The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-08-13
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Company Cream"

Company Cream $4,l4O,92O SAC
If the meetings were ever opened
for discussion, some of us would lik,
to read from the United States Sen
ate's Insurance Investigation excerpts
like the following: "But at any rate
the companies are getting bigger
The Hughes committee in 1906 hel(
up its hands in horror at the size o
/ the biggest Ones why, one of then
had almost $500,000,000 in assets
The business Of the Mutual, the
Equitable and the New York life has
grown beyond reasonable limits, sale
the report No useful purpose viii
be served by their becoming larger.
But today each of these three com
panies has assets Of over $1,000, 000,.
900 and fourth one, the Metropoli
tan, has over $5,000,000,0 1000. This in
surance money pulls the financial
strings in the rail, utility and other
| big industries, and Mr.. Douglas char
acterized it as the fulcrum of eco
nomic power in the United States
Life insurance has grown for thirty
years. It's apprehensions have just
been revealed afresh by the Federal
inquiry which shows that in num-
Der of states the companies have &C
lively lobbied against the extension
of the Massachusetts system. The
companies, it turns out, support an
organization known as the Associa-
ton of Life Insurance Presidents,
which analyses every BILL every year,
| in every state legislature, even re-
motely affecting life insurance. If it
finds bill that might affect life in
surance adversely it seeks to defeat
it, If there is strong push for the
bill in the state legislature, and if
the Association considers the danger
serious, it sends a flying squad of
able lobbyists to the critical point.
For the most part the bills which it
fights are those taxing life insurance
premiums" This flying squadron
visited and bombed our state capitol
during the last legislative assembly.
The able and witty address of well
come was delivered by Thomas J..
Davis. 1t was good and interesting.
Tom is we'll known to members of the
legislature for the last four or five
sessions. He guards the Golfers of
the chain stores from any taxation
proportionate to the rate on Mrs.
Hogan's home and COW. His power
of friendly palaver has elevated him
to the presidency of Rotary Inter-
national. The constitution of Rotary
excludes manual laborers: farmers
are unknown in it. 1t is altogether
proper that Tom should also be pres
ident of the Silver Bow County Bar
Association. He has at least the
favored word of Rotary-"Pep," but
even under his guidance this locals
activity begins and ends in neurology.
1t has met for no other purpose in
20 years.
The Great Secret
Insiders know why the personnel
of the State Bar Association is care
fully guarded against entrance of any
independent attorney in general prac-
tice alone. Lawyers are not dishon-
est. They are merely ignorant as a
class of what is going on outside of
courts and clubs. A social philoso-
pher has said "a new social advance
is first thought Of by some one per-
son. He converts few acquaint-
ances. Then a small minority of COM
odu
jority is found Then the movement
fights for recognition at the polls.
Then instructed legislatures enact it
into law. Then the legal profession
must find out about it to advise their
clients correctly Thus, the legal pro-
fession as a whole is the most back
section of the body pol
itic."
The legal profession actually rules
the country. The purpose Of corpora
ton lawyers to control Bar Associa-
tons is the reflection of their clients
purpose to hold the mass of mankind
In the bondage of unequal distribu-
ton Of national income. The mem
oers contribute some to the entertain
ment of Bar Associations, but the
Drunt of expense of our gatherings is
always borne by corporations. They |
lear us and keep US quiet by corn
and circuses." When our associa-
ions declare certain conduct ''unpro |
'essional," it is often a more power |
'ul preventive than for legislatures |
% declare the same act crime.
No time is ever allotted at any
meeting for bringing in any subject |
not agreeable to the Committee on |
Program. If any green youngster
ries it, he is declared out of order
f he appeals from the chair, the chair |
8 sustained. Motions to table are
lot debatable. A discussion of the ]