New-York tribune., 1922-01-27
Auto Insurance
Raises Laid to
Rate W ar Loss
Twenty Per Cent Cut in
Boston Made Up by In
creases. Here. Jntermver
Hints at Lockwood Probe
neutrality-suspicious.
Rooms Let to Negroes.
1t l. Alleged. TO Dust
Tenants in Rent Fight

A cut OF 20 per cent in automobile
.ruck insurance rates in Boston in a
rate war waged BY stock casualty in
Surance companies against mutual com
panies. and ar increase of is per cent
n the rate e Stw York. which he init
-a,ed vas used TO rocoup the losses in
Boston, was revealed by Samuel Inter
eyer before the Lockwood committee
yesterday.
The revelation was made during the
testimony of Albert ". Whitney, as
eociate genera! manager of the Ma
sional Bureau of Casualty and Surety
Underwriters. an unincorporated or
ganzat;on Of twenty one Of the leading
companies handling casualty insurance
N New York State Jesse :. Philips
former State Superintendent Of Insur
frce, became manager Of tho bureau E
snort time ago.
Ousting of Harlem Tenants
At the morning session witnesses
told Of the despoiling Of a quiet Har
lem neiehborhood by q lessee whc
rented rooms and apartments 20 ne
rroes in an effort to drive out the
white tenants. One witness told Of 3
rlotous Saturday night during which
negro roomers made merry, and OF oc-
Casional razor play.
Mr.. Jntermyer. who drew from Mr.
Whitney an admission that mutual
companies could offer liability 20 per
cent cheaper than could stock com
paries. read into the record minutes of
April l3. 1921, Of the National Bureau
ststing that the Employers Liability
Insurance Corporation was tossing con
siderable automobile business to the
mu.uais in Boston. He also produced a
Letter written by President Butler OF
the Travellers Insurance Company re
gardiug row form Of policy devised
~ Nh Whitney. saying: Ponder it in
!oul heart as much you please. but
iecp II there. This is no time for in
novations"
Don't YOU know ,hat you were in
formed that the rates were insufficient
a they stood 90 Mr Cntermyer asked.
Yes, by most Of the companies" the
witness answered.
And the rates then being insufficient
IS tney stood" Mr.. Untermyer con
tinued, "when you cut them 20 per cent
didn't that get below the cost Of in.
Surancc
Cost of Boston War
Probably" the witness admitted. add
ing that he could not say positivel,
that the Boston cut had cost the Ma
tonal Bureau concerns S6O0OOQ. TX
pert service, he said. compensated 70.
difference in rates. Mr.. Whitney viii
resume the stand this morning
Both Edward w Browning. tn.
'owrer, and Charles Klein, the lessee
Of nine buildings AZ 20i ana POS Wes
1lsth Street and f64 to 176 St Nichola
Avenue. where the attempt was mad
t. drive out ne white tenants. re
fused to sign waivers Of immunt
when called to the stand They wer
promptly excused from testifying.
Harry Goodstein. a real estate opcr
ator. who Is president of the Wcs
Harlem Property Owners Associati or
testified that Mr.. Browning had &C
Quired the property in November. 1915
j had been worth S450.OOO. Mr. Good
ste n SAID, but Browning only pai
$4,000 IN cash
The tenants paid an advance fror
$40 10 $50 and S65 without protest. t.,
witness said. Then Klein leased tn
apartments and notified everybody tina
the rents would be doubled. The resu1
was nat Klein lost sixty rent cases !
the 'th District court. Then, Coco