Washtenaw Mutual

The annual meeting of the Wasbteuaw Mutual Pire Insurauce Co. was beid Wednesday afternoou Pt the conrt bouse. The meeting was called to order by President Emery E. Leiand promptly at oue o'clock, Jndge Kinney desiring the oourt room at thiee o'clock. It was a half hour after tbe latter honr bef ore conrt could assem ble as the members had quite an animated session. The annual statement by Wm. K. Childs, secretary, published this week in the Argus, was read by the secretary. The board of auditors' report followed. The board's report showed that its members had met and examined the directora' report Dec 28th. The report showed the f ollowing figures : Wm.K. I Childs during the year issued polioies to 69 new members, and cancelled 97; fees oolleoted, $182.31; capital stock increased, ' $96,830 ; diminished, $201,405. E. E. Leiand, for the townships of Saline, Ann Arbor, Northfield and Superior, issued 33 policies to new merabers and cancelled six; fees collected, $36.90 capital stock incrased, $49,420; diminishd, $21,420. John F. Spafford, for the townships of Manchester, Freetlom and Bridgewater, issued policies to five new members, fees collected, $10. 08 ; capital stock increased, $4,825; diminished, $300;. Edwin Ball, for the townships of Webster, Scio, Lodi and Salin, issued to 35 new members and cancelled five ; collected fees amounting to $67.35; increased the capital stock, $35,840; diminished, $10,560. Wm. Campbell, for the townships of Pittsfield, York, Ypsilanti and Augusta, issued 68 policies to new members and cancelled 12; collected fees amounting tb $148.31; increased the capital stock $85,365, diminished, $37,250. Wm. E. Stocking for the townships of Lima, Dexter, Sylvan and Lyndon issued policies to ten new men and eancelled five ; the fees collected amounted to $36.19; capital stock increased, $24, 195; diminished $17,800.' The netincrease of members was 95 and the net increase in capital stock $7,740. The report showed a balance on hand with the seoretary of $150.60. After the adoption of the aaditors' report a resolution was ofifered making the compensation of directora and auditors the same as last year, $2.00 a day out of which expenses were to be paid. A subtitute was offered that $2. 00 a day and expenses be aliowed. This substitute had no friends at all. Hon. John Robinson.of Sharon, offered another substitute that they be aliowed $1.50 a day and their expenses. He did not think that directora at the ends of the county sbould be aliowed only $2.00 a day with their necessarily increased expenses in getting to Ann Arbor and tbe director nearer town receiving the same compensation when he was not at so great an expense in getting here. This substitute shared the same fate as the other and the first resolution, giving them $2. 00 a day, was finally carried. The seoretary's compensation was flxed at $500 per annurn, as formerly. The election of directors for two years resulted as follows : Emory E. Leiand, W. K. Childs and E. A. Nordman, the latter to succeed Wm. E. Stocking. The only fight was on the last director elected, O. C. Burkhart receiving 78 of the 257 votes cast, while Mr. Nordman rec8ive 138. Mr. Nordman was formerly a director in the company. The present board of anditors was reelected. Under the head of wi.scuilaneous business various matteis were discussed. Russell C. Reeve, of Dexter, thonght it would be a good plan to ent out all losses less than $5, have that as the minimum loss that that the company would recognize. This proposition brought to nis feet a man in tbe back part of the room who said that the widows and the orphans should have a show with thuir prtty losses and their losses of $5 and less were more to them oftentimes than the $1,000 losses of the wealthy members of the company. i "If Mr. Reeve wants to rob her (the widow) let him but don 't let Washtenaw county" (meaning the insurance company). This sally brought forth tbe heartiest laugh of the the afternoon's proceedings and 'Mr. Reeve said nothing more about his retrenchment scheme. Philip Duffy, of Northfield, thought that by-law No. 34 had been misapplied j by the board of directors. This rule formerly read so as to embrace in the insuracce driving and work horses that were ontside of the county if in the possession anc! under care of their owners. This clause had been changed by the directors so as to inclnde livestock. Mr. Duffy thought that this change, made in 1893, was wrong and that the directors had overstepped their authority. Mr. Rodinson said that the state law did not allow farmers' mutnal insnranoe companies to embrace over three counties, but by his by-law 34 horses and live-stock migho be insured in several different counties, wberever their Washtenaw owners happened to have them. He thonght the oompany had no power to settle such losses. The matter was finall red to the committed on rev f charter which consists of H. D. Pratt, E. A.Nordmaü, W. G. Stooking, the secretary and treasnrer. BBB'hS John Webb, of Unadilla, had a claim of $400 presented for the loss of a barn in September last, which loss the board of directors refused to pay on the ground that Webb was using wood in threshing. Webb claimed that Cuyler J. Barton, the Unadilla flre bug, had confessed at Jackson thia fall, to setting fire to the barn. He therefore desired the company to pay his loss. He said that the brother of Barton wonld swear that his brother had oonfessed to hirn to the act of iucendiarism. The matter was referred. to the board of direotors for action. That ended the afternoon's proceediugs. The meeting was well attended and the orators of the county were out in full force and but for the fact that conrt was calleu for three o'clock and that hour had already overrun a half hour the session would have lasted rnuch longer. The oourt room was filled with the members of the company.