The San Francisco call. [volume], May 24, 1911, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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VOLUME riX.-XO. 175
LIABILITY LAW
BOOSTS RATES
FOR INSURANCE
Employers in California Face
Substantial Advance in Cost,
Beginning September I
Legislation for Benefit of Work*
ers Will Increase Cost of
Production
Companies Say That Risk of
Underwriting Has Been In*
creased Greatly
EMPLOYERS of labor in San
Francisco and throughout th«
state are facing a substantial
Increase In their liability insur
ance rates, operative on and after Sep
tember 1. on which date the new era
ployers' liability law will become ef
-
The increase will be general for em- j
ployers of all classes of labor and will
range, it is said, from about 150 to 300
or 400 per cent of the rates now in
force, the higher rates being for the
more hazardous occupations. The new
rates are now being formulated in the
• offices of the various surety companies
of this city and will be promulgated in
a month or six weeks.
Eastern Lead Followed
The rate raising in this state follows '
that in eastern states, where the com
panies have entered into an agree
ment for a genera! boosting of rates,
following .legislation Increasing the
employer's liability. In the east the
Increases in rates have ranged from
IS to 140 per cent, and in at least one
case it soared to 1,000 per cent.
Insurance men attribute the local
increase fn rates to the berry
employers'- liability ' law. which they
regard as drastic in its 'definitions of
the employer's liability. They point to
the provisions of the law that con
tributory negligence on the part of an
employe is not a bar to recovery; that
the assumption, of risk is no defense;
that the "fellow servant" doctrine is
abrogated; that the employer is liable
for compensation, and to many other
details th.it are held to increase great
ly the employer's liability and the rials
of underwriting.
Legislation Is Blamed
'Walter A. Cnowen, manager of the
liability department of the Pacific sur
ety company, blames the new legisla
tion for the Increase In rate*.
"Nearly every state In tins union." '
said Chowen, "has been enacting laws
affecting the liability of the employer.
with the result that the loss ratios
hkvc been Increasing' steadily and low
ering the profits of the business. Take
the Aetna company," for example. The
loss ratio of that company has in
creased from 2.1 per cent in 1902 to' 64 j
per cent in 1910. .• Similarly with other
companies.
"We have grouped the states in ac
cordance with the rigor of their laws.
Nevada has a law .which, will go into
effect July 1, which will cause =a • re
adjustment of rates. New Jersey's new
law becomes.effective July 4, Califor
nia's September 1 and Washington's
October 1.
Working on New Rates
"We are now working upon the new
rate schedules, which will be made
known within six weeks. -We can not
tell exactly what they will be, but they
probably will call for increases rang
ing from 150 to SOO or 400 per cent
over present rates.
"The business is comparatively new
out here and we must be guided large
ly by experience In the cast, especially
In New York, where there are statis
tics of employers'. liability insurance
covering a longer term of years than
in the west.
"Under the new legislation giving
the employer no defense in case of In
jury to an employe there can be no
profit in the business unless the pres
ent rates are materially advanced."
Charles V. Jensen 7of Charles J.
Okell & Co., agents of the Employers'
liability assurance corporation (lim
ited) of London, attributes the im
pending raise-in rates entirely to the
Itoseberry law in this state..
"We have not yet been notified,'' said
he, "of a raise of rates, but It can not
be avoided. The new laws have com
plicated the situation and we are grop
ing in our efforts to find a way to es
tablish the right rates under the al
tered conditions. It is a new stunt and
we must work it out.
Regular Item of Expense
"The new legislation in most of the
states.has introduced this high rate of
employers' liability Insurance as a reg
ular item of the expense of running the
plant Just as the empU;. >_ t
for the loss or disablement of his ma
chinery, so he in now liable for the loss
or disablement of \ his employes. The;
are all part of the plant and liable* to
disablement for which the employer
must pay. It is applying the same prin
ciple to men and to machinery." "
"In Oregon." said F. R. Shoemaker ,
of the Pacific Coast casualty company, ■
"the new law has increased the ; em
ployer's liability. a. good 400 per cent.
