The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1919-07-25
Hail Insurance 81 'iIl / !. . .
Law W7UnSatE-
factory In N. D.
1ndemnities Asked From State Insur-
ance Fund Aggregate 81, o30,o0o
,.. to Date
MANY CLAIMS VET TO BE FILED
No Reports Yet From Track Of Recent
Bad Storms-Aere Assessment
Estimates

LOSSES 10 tuC uUulDSF Ol O,1OH WILL
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 Burnes county, which
have suffered seriously through dis
asterous hail storms of the last week
: 1t was originally estimated that
S0,0O0,O00 acres Of arabic land were
subject to the provisions Of the state
( hail insurance act and liable to the
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.
d OF the arabic land probably 1S,oo0,-
900 is under cultivation and liable to
assessment. Approximately SO per
cent Of this land has been withdrawn
from the assessment feature of the
act, leaving 100000 acres upon which
to levy a 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
the region west of the Missouri
it is believed safe to presume tat
twenty per cent of the aggregate hall
losses have already been reported
In this event, the total loss for the
year, as far as the state fund is con-
aeegnsd would net essaaS5, ,ooe s.s. gegs
8 Pro.rat ted over 100000 acres or
land, and taking into consideration
the 100000 derived from the flat
tax of three cents an acre, the total
assessment, including the cost OF
operating the department, should not
exceed SO cents an acre. Such az
assessment would furnish the de-
partment with total Of S5,40O,0o9
from which to pay hail losses, cost
of adjusting and other expenses.
It is of course not safe to con-
lecture at this perid, what the loss
of the next six weeks may be. Should
they be unusually high the maxim
um assessment of so cents an acre
might not suffice to meet the de-
mands on the fund, and it would be
necessary for the department to is
sue warrants against 1920; revenues
Had ALL owners of arabic land remain
ed under the act, there would have
been available, under the maximum
assessment, plus the 100000 derived
from the three-cent per acre tax,
possible aggregate of $9,90O,OOO 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. 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 ! as
more reasonable withdraw date limit.
Should there be special session next
winter. it is probable that the act
7 will. be amended in several particulars
and that this feature will receive
4 especial attention. Ill. 81 III,