The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-07-16
5,152 CLAIMS AT
S200EACH REACH.
HAIL DIVISION. 5
Indemnities Asked From State
Insurance Fund Aggregate
$1,03O,000 to Date
MANY YET TO BE FILED
No Reports Yet From Track Of
Recent Bad Storms s-Acre
Assessment Estimates

Losses to the number Of 5,152 with
claims for indemnity averaging 5000
in each case, or a total of $1,000, 400,
have already been reported to the
hail department of Insurance Com
missioner Olsness' Office, and nothing
has yet been heard from Grand
Forks, Ramsey and Barnes county,
which have suffered seriously
through disastrous hail storms of the
last week.
1t was originally estimated that
30,00O,O0O acres of arabic land were
subject to the provisions Of the
state hail insurance act and liable
to the fat tax of. three cents an acre,
from which there is no escape under
the law and which is expected to
yield, 100000 for the hail insurance
fund.
OF the arabic land probably 1S,000,-
900 is under cultivation and liable to
assemmnent. Approximately so per
cent of this land has been withdrawn
from the assessment feature Of the
act, leaving 100000 acres upon which
to levy q further tax, which cannot
exceed SO cents per acre, from which
hail indemnities will be paid.
Now In Thick Of 1t.
North Dakota is now in the midst
of the hail season. Inasmuch, how
ever, as the crop is comparatively
light in one OF the heaviest hail areas
tho region west of the Missouri
it is believed safe to presume that
twenty per cent of the aggregate hail
losses have already been reported.
In this event, the total loss for the
year, as far as the state fund is con-
cerned. would not exceed $5,000,000.
Pro-rated over 100000 acres of
land, and taking into consid
the 100000 derived from the fiat
tax of three cents AN acre, the total
assessment, including the. cost OF
operating the department, should not
exceed 50 cents an acre. Such an
assessment would furnish the de.
partment with total Of $5.4O0,00O
from which to pay hail losses cost
of adjusting and other expenses.
J. 1t is not, of course. safe to con-
lecture at this period, what W. 'the
losses OF the next six weeks. may be,
Should they be unusually high the
maximum assessment OF 50 cents an
acre might not suffice to meet the
demands on the fund, and it would
be necessary for the department to
issue warrants against 1920 revenues.
Had all owners OF arabic land re-
NAMED under the act, there would
have. been, available, under the maxi
mum assessment, plus the 100000
derived from the three-cent per acre
tax, a possible aggregate of $780,
900 from which to pay hail losses.
Law Unsatisfactory.
The hail law, as It now stands, is
admittedly imperfect. Farmers gen
orally object to the early date limit
on Withdrawals, declaring that this
feature of the act is chiefly respon.
,sible for the large percentage OF
withdrawals. June Is is the last
date upon which notices Of with.
drawal may be filed with county
auditors. At that time, farmers as
sert, it is impossible to determine in
many instances, whether there is to
be any crop to insure. The farmers
are inclined to favor July l as a
more reasonable withdrawal date
limit. Should there be a special ses'
sion next winter it is probable that
the act will be amended in several
particulars and that this feature will
receive especial attention.