Naturally the risks of underwriting are
I onUnucd o* Pace 2, C«tuu 3
THE San Francisco CALL
DIVA FASCINATES
LIBRETTIST TALKS
Joseph D. Redding and Miss Mar-p Garden at the California club.
CABINET WORKS TO
RENOMINATE TAFT
Secretary Fisher Is Given Job
of Reconciling Insurgents
to Program
[Special Dispatch lojhc.Call] .
"WASHINGTON, May ':3.—With, Wal
ter I*' Fisher, secretary^of the interior.
In charge of the work of reconciling the
insurgents, Senator Crane of Massa
chusetts forking up• the tartff-strong- I
holds of the east.'and Po3tmasterfG(?n^
cral.Plitijhcoek looking.afterjthe south,
the campaign for the .renominatio r n <of
President Taft has been_ launched alone
determined Hues. ' . ' "
,To Fisher has been given'the-,most
important work of the campaign, name
ly, the pad ff cation of theinsurgcnffac
tion of the.rtpublican-partyi .It'is • not
going to be easy to win* over such men
as Gifford Pinch James ,*Rr"Garfield
and Senator LaFollette, but'it* is 'now
known that former. Pr|sldejU;RooseVeU
is working quiet! but sincerely for. the
renomination of Taft.'
The president and Roosevelt, have
been in constant communication and
the latter.is.trying.to conciliate the in
surgents. .
Senator Cummins,' it-was,learned to
day, will not oppose the nomination of
Taft. » There is considerable talk that
he may be selected as the running mate
of the * president, • "and*" while he has j
given no indication that he would ac- j
cept .'second piace,* it is believed that I
| he,,would not.dccllne if he, were. nom
inated. Efforts are on foot to bring
about his nomination. **
The next surprising development of
the 'preliminary campaign is !the. sud-*
den^anlmoslty of former Speaker, Ca
nnon toward President Taft. It is said
that Cannon will strive to have a re
actionarj" of. the type of Vice.President
Sherman nominated for the presidency.
„ The ,'former speaker, has , not called
at* the . "White House * fort nearly two
months.^ and - recently denounced the
president for favoring reciprocity,
which, he said, was a blow at the re
publican protective policy. - *
Cannon- has not hesitated to speak
I slightingly of the president in private '
: or public' >-
The , only real opposition to the re
; nomination of the*, president comes
from the supporters of La Follette. who
is prepared to announce his candidacy
for the presidency at the psychological
moment.
Inasmuch as most of the southern
states have gone' on record in ' favor
of "a second' term for Taft. and New
York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and i
other' eastern elates are for h:- ? the
consensus of opinion among politicians
in Washington Is that nothing can pre
vent : Taft's ; name ! heading | the! republi
can ticket, in 1912. '-.%
SAX FRANCISCO, WEDNESDAY. MAY 24, 1911.
MISS GARDEN USED
AS ILLUSTRATION
Famous Songstress Is Living
Picture for RedcLng's
Lecture
Am a Jiving picture illustration of his
address on 'The Beautificatlon of San
Francisco" Joseph D. Redding took
Mary Garden with him to the California
club yesterday afternoon. While he
delivered a clever, interesting: and
practical lectim-.
try sat In the front row and
listened attentlv-
The clubwomen listened to Redding
and looked at Miss Garden. Miss Gar
" ore a white serge tailor suit,
silk stockings and black patent
leather pumps. Also as an evidence
that she is not accustomed to the San
Francisco breezes she carried a gray
fur boa.
Reading, Miss Garden and the
Mr. Chauncey, arrived a little
later than they were pspected and Mrs.
C. Frederick Kohl, who had come to
hear Reddings addresp. was greeted by
an enthusiastic member of the rerep
tion committee as Mil
At the close of the lecture Graeber's
mandolin orchestra played and it may
be one of the proud recollections of the
young musicians that Mar.? Garden
listened to them with attention and
patted her feet appreciatively and vtg
ily through the Tale "Boola" and
a Spanish dance.
Kidding began his address by say
ing "Ladles —" and after a long, com
prehensive glance around the room his
glance returned to Chauncey, seated
by Miss Garden, and he continued, "and
my one lone gentleman."
