my
third term in that Office, and my can
didacy is submitted on the ground of
efficient service, faithful attention to
duty, and desire to further assist in
placing the entire structure of insur-
ance on more substantial basis in
this state. The program I have in
mind calls for the enactment of COM
plete and humorous insurance code, to
take the place of the hodge-podge Of
laws, many Of them more or less con-
Trajectory, which have been enacted
from time to time since statehood.
The state should have supervision
OF insurance rates as well as of the
insurance companies authorized to
transact business therein, This an
plies with special force to fire insur-
ance rates, but l believe it should also
5e extended to provide regulation Of
rates charged by surety companies.
Insurance is public necessity, no
less than railroad, telegraph and tel
phone systems. Even more intimate
than any Of these utilities it enters
into the very woof and warp Of our
social and industrial fabric. It was IN
recognition Of this fact that the Unit
ed States Supreme Court recently said
that "the business of fire insurance is
so far affected with public interest as
to justify legislative regulation Of its
rates." If reelected l shall renew
the efforts which were inaugurated in
the last legislature to secure SUPER
vision of rates.
Life insurance is written either on
what is known as the illegal reserve
basis" or the assessment plan" So
far as legal assessment life insurance
is concerned, I believe it's writing
should be confined exclusively to fra
ternal benefit societies, and on ade-
quate rates. There would not seem to
be any legitimate reason or demand
for assessment life associations. and
this state might we'll follow the ex-
ample of othter states in expressly ex-
cluding them from it's borders. Ger
tainly the present lack of definition in
that particular should be corrected.
Demands upon the time and atten-
tion of the commissioner of insurance
in examining disputed claims for in
demnity, under policies of accident and
health insurance, has grown alarm ~
ly. This is due to the vague, indefi-
mite and misleading character of these
contracts. Standard forms should be
prescribed by legislative enactment,
as in the case of fire insurance and life
insurance.
The state department of insurance
is not merely or primarily recordi g
office. The duties devolving upon the
commissioner Of insurance are highly
technical, and call for an intimate
knowledge of tn elm insurance laws
and at least reasonable degree of ad.
ministrative ability. These qualities
tions can be acquired, if at all, only by
experience. In this connection attcn-
tion is called to the fact that in addi-
tion to the steadily increasing amount
of work devolving upon this Office as 4,
result of teh rapid growth of the in
surance business, and the responsible
ity and labors of the commissioner Of
insurance have been immeasurably en-
larged from the fact that he has been
charged with supervision of the state
hail insurance fund, the fire marshal
law and the state bonding fund. It is
true, that the law creating the state
bonding fund is not operative at pres
ent, but it is likely to become egective
within short time.
The state of North Dakota owes me
nothing. On the contrary am deeply
indebted to the people of this state;
and In thatspirit--in the desire to give
better service to our people than it has
been possible for me to give in the
past-my candidacy is submitted.