Evening star., 1927-11-21

scured: no chains (wet or slippery
road: other defects.
Road conditions possibly contribut-
ing are set forth as:
Defect or obstruction in roadway;
road under repair; condition not prop
erlv indicated: wet surface; muddy
surface: snowy surface; icy surface.
Weather and light conditions also
are specified with equal definiteness
and the same thoroughness is appar-
ent in the conditions with respect to
the pedestrians part in the accident.
The experience obtained from such
thorough reports on virtually every
highway mishap in Massachusetts in
the course of year will be OF INFINITE
value not only in the establishment of
equitable insurance rates. but VIII play
Il tremendous part in safety, Mr.. Monk
declares. One of the Influences gen
orally recognized as most definitely
limiting the Improvement of street
and highway conditions is lack of
knowledge of accident cauSation he
believes. and in the present period
Massachusetts finds herself collecting
data that will be vital to safety Wher
ever the automobile is used.
This fact alone. in the opinion of
MIR. Monk. should provide sufficient
answer to those who oppose the law on
the false ground that it creates care
lessness and danger, but he sees no
need for defending the law because,
he points out. it never was intended to
be a safety measure. The efforts of
these groups to throw a smoke screen
over the whole situation. he says
never can change the fact that thus
far it has been splendidlv successful
in compensating accident victims-and
viii be even more So-and that in it
are elements of safety which tran,
scend those of all other pieces of motor
legislation combined.
Workings Of Appeals Beard.
One of the features Of The Star
representatives day with Mr.. Monk
was an opportunity TO watch the
workings of the appeals board, which
settles controversies between motor
car owners and insurance companies.
An interesting sidelight on the
spirit with which all groups have APP
preached the Massachusetts law is
afforded in the operation of this board.
which is composed of Mr.. Monk, Mr..
Goodwin and a representative of the
State attorney generals office. Here
is no austere body, STEPPED in for
mality. On the contrary. it resem-
bles gathering in which business
men come together to discuss their
problems. interchange ideas. and gen
orally to consider mutual welfare
with fairness.
When the writer as the boards
guest. took his seat at the long table
about which the various parties to
the case We're assembled he was par
ticulariy impressed with the infor-
mality OF the atmosphere. Of the
three members of the board. one was
smoking cigar another a pipe and
the third cigarette.
The case was that of an owner who
had junlied his old car and Cancelled
his insurance. He had given writ
ten notice Of his cancellation on Au-
gust II and had forgotten all about
the matter until the company notified
him on November IA that it had can
celed his policy. The discrepancy be-
tween. the dates indicated a disagree
ment as to premium and the possible
stigmatization Of the driver through
the appearance Of having had his
policy Cancelled by the company
The board settled the matter with
neatness and dispatch.
You cannot stigmatiZe this man by
canceling his insurance: he Cancelled
it himself" said the representative of
the attorney generals office. His
record is not going to show an insur-
ance company canceling on him to
the prejudice of any later attempt he
may make To get insurance from you
or another firm"
The rest Of the board agreed, the
lawyer for the insurance company
saw the point. the appellant was en-
tirely satisfied. and after disposal of
the case, the entire group sat around
ft' a few minutes discussing various
angles of the case and how il might
show the need for a slight modiiica
ton in the wording of the law.
Square Deal for I'll.
To the outsider the whole proceed
ing indicated that the board is deter
mined to give every one involved
II hat r:cl1 tn