-poke of the municipal beauties
of the cities of the old world, which
are distinctively the work of one man.
Here, he said, that was impossible, In
a democratic country, but that was be
cause the man without imagination
could see no further than the addi
tional taxes necessary for municipal
beautitication.
If the voters could be brought to un
derstand that the making beautiful of
a city would make It wealthy as well
they would all cast their ballots for it.
This had been done In Paris when the
command was given to Baron Hauss
mann to make that city the most beau
tiful in the world. He had done so.
and in consequence more money is
spent there than in any other city.
•Say to the voter," he advised. " 'We
are going to tax the stranger for all
this; we are going to make our city so
wonderfully attractive that thousands
upon thousands of strangers will come
within our gates all the year round,
and we will fascinate them into gpend
tn( and buying among us in every
conceivable way'—that will appeal to
him."
SUPREME COURT
TO UPHOLD THE
TOBACCO TRUST
Decision That Corporation Is
Not a Monopoly Ready for
Delivery Monday
Justice Harian Dissents, Hold*
ing That Sherman Law
Has Been Defied
TSoecial Dispatch to The Call]
WASHINGTON', May 23.—From
an authority so high that
great credit can be placed In
the authenticity of the infor
mation, the statement was made today
that the opinion of the supreme court
In the tobacco trust case already had I
been prepared and that the proceed
ings against that corporation will be
dismissed, the Lower court being over
ruled.
The decree will be handed down
orobably Monday. Justice Harlan, who
lissented from the interpretation of the
aw but not the decree in the Standard
ill case, will in the tobacco trust de
cision dissent absolutely, according to
the authority for this information.
Harlan to Oppose Court
It is stated that Justice Harlan's ob
lection to the Standard oil decision,
voiced orally from the bench, has been
written out in full by him and shortly
will be I— public. The report that
has already reached the public was
merely the stenographic notes of his
oral remarks. The written opinion of
Justice Harlan is said to be even more
sensational than his oral remarks.
In the tobacco, trust case, it is ."said.
Justice Harlan will take the ground
that this corporation comes within the
olain meaning of the Sherman anti
trust law and he will denounce the
general opinion of the court. The gen
eral opinion, according to the authority
. mentioned above, will hold that the to
bacco trust has not reached the pro
portion of a monoply, has not, stifled |
competition and has not controlled
prices.
Basis of Tobacco Decision
A considerable percentage of the to
bacco business, in the Unite! '.States is j
said to remain free from the do li.is.- I
tion of tf'e tobacco trust- soituat it has !
been impossible for that concern ;to i
regulate prices.
Th» word "reasonable"; wll Inot be'
applied to ■ the tobacco trust in the !
sense that it is a reasonable monopoly. ;
It is understood that It will be held not ■
to be a monopoly at all, but merely a.'
corporation acting, necessarily, In rea
sonable restraint of trade. On this
ground, it is said, the suit will be dis
missed.
TAFT'S AID WILL SOON
BE HIS BROTHER=IN=LAW
Major Archibald Butt to Marry Sister of President's Wife,
Says Washington Rumor
[Special Duaatch io The Call]
WASHINGTON, May 23. — Major
Archibald Butt, aid to President. Taft,
shortly will be President Taft's brother
in law by marrying the sister of Mrs.
Taft.".
: The statement is made in official cir
cles that the engagement of Major Butt
to Mrs. Lucy Hayes Herron Laughlin
of Pittsburg will be announced shortly,
and society finds all sorts of verifica
tion for the statement, taking into con
sideration that the major is busy pur
chasing expensive household necessi
ties not usually needed by a confirmed
bachelor.
Major. Butt has been attentive to
Mrs. Laughlin for more than a year.
Of course that might be explained by
the fact that the Pittsburg widow dur
ing the illness of Mrs. Taft has spent
much time at the White House and has
been thrown into the company of
Major Butt.
The ■ prospective bride is the widow
of Thomas K. Laughlin of Pittsburg,
EIGHT HOUR LAW FOR WOMEN
COSTS JOHNSON A BREAKFAST
[Specia/ Dispatch to The Call]
LOS ANGELES. May 23.— The eight
hour law for women cost Governor
Johnson his breakfast this morning,
and the governor, being a strong ad
vocate of the bill, smiled serenely and
said it is a good measure.
