The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-02-16
MLAURIN DENOUNCEs TRUST.
Says Southeastern Underwriters As.
sociation is Monopoly for Benefit Of
Insurance BarOns.

field, who introduced in the house a
Dill similar to the Laney bill in the
senate, to dissolve the Southeastern
Tariff association, so far as South
Carolina is concerned, Senator Nc
Laurin, State Warehouse Commission
er, appeared before the house insur-
ance and banking committee on last
Thursday afternoon and told of the
operations of the insurance trust in
this State and of the strenuous fight
made by this trust against the lower
insurance rates secured by the State
Warehouse System.
Mr.. Seibels. of the Seibels Insur-
ance Agency; Mr.. Harrington, of the
Germania Fire Insurance Company;
Mr.. James A. Cathcart, president of
the South Carolina Underwriters as
sociation, and a number of Columbia
insurance agents. were present in op-
position to the measure. Commits
sioner McMaster urged the passage of
a brokers bill, in connection with an
other bill which he has had intro
duced in the legislature, or the pas
sage of the Odom bill.
Senator McLaurin squarely urged
the Odom bill. He said that when
he began to insure State cotton he
had endeavored to deal with the To-
cal agents, but had encountered
trust which was the most binding and
omniponent trust with which he had
ever come in contact in a long ex-
perience with business affairs. He
called attention to the fact that Mr..
Harrington. of the Germania, which
was not member of the Southeast
ern. was present with Mr.. Seibeis and
Mr.. Cathcart, showing that even the
companies which were not active
members of the avowed trust stood
by the rates promulgated by the trust.
That the rates were exorbitant was
shown by the fact that when he had
secured $1.58 rates for country ware
houses, the Southeastern agents had
met these rates and sought to hold
the business where they had been
forced in competition.
Mr.. Seibels at this point interrupt.
ed to state that the Southeastern had
no agents.
Senator McLaurin said he realized
that it was a system of rings within
rings" for the purpose Of shutting out
the light. and that he was referring
to agents of companies which were
members Of the Southeastern. which
was all one and the same thing-"a
distinction made by Mr.. seibels with
out the shadow Of difference"
why. these gentlemen here. he
said. pointing to Mr.. seibels. Mr.. Har-
rington. and the others, know that
they are in an iron-clad trust. And
will further make the statement that
I have good reason to believe, after
my experience Of fifteen months as
State warehouse commissioner. that
the companies in this trust are re.
CURED to put up and have put up
large forfeits against any violation of
the agreement. OF course this is not
matter susceptible to proof, but
these gentlemen can deny it here and
now If they want to-"
There was no denial by any insur-
ance man present.
Senator McLaurin called attention.
to Article TX, Section 13, of the Con-
stitution. which forbids trusts and
monopolies, and makes it the duty of
the legislature to enact such laws as
Will carry out the letter and the spir-
1t OF this provision of the fundamen-
tai law.
He did not want to have to con-
tinue to go outside the State to get
competitive rates. he said, because he
would prefer to deal with the South
Carolina agents-and he believed
the agents around the country would
be glad to be relieved Of the arbitrary
rules imposed upon them by a Co
lumbia ring" whose members sat in
an office in Columbia and decreed
what rates every agent should charge
upon every piece of property.
The hearing was spicy. Senator
McLaurin did not mince words, and
he cited the facts, as shown In his re-
port, and urged that the people Of
South Carolina, and the town and
country agents. be relieved of the in.
iquitous operations Of an oppressive
trust' maintaining exorbitant insur-
ance rates. working through little
Columbia ring" 1--WE might as well