The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-01
INSURANCE FIGHT
| lSN0T ENDED
Senator Laney Resumes Attack
on Southeastern Tariff
Association.
PEOPLE ARE UNDER THE
HEELS OF MONOPOLY
State Has Right to Regulate In
surance Companies and Pro-
tect Public.
fBY HAROLD G. BooKER.)

Columbia, Jan. 30-South Carolina
is absolutely at the mercy of the
Southeastern Tariff Association, ac-
cording to Senator G. K. Laney OF
Chesterfield county, who was one OF
the authors Of the Laney Odom act
passed by the general assembly a few
years back and which drove the fire
insurance companies from the State.
The bride is Off so far as these com
panies are now concerned, he says,
ard they. can do the people OF the
State just as they please.
The law passed by this general as
sembly two years ago, which purports
to regulate them, is not worth the
paper it is written on" declared the
senator from Chesterfield in speech
In the senate on Tuesday afternoon.
1T is a farce, if you will excuse the
language, senators. We are in as bad
shape now as we were before we pass
ed the legislation few years ago. we
are under the heel, the, hind heel,
the iron heel Of the tariff ASSOCIATION
and they are bearing down ON us.
"The pity Of it all is that we had
the fight nearly won two years ago IL
we had only known it. Lots OF peo-
ple cot panic stricken, however, and
we caved in. II we hadn't given up,
we would have won the fight just as
the great State Of Texas won hers
and we would today have been inde-
pendent Of the Southeastern IaraH
Association.
.'The question has rot been settled
right and therefore it has not been
settled at all. The people of the State
are growing tired of being trampled!
on by. these insurance companies. The
iron belt is rubbing them raw and
they are. chafng under it.. There Is
now absolutely no restraint Off in.
surAnce companies in this State ana
look what they have: done. LOOK
what they have done. Look at the
raise in rates"
The senator from Chesterfield was
urging the passage BY the senate over
the governors veto of the bill pro-
yiding for State insurance for cotton
warehouses in the State warehouse
system. He declared that the insur-
arice people did not like this because
it was the entering wedge Tor the
state in the insurance business. The
insurance people don't want the state
fn the insurance business 1t would
ruin their business.
Senator Laney declared that it was
just as necessary to have regulation
Of fire insurance as it is to control
the railroads and the telegraph wires.
He declared that the United States
Supreme Court has decided that
State had the right to control the fire
insurance business. Fire insurance is
a. public necessity and therefore some
control must be exercised over It,
The senator was referring to the de-
cision of the United States Supreme
Court in the La. Tourette case a few
davs ago. This case grew out of the
Lanev-Odom act, the insurance com
missioner of the State refusing to IL
cense Phillip La Tourette Of New
York under the provisions of the
Laney-Odonc act.
Senator Laney in his speech lntl-
mated that he was not through with
the insurance companies Yet. he
predicted an uprising on the part or
the people against them.
The senate listened intently to his
remarks but did not follow his plea
for the passage of the warehouse in
surance bill, killing it by vote OF ~
to 13.