Governor Johnson was a guest last
night at the Hotel Virginia, Long
Beach. He slept late this morning, and
on going to the dining room for break
MAN FASTS FOR FORTY DAYS
AND CURES HIS RHEUMATISM
[Special Dispatch to The Call]
OKLAHOMA CITT. May 23.—C!ar
ence Patrick, a telegraph operator of
this city, broke a fast of 40 days to
•Sigbt and ate an orange. Patrick
SUFFRAGE IS URGED
APPEAL OF PRIEST
•— ■—— .
Rev. Father Joseph M. Gleason,
| who yesterday made an eloquent
j appeal for votes for women.
A ___^__ _ _
STATESMAN GALAXY
TO HONOR GIBBONS
Taft and Roosevelt, Senators
and Many Diplomats Will
Felicitate Cardinal
■
[Special D'upatch to The Call]
WASHINGTON. May 23.— pay
honor to Cardinal Gibbons, the : high
est official of the Catholic church In
this country on the fiftieth anniver
sary e-f las ordination as a priest, the
greatest group of American statesmen
ever gathered on one platform will be
In Baltimore on June 6. "
- President Taft and former President
Roosevelt have accepted the invitation ;
to make addresses of felicitation to
Cardinal Gibbons.
They will speak from the same plat
form on the same day— the first time
this will have happened , since Taft
took Roosevelt's place as president, i
Champ Clark, speaker of the house
of representatives, 1 and his predecessor,
Joseph G. Cannon, likewise will appear
jon the same platform. Senator Bailey
of Texas, the acknowledged leader of
j democrats In the senate, and Senator
j Martin of Virginia, the nominal leader,
j have accepted invitations, as also have
,fens.tor Pcnrose- • of-' Pennsylvania,
j leader of the republicans, and Senator
j Cummins of lowa, leader of the insur
i gents. ".".'," ':
-The chief } justice *of the United j
; States. Edward Douglas "White, will be
'• another distinguished guest. Arabaa-
I sador Bryce of Great Britain and Am
bassador Confa Lonoiert of Italy will
represent the diplomatic corps, while
Mgr. Falconi. papal delegate to the Uni
ted States, will represent the Vatican.
"■■■■ ■ ■ ■ *-.■■- ■
who killed himself during the night of
March 11. I3l<\ Five days previously
be had returned from a trip abroad and
had found his wife at the White House
in Washington and not in Pittsburg to
greet him.
For Zl hours the influential Laugh
lin family—the big steel ipdependents
of Pittsburjr—managed to give the
impression that Laughlfn died a sudden
but natural death. Later the truth
beoanie known and with it the fact that
the suppression of the tragedy was
caused by the absence from home of
Mrs. Laughlin, the family wishing her
to arrive in Pittsburg, if possible, be
fore the details became known.
Mr?. Laughlln, who is the daughter
of John Herron of Cincinnati, is an
ardent athletic woman. She is a
splendid tennis player and enjoys all
outdoor sports. So does Major' Butt.
She has two children and is wealthy,
having inherited most of her husband's
money.
fast was surprised to find It closed. He
was told that the eight hour law for
women made it necessary to close the
dining room several hours in the fore
noon and that he w/juld have to, go
elsewhere for his breakfast.
The governor accepted the situation
in good humor and remarked that he
believed the bill would meet with gen
eral approval.
claims to have cured himself of rheu
matism and other ills. He declares he
took nothing but pure water during his
fast.^He lost SO pounds,.
THE WEATHER
YESTERDAY—Highest temperature. 54;
lowest Monday night, 48. L
FORECAST FOR TODAY—Cloudy, light
showers in morning; moderate south Xoind,
changing to fresh n>est.
