Cyclone from Pittsburg, Kansas • 3

THE CYCLONE, Official Organ of the National MutualProtective association and the National Mutual Insurance Association Entered at the postofflce at Pittsburg Kansas, as second-class matter, October 1900, under act July 16th, 1804. PUBLISHED QUARTERLY. Subscription 10 cents per year. ADVERTISING RATES. Local notices 20 cents per Line Single Column $1.00 per Inch R.

M. SCOTT, Editor. Address all communications to the Secre tary, of N. M. I.

Pittsburg, Kan. Norwich Union Paid only 50 per cent, a few at 75 per cent. Pacific Underwriters Paid 20 per cent, offer 30 per cent more. Palatine Paid 50 to 75 per cent. Prudential Fire Atlanta In hand of receiver.

Prussian National Paid only 75 per cent. Security of Baltimore In hands of receiver. Rnine Mosellu Denied' liability, withdrew from the state. Spring Garden Paid 70 per cent, on most of its claims. Svea Paid only 75 per cent.

Traders of Chicago In hands of re- C6iV6X Trans Atlantic Denied liability, withdrew from state. Williamsburg City Paid 50 to 75 per cent according to location. By reason of the extremities to which they were subject to pay this loss there are some 25 other companies including or five heretofore generally considered strong companies that have now barely a working surplus. The Mutual Insurance Journal. STATE FIRE SrARSHALL.

known fact that the Insurance Department was established to protect the people of the state from fraudulent insurance and graft, and that it was the purpose of the fr amers of the insurance laws of Kansas to make the companies that carry the insurance, pay the expenses of that department, but not to support the state administration. The people must pay all the expenses of the insurance companies. It therefore becomes a double tax on the property owners of tha state. It is just to that extent unfair and unjust. But when the people ask for a few thousand, dollars to be appropriated for their protection, in the establishment of a fire marshal, the cry is at once raised: Oh! we can't afford it.

It is quite plain that some of the same fellows do not hesitate to spend tens of thousands of dollars of this and other money of the people where it will swell private grafts' and local enterprises. If the statement given by Mr. Luling will not impress the gentlemen who are sent to represent the people, of the importance of this measure, all other arguments would be unavailing. But we believe the dear people will wake up some of these days and Kansas will see a political landslide that will bury some of her grafting politicians too deep to be heard of again. Mr.

Chas. Eldridge in his "Pointers Series" gives an article from Collier's Weekly Which says: "In 1905, which was a normal year, we spent for new buildings and burned olJ ones to the value of $200,000,000. We paid $300,000,000 for fighting fire and $195,000,000 in fire insurance premiums, of which we got back from the companies in payment for losses. It cost us more to burn part of our old buildings and protect the rest from burning than it did to put up all our new ones. This year San Francisco has raised the fire losses to $500,000,000." Kansas Is los'Sng- from one-half to one million dollars worth of property each year by incendiarism.

If you want to keep paying for this kind of work, and to have your rates of insurance to still go higher, just keei still and don't growl When your rates go up; but if you want to stop this crime and reduce the rates of insurance, write your senator and repre-sentaties in the Legislature and urge them to give you the protection of a state fire imarshal. He has reduced the incendiary fires in other states from 34 per cent to less than 5 per cent. you for a big green fly. Then we might say since this circular was written, there has been an earthquake over at San Francisco and a good number of these reliable old line companies have gone where the author of this circular hoped to see the Mutuals go, with Ma-ginty to the bottom of the sea. The balance of them lost in that fire from 2 to 4 times as much as their total cash on hand amounted to, and were compelled to sell their reserve of stocks and bonds on a declining market pay their losses.

While they are now carrying hundreds of millions at risk, and practically no cash in the treasury. How about old line salaries and expenses? Yes and grafts? The following is a carefully prepared list of the companies that failed by reason of the San Francisco fire and those that paid only 75 per cent or less of their losses in this fire. There are some five or six companies to be added to this list. With perhaps ten more that will later have to be considered: American of Boston Settled at 40 T)Gr cent American Philadelphia Paid only 50 "Dcr cent Austrian Phoenix Withdrew from state. Paid nothing.

Atlanta Birmingham In hands or receiver. Paid nothing. Commercial Union of London Paid 50 to 75 per cent. Dutchess Paid only 30 per cent. Eagle Paid only 75 per cent, Firemen's Fund Pad 20 per cent, offer to pay 30 per cent more.

German of Freeport In; hands of re- German of Peoria Paid only 50 per German National Chicago In hands of 6 i Globe Rutgers Paid only 75 per Hamburg Bremen Paid only 75 per cent Home Fire and Marine Paid 20 per cent, offered 30 per cent more. Milwaukee Mechanics Paid only 75 per cent. Nassau Paid Only .75 per cent. New Brunswick Paid only 75 per cent. New.

York Fire Paid only 40 per cent. North German In hands of receiver, paid nothing. North German of Hamburg Withdrawn from the state. North River Paid only 75 per cent. For years the gentlemen who have occupied the office of State Superintendent of Insurance of Kansas, have advocated the enactment of a state fire marshal law for the state.

A bill providing for tine creation of such an office has been presented to the last two legislatures of the state, and In both instances it has failed of passage, notwithstanding the urgent appeals of the 'state superintendent and other friends of the measure. Mr. Luling has again recommended this very important measure in his annual report as follows: "I would also urge the passage of a law creating a state fire marshal, whose duties it shall be to Investigate the origin and cause of fires, and to inspect buildings in process of construction. The fire marshal law is in successful operation in a great, many of the states of the union, and wherever it is in operation 'has resulted materially in diminishing the number of incendiary fires. "The following are some of the states 'In which the fire marshal law is in successful operation: Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio.

Minnesota. Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Connecticut, North Carolina and Alabama. "In auite a number of the states not now having the fire marshal law. bills are pending looking towards the creation of such an office." Governor. Hoch hag fully approved this recommendation of Mr.

Luling In his message to the Legislature. Mr Duling has shown in his annual report that the total collections for the insurance department of Kansas, from January, 1906, to May 1st, resulted In a total collection of an excess of $10,368.30 over the entire business of the preceding year. He says: "The total expenses of the department, including printing, salaries and expenses for the current year, will hardly be the salaries and contingent fund making a total of $19,100. On business transacted by this office for the first five months of the year 1906, the net profits to the state is $214,427.45." It it. a well Bro.

J. F. VanMeter, who conducts the principal marble works of Parson, besides other business, still finds time to write up a large amount of insurance for the National Mutual. He favored us with his presence and councils at our annual meeting of the Board of Directors on Tuesday. The Board of Directors of the National Mutual, individually and collectively, are' one of the finest assemblies of business men we have ever seen together.

They are wide awaka and progressive in their ideas and methods and guard with care all the interests of the association..