Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-08-17
REFUSE TO DENY
OR AFFIRM STORY
OF Leaving CITY
Judge II. w. Johnson, president of the Cen
tral Lite Insurance Co., while refusing today to
either deny or confirm the report published ex-

clusively in last nights
F r EE TRADER. :.
JOURNAL, concerning
the report that the company was to
leave Ottawa stated that the com.
pany would remain in Ottawa for at
, least another year. The former jur-
ist however admitted that there Is a
strong possibility that the Central
Life would move from ottawa the
latter part of next year. and stated
that Chicago, If they moved would
be the logical location for the con-
cern.
II was learned today that the per-
sonal feeling the officers have for OF
tawa, President Johnson, Dr. w. +.
Weese, the vice president and Secre-
tary S. B. Bradford, has kept the con-
cern from being tranfered from here
for some time These men, and the
members OF their families all occupy
very important positions, not only in
Ottawa commercial life, but in the
social life of the city, and both they
and their families are as loath to
leave Ottawa, as the city generally
Will regret to see them, and other Of
ficers and employees OF the company
leave.
Judge Johnson admitted today, that
while a move might have been made
adyantageously several years ago.
the officers chung to Ottawa, because
of their love for the city.
Business Shifts To Cities
apreceedina. the war, it is under
stood, the company wrote the great
er part of their insurance among
rural centers With the period of re-,
construction. the business centers
were changed, and great strides and
growth was made in the Industrial
centers of the middle west The
company is now competing very
tavorably with some of the biggest
insurance concerns in the country,
and has secured many OF the biggest
field men in the middle west to
represent them. These field men
claim that the fact the main Office is
located in small city, rather than
in big metropolis, is a handicap to
them.
The loss of the Central Life COM
pany, which annually does a $4,000,
600 business, will be a great blow to
the city of Ottawa, from both a COM
mercial and financial standpoint
Not only with the banks and business
men feel the dropping off of busi-
ness, but the hotels will also be af-
fected.
What President Says.
prpGiIpnt Johnson Mt
by a reporter this morning concern
ing the proposed move. When ques-
toned about it he said:
"lf we move, it will be due to the
fact that we have in measure out
grown Ottawa We are now admit
ted to nine of the principal states Of
the middle west. and lin securing
big men the size OF our town is fire.
quently an objection aud we have
found it to be more or less of
con the other hand our location
has some compensative features. Up
to the present time we have had no
in securing competent of
fee help at reasonable cost.
without doubt our location in OF
tawa, when the company was in its
was distinctly in it's favor,
because of our ability to operate at
a lower cost at u time when the
was unable to handle big
business and was too small to inter
est the big field men. Now the com
panY because Of its growth and
volume of business and with the
reputation of company established
insurance men thruout the
United States, Is enabled under favor
able conditions to compete for busi-
uess and for men with any of the
big insurance companies of the day,
in which, however the question of
location becomes and is material
fact,
Directors.
In the list OF directors of the conf
pany published in yesterdays Free
the names of two. O
A. Johnson of Lee and Andrew Neu
reuter- OF Peru. We're omitted c. +.
Antram and J. II. White, who were :.
mentioned as directors have not been
on the board for several years, their
places having been taken by Mr..
Johnson a brother OF President lohn-
son. and Mr. Neureuter.