The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-14
OLSNESS DECLARES
FARMERS INTEREST
ATTACKED IN BILL
-chargss Effort to Change Hail
Insurance Law Would Ham.
string Department

parttnent and greatly reduce the
value Of the department to the farm
erS Of the state was made today by 8.
A. OlsnesS, state insurance commits
stouer.
The department also has Z bill to
revise the hail insurance law In the
lights Of Its experience and q supreme
court decision affecting the collection
OF hail insurance premiums.
The bill to which It objects vas Of
tered In the house by Rep. Edwin
Tfaynor, Starkweather, who has at-
tackled the hail insurance department
at past sessions Of the legislature.
Okness asserted that the bill spon-
sored by the department was designed
to meet the objections formerly urged
by the I. v. A. faction, in that It
eliminates compulsory listing Of land
for insurance and speeds up the pay
ment Of losses incurred by farmers.
The Traynor bill, however, viii
make It difficult Il not impossible for
the department to obtain the bust
ness and will deny to. the depart
meut the right to compete with prt-
vate insurance on . fair basis. OlS-
neSS asserted.
His statement follows:
1.-THE farmers Of North Dakota will
do well at this time to carefully look
over the provisions Of q hail insur-
ance bill introduced In the legislature
by Representative Trayor OF Ram
sey county. This Is House Bill No.
282 and pertains to State Hail 1nsur.
ance.
Cites Benefits Of Act
Before proceeding to analy1e the
measure let me first mention that the
hail department, after careful study,
has drawn a new hail insurance act
introduced In the senate by Senators
Ettestad Of McEenry and Hoople OF
Walsh. This Is Senate Bill No. 137.
This bill provides for remedies on all
points where the present act is lack
ing. It safeguards the hail fund,
makes the hail tax q general tax. does
away with compulsory listing, and Is
far as possible protects mortgages
against undue accumulations Of hail
tax. It also provides for payment OF
losses within such q reasonable time
after approval Of claims that most
everybody should be perfectly salts
fled.
"Now let us see what Representa-
tive Traynor's bill does. We think
the whole matter could well be stated
in one sentence. To pass this Dill
would simply mean q gradual death
to the hail department, and make 1t
almost impossible for most OF the
farmers to secure the protection: 1t
would almost seem 1t was aiming to
protect the holders Of mortgages IN
stead of the farmer who needs q
protection. Isn't that fine farm relief?
Under the present law the hai
indemnity Is exempt from gar1aista-
ment, liens and mortgages. ana tne
hail department recommends sucn
provision to be retained. MI. Tray
nor In his bill strikes out the exemp-
tior, to mortgages and liens. Shouldn't
the farmer have something for him
sell. when his crops are hailed out?
Doesn't he work enough for the mort
gage companies as 1t Is? All he can
do now Is to pay taxes and interest
and n should almost think he ought
to be entitled to decide what ne
should use his hail indemnity Tor,
when he has nothing else to i've
from.
Assessors Pay Cut.
1.-THE assessors according to the hall
departments recommendations would
receive 500 for every 100 acres listed
and insured. MI. TraynorS bill cuts
such compensation In halt. Why2
Is it because he fears the assessors
would sell too much state hail inSlr-
ance If there was an incentive Tor
them to solicit the farmers to take
the protection, o. what Is the reason?
The department recommends that the
county auditors receive q small fee
for writing the protection In case the
assessors, do not take the applications.
Tray1aor's bill provides the auditor Is
to do such work for nothing. Again
one might ask, Is It because 1t Is fear
ed the auditors might assist the de-
partment better II they were paid .
trifle extra7. The hail department
recommends that the assessor Is to
solicit the farmer for insurance and
tell him something about the way this
state hail insurance proposition works
out with special reference to payment
Of losses and charging Of premium.
According to the Traynor bill the as
SCISSOR would only leave blanks to.
everybody, which would be q terrible
waste as everyone knows that not
more than one-ttird Of the farmers
carry state hail insurance. Then, It
the farmer asks him the assessor may
receive his application. Again, why
shouldn't. the assessor be allowed to
write applications till July 18th? He
Is within handy reach Of everybody
In the township, and 1t Is much easier
to reach him than to go to the county
auditor.
'sThe enemies Of state hail insur-
ances used to boast that all they ask
Is "a even chance to compete With
state Insurance. Why. then. this
haInpering Of the department IN
procuring business,
Says Traynor Bill Vicious I.
The Traynor bill appears to Us Is
A.1nost vicious piece Of attempted leg
,14atior. Please refer to section 10 OF
the Trayuor bill and you viii find
that. 4 tax certificate holder who has
Il certificate issued for hail taxes
may. within one year Of sale, apply
to the. auditor for tax deed. Under
. regular certificate the farmer has
now ct least three years to redeem
from tax certificate, but according to
provisions Of this, bin the farmer