Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-07

In conference with his assistants, while
the other political warriors were getting
ready to announce their court proceed
ings ito save the people" he came out
and said he had sent a letter to Gov.
Fuller. Asked what it was, he directed
| the newspaper men to get their infor-
nation from the governors Office. There
was a rush there, and sure enough the
big news commissions Monk
had resigned. To the natural query,
/ What about the rateS?" he said that
he had not promulgated them. That
news went along with the resignation.
There was a sigh of relief from all the
political candidates. Right after the
announcement there came from the
attorney generals Office the statement
that Commissioner Monk not having
promulgated the 1929 rates, the old 1928
premiums would remain in effect, for
the law said that court proceedings
must start within 20 days of the time
when rates were announced. It went
on to say that the 20 days expired more
than year ago. An amendment was
passed to the law this year that the
| insurance company attorneys say meets
| just such case. So they have started
court action. Now the case is before
the Supreme Court. Meanwhile the
truck operators, promised lower rate.
| also taxicab men and farmers, find
that with the old rates they are out of
luck.
AS to the law itself, Motor Registrar
Capt George A. Parker, speaking as
recently as week ago before the Motor
Truck Club of Massachusetts, said the
law had not resulted in any reduction
of accidents by making drivers careful,
as many predicted. He said that while
there was l per cent reduction to Sep
TENDER /, that the figures in September
would wipe this out, and those of DC.
tober and November, If anything like
other years, would make an appalling
| total.
out of it all the one thing that did
not come out was just how those who
were injured or the relatives of those
who were killed Jared. Were the set
Elements at all adequate, or did the
! people settle for smaller sums than
they might get in court, believing that
| they would have to wait some years
| for trial? That was what automobile
men predicted when the law was be-
| ing considered. Right in the middle of
| the controversy one attorney was ar
! rested charged with settling three in
surance claims under the law and pock-
citing all the money. How many more
there have been Is problematical. That
| feature, some members of the Legis-
| lature feel now, is more important than
the rates. So it is expected that when
| the Legislature meets next January
there will be flock of bills on the SUBJ
ject, even ones to repeal the law, or
a State fund for it. At least 10 bills
are already in. Some of those inter-
ested in the fight are calling attention
| to the New Hampshire law as better
| in reducing accidents and keeping
| premiums down. There is talk of
law based on the personal record Of
an operator.
Fair minded men, who know busi-
ness ethics, and have no political ak
! to grind agree that the insurance COM
panieS have done a lot of work for the
motorists besides writing policies. The
agents fill out the many blanks, pay
the premium, or installment, mail and
data to the registrar, and have the
| plates sent to the home of the mo-
torist. There is lot of added over
head in all this that must be absorbed
Expenses of the Rating Bureau classi-
| flying accidents was costly. The only
criticism these men have Is that it
seemed the insurance companies could
have done business at a bit lesser overA
head. and not allow the impression
to get out among some people that be-
cause the motorists would have to
stand the expense anyway, that we
were getting back to an era of the
| cost-plus system of war days.
Outside of one New York insurance
company-the New York Indemnity Co.
none of the others have quit writing
policies in Massachusetts,. That COM
pany said 1t lost money on the business
ana has notified the insurance depart
ment and its agents to the effect that
1T is all through with this form of
insurance. There is no law to compel
any company to write insurance under
the automobile act.
Motor Registrar Parker is holding up
the application blanks for 1929 plates
that usually go out about this time to
the motorists who hold the low num-
bers up to 10000, because this ques-
ton OF the 1929 rates remains unset
tied. The insurance companies claim
that the old rates cannot go over into
another year, as the present ones were
for 1928 only. They say that by pre-
pairing rates for 1929, as provided by
the law, the former insurance commits
sioner proved that the old rates were
not adequate to give fair return on
the investment, and, therefore, they are
entitled to relief. The facts have been
agreed upon by the attorney general
and the insurance attorneys, and they
now have been sent to the Supreme
Court. That tribunal sits this month,
and it Is expected that, in view of the
widespread interest in the rates, de-
cision will be returned shortly, so as
not to tie up the registration of vehicles
for 1929.