FATHER GLEASON
WINS HIS HEARERS
Eloquent Plea Made for Rights
of Women at the
Polls
Rev. Father Joseph M. Gleason,
i scholar, historian and priest of the Ro
man Catholic church, made an eloquent
demand for votes for ■women yesterday
afternoon at the Central theater. The
(audience filled the theater and stood in
groups when the seats were filled to
hear Father Glvason - talk on "Suffrage
for Women as a Matter of Plain Jus
tice. '•■.-■■
The speech was begun with the log
ical deliberation of the scholar, but. the
enthusiasm of' the speaker, arid his be
lief in the cause carried his argument
into an cnth^iirtje dfi^laration and ap
peal for immediate action. He be
sought Ins audience to "be loyal" to
their idea. of. justice.*, and., called on
I every man , who will go to the polls in
October to ."cast his vote for'the right
of his mother, sister or wife. that. she
may assist him in . holding- . back the
forces of corruption.'.*.
Father Gleason talked upon the im
portance of the opportunity for the
people of the west to take women into
active citizenship and to carry on the
work that was begun with the stirring
of the American conscience.
Frequently Interrupted
Father Gleason was interrupted fre
quently with bursts of' applause and
cries of "bravo" were mingled with the
clapping of hands at the conclusion of
his speech. The talk was one of a se
ries given under the auspices of the
College Equal Suffrage league and the
speaker of the day was - introduced by
Miss Anita Whitney. Father Gleason
said:
"It is a .pleasure to come before any
audience to speak on the subject of
.suffrage, but today I have a double
pleasure in speaking before an organi
ration of college women. The associa
tion of college women as a society will
mean a great factor in the future for
mation of public opinion. Public opin
ion is a remarkable arid dominant force
in America. - The pendulum of. public
Continued on Paare 2, Column 4
BOOKHAT£*S' CONTEST
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I poc Short ( RI€«AT H^K^ }
y_ y \ t>tßscf;oßY » i
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PRICE FIVE CENTS.
MAYOR BY
INFERENCE
FOR OPEN
TOWN
McCarthy Is Cryptic, but He
Gives Fairly Plain Idea of
His Plans in a Round
about Way
HINT IS MADE THAT
DANCING WILL BE RESUMED
Incidentally, Seymour Must Be
Removed, So Executive of
City May Keep His
"Promise"
RE-ELECTION IS CERTAIN,
SAYS MUNICIPAL HEAD
By GEORGE A. VAN SMITH
Mayor p. Hi- McCarthy
gave me an interview yester
day. He was asked many
direct .questions. He made
few direct answer?. He did permit
me to draw many marked "inferences
— get some decided impressions.
Here are some of those impressions:
Chief of Police John Seymour is
to be removed. .
■ His too literal enforcement of his
own rules for the .regulation of the.
police department has embarrassed
Mayor McCarthy and his adminis
: tration.
■ Mayor McCarthy:will not permit
the police department to be used
for his own political advantage, and
• most emphatically he will not per
- mit it to be used to the advantage
- of his political enemies.
The lid is to bo lifted a bit.
Mayor^ McCarthy's pre-election
promises to;fun-a liberal town are
to be redeemed. The mayor's word
is out and it is dearer, to him than
life. _ We are to return to those
halcyon-; days of contentment and
nights of unconfined joy that were
the order before John Seymour as- .
sumed to run things with a high.
and unwarranted hand.
The dance is not an institution to
be regulated by a policeman who
knows no more. of the art of Terp
sichore than does the mayor of the.
management of the czar's kitchen.
Spy System to Go
The French spy system is to be
driven out of the San Francisco
police department.
The days of the female detective
as an adjunct of the incumbent ad
ministration are numbered.
If the people of San" Francisco .
really wanted a big world's fair
mayor; a man familiar with ■ theZ,
nations of the world and their af
fairs; one capable of : "ing ; with
questions on the epot and defend- :
ing the interests of all the people
-of San Francisco and California at
all times, they would, be unani
mously for P. 11. McCarthy.;,
Most of them feel that way about
it, and James Rolph Jr. and his
supporters are to receive a tre
mendous drubbing at the hands of
, Mayor McCarthy and the people.
San Francisco is already en
. gulfed in a frightful industrial
' warfare. It was precipitated by
"the enemies of industrial peace
: who want to seize the government, .-
Ij It is to result in temporary priva-
abcd