The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-05-26

and forgetful, did I not commend
the courage and sagacity of your
own representative in the Legisla-
ture, from this county, who voted
against that Anti-Discrimination law
of the last session.
State Rate Making.
when / see the same companies,
that write your insurance and mine,
from fourteen different countries OF
Europe, charging you and me eight
times as large @ rate upon like prop
terties, as they charge at home;
When / find that the average
rates in this country are nine times
as high as they are in countries
where state insurance prevails;
when find such evidence every
whore of extortion and greed as that
l have shown to you here; when ]
know that the rates in Michigan
could be reduced to onethird of
present rates under State control;
And when l find the insurance
trust, not satisfied with the field
usually occupied by a trust but TAX
ing possession of the state and its
legislation. building about the state
barriers, making criminals Of COM
panies that would furnish insurance
at reasonable rates, I confess that
am in favor Of the State rising to
its chiefest function, that Of protect
Ing the weak and unorganiZed,
against the aggressions Of the strong.
| If one state should open the
door. every state in the Union would
follow within five years. The trust
knows this would be true
| THE State of Michigan could in
augurate either state insurance, or
provide for an extension Of the Nut
ual plan already in force for Work
mems compensation insurance, with
out a penny of expense to the state,
and without creating a single new
office or commission.
What Could BE Accomplished.
IF it should do so, at the rates
now being charged. with the sur
plus moneys in your State treasury,
after paying all losses and expenses,
you could, If necessary, rebuild every
state institution in Michigan, from
the University and Capitol to the
smallest state building that stands
anywhere upon Michigan soil.
cor. with the surplus you could
support every state institution in
Michigan, educational, charitable
and all others, without a dollar be-
ing raised by taxation.
mo. my friends. am not IN favor
Of sending this surplus to Spain.
Bulgaria, OF any other foreign coun-
try, just to satisfy the greed of an
| nnf. hov NC
are of submarine nature.
Fire Wardens nnd Fire Protection.
Our insurance commissioner, the
other day, in commiserating the
companies for their undeserved fire
three-fourths of the fires in this
cendiarism
THAT statement was correct, but
he failed to give the chief reason
for such conditions. He should
have told you that the insurance
companies offer and reward arson
in this state by their unheard of
methods.
The agent writes any amount of
insurance that a man asks upon his
property, and upon which he is will
ing to pay premium, without the
slightest inspection. He is not re-
quired to by the company. If in
surance companies would cease to
write more insurance upon property
than it is worth, it would at once re-
j duce our fire loss by one-third, and
it would remove a menace from all
property in its vicinity.
ut is this invitation to arson that
ought to be stopped for the security
of the neighborhood.
mot until the assured of Mich
igan can get the benefit of lowered
fire loss, of better fire protection
of greater care, will there be ma
terial change in the fire waste Of the
State.
with State insurance. or with
} state supervision Of rates, there
would come at once, laws to punish
the careless, to prevent over-insur-
ance, when at least one-half the fire
, loss of today would take wings, as
it has in Europe.
State Regulation.
II am not pleading for small
saving of one or three per cent, but
for fifty per cent or more at once
and still more when fire prevention
laws nave Deen eHdclcu.
Municipal Illustrations.
, There are some functions of gov
eminent that can be better exercised
by the public than by private indi-
viduals or corporation.
Some years ago, my own city OF
Coldwater. was buying it's light
from a private company. 1t voted
to build plant of its own, but in
stead bought the one already there
1t connected it with the water plant
and the two have been running to.
, gether ever since. We have made
no money from water because OF
the low price at which it has beer
: furnished.
) For electric lighting the city
2 charges for residence purposes
; cents per kilowat for the first eigh
( kilOwats, used and five cents for al
: additional. For mercantile purpose!
Z il charges 8 cents for the first TWEEN
! ty kilowats and four cents for al
r additional.
. For power purposes 1t charges
three cents per kilowat.
These rates have prevailed To-
\ tUn uoorc pafpra xhat ua war,