The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-03-25
THAT PACKARD ARTICLE ON STATE
HAIL INSURANCE BY s, A. 0lSNESS

structive criticism.
This is again manifested in the next
paragraph where he attempts to show
that South Dakota furnished $1,000
insurance for 35 cents per acre. It is
painful to have to again remind Mr..
Packard that he misses the truth by
several points. The fact is that South
Dakota is divided in four districts, and
that the rate changes from IS cents to
45 cents per acre, making the average
40 cents. Furthermore South Dakota
escaped with the extremely light loss
Of 100000 this season.
Will Mr.. Packard kindly tell the
public what he means, when he says
that "a real state hail insurance might
have saved the people of the state
several million dollars, while it is very
doubtful if the present act has saved
them anything?" Perhaps the last
paragraph is the answer. "Had the
act been compulsory, about 10 cents
an acre in addition to the three cent
tax would have paid the 1919 losses,
and would not have been a hardship,
etc." Also, "The law should either
work by zones after the South Dakota
idea, or should be compulsory after
the Canadian idea" Can you beat it I?
Anything but what is!
We have tried in vain to discover
by what method of computation Mr..
Packard finds that 10 cents an acre
in addition to the 8 cent tax could pay
the nearly $3,4OO,OOO losses incurred
in 1919. Applying this rate to the IL
million acres insured gives only
isl $50, 900. Applying it to the % mil
lion acres Of tillable acreage would
just about cover the need. But it
would surely be still more unfair to
impose a tax of 13 cents on land de-
irving no benefit from the insurance
when we already have granted re-
fund of the 8 cent tax, at the sugges-
tion of Mr.. Packard. It must be pre-
sumed that by making the act compul-
sorry, the area would be increased
(perhaps Is to 30 per cent) and that
the saving suggested, would be effect
ed by reason of such increase. But,
increasing the area covered must also
increase the risk, and surely no sane
man would argue differently. The only
conclusion, therefore, is that Mr.
Packard is making the statement
contemplated the application of the
13 cent rate to all tillable land, or, by
Esome means expected to keep the hal
off from the added territory.
| Why did not Mr.. Packard offer
some suggestion on how to get that
"real state. hail law" last winter, when
the farmer legislators grappled with
the problem, and would have well
coined any good idea? We had the
South Dakota and the Canadian ideas
then, but they chose the present one,
And now for the last sentence: "The
hybrid North Dakota Law works a
hardship upon the insured in those
areas, where there is seldom hail" Is
that so? Have not those areas the
privilege of withdrawing from the in
surance, if they think it is a hardship
For inconsistency Mr.. Packard's ar
ticle on the State Hail Insurance is
hard to equal. Now he is dong his best
to convince the people that Townley
and the League are trying to fasten
upon them system of state socialism
and at the same time finds fault with
the hail law they gave US because il
is not compulsory! Judging from his
many mis-statements and exaggera-
tions, (or should I say belittlements)
for no other purpose than to injure
not the hail law-for that will stand
but the present administration, ]
think the people will hesitate before
awarding the prize to the Townley
press, when it comes to comparing
batting averages.
I trust that these remarks and the
facts explained may have overcome
any of the prejudices that Mr.: Pack
ards article may have established
against our State Hail Insurance in
those who have not yet tried it out
Those who are convinced we have a
real hail law, now, but subject to i'm
provement like everything human. But
let us have constructive and not de-
structive criticism. :.
| Yours truly,
| S. A. Olsness,
| Commr. of Insurance.