Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-08
HARRISBURG. June s.


n-.,r..s Of the bills aimed to guarante,
,on.sty and safety to the public with re-
"a 10 the management of insurance com
.,,,.s is being blocked in the Legislature
!, an unseen but powerful political force
..,ord,nr TO State Insurance Commissioner
J. Denny o'Neil.
: II discussing the subject today he called
.-.rt,on TO the fact that the Legislature
4. an it's closing stretch, and asserted that
@ouIa the session 60 much farther without
s.,,or he would acduaint the people of the
srtlre state with the situation in detail
Terislation was also being unnecessarily
s.l,yed. he said, on bills pertaining to the
snle Of Insurance stocks.
BLUE-SKY BILL STRANGLED
He referred specifically to the blue sky
Snl. prepared, at his request, by Attorney
camera Brown. for the purpose of Kidding
pennsylvania of swindlers who offer worth
VS. stock for sale. He said:
This measure was referred to the
Banks and Banking Committee in the
House and subcommittee was appointed
N take charge of IT, The chairman of
thls latter body was elected as the rep
resentative of the people of district in
Allegheny County. His name is Carl c.
Baldridge. He has refused to hold public
hearings and has likewise refused to hold
A meeting Of the subcommittee so that
a Recommendation to report the bill from
the general committee could be made
The bill is literally and actually being
Hrangled to death.
PRESSURE AGAINST MEASURE
To overcome the pressure against this
measure we have had another blue sky"
bill introduced into the Senate. 1t refers
exclusively to insurance, stock and was
presented by Senator Hyndman. 1t Is
now on third reading and we have hope
I that II will be passed
Nevertheless. there is selfish influence
At work to block the departments pro-
fram of legislation covering the defects
IN the present insurance laws. | think
know this influence and at the proper
time I will dvulge to the people or the
state the names OF the men responsible
for the death of legislation that would
safeguard them from the buccaneers or
the Insurance business.
At present the persons who should be
receiving the greatest protection from
the State. the wage earners. are least pro-
tected, and the treatment being given in
the legislature to bills in their interest
indicates to me that this lack of protection
is satisfactory to the legislative leaders.
No honest man could object, for In
stance, to the Salus bill, which would
require a director i'm an insurance COM
pany to give notice of his intended
resignation thirty days in advance. The
existence Of such legislation would make
impossible such crashes as we have re-
Gently observed in the case of the Pitts
burgh Life and Trust Company. Never
theless, only today, at the instance OF the
Penrose- e-McNichol influence in the State
Senate this bill was placed OH the post
poned calendar for reasons certainly not
connected with any desire to pass the
measure.
HOPES SOME OF BILLS WILL PASS
fhope that some Of our bills will pass
the Legislature, but II the session goes
on much farther without action I shall
let the people Of the whole State know
The situation in detail. and it will be for
them to Judge.
At the same time. ONeil said he did not
nyor legislation that would require in
slrance companies to carry the additional
rsk OF policies of men who go to Europe
WIN the army without increasing the pre-
mum rates He said:
Such compulsion upon insurance COM
panes might reasonably have the effect
Of endangering all insurance. II seems
70 me an unfairness upon policy holders
ol many years standing that their in
terests should be jeopardized. believe
hat the Insurance companies should be
permitted to increase their rates and that
he national or State governments should
appropriate money to pay the excess pre-
sailors.