336 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



G. W. Seearce, F. P. Joliusou, P. B.'Ewan. J. N. GuUifer, D. O. Dilling. T. 

 A. Shafer, J. D. Hoover, Peter Fiant, L. J. Hooke, Emmet Moore. W. P. 

 Xoffsinger, W. C. Bray, C. D. Zimmer, A. H. Myere, George M. Young, 

 William Watlington. Charles Breck and R. A. Phillips. 



Respectfully, 



R. A. KIRKMAX, 

 J. H. BIDDLE, 

 H. L. NOWLIN, 



Committee. 



Mr. Saunders: Is there anything limiting the number of delegates a 

 company may send here? 



Secretary Nowlin: A company is entitled to one delegate for each 

 million dollars of insurance carried. 



On motion the report of the Committee on Credentials was accepted. 



President Jones in the chair. 



President Jones: I notice by the program Uiat I am to deliver an 

 address. As my train was late I made the address on the train, Avhich 

 was perhaps better than delivering it here. I desire to make a few, and 

 only a few, remarks on the question we have met to consider. As the 

 years come and go I find tlie question of mutual insurance is becoming of 

 greater .iiid greater importance. I find also that by careful supervision of 

 the companies, not only iri this. bi)t in other Slates, the number of fires has 

 been reduced. One of the great argmnents in favor of nuitual insurance is 

 that the close supervision the members have of their own business will re- 

 duce the number of fires and consequently reduce the cost of insurance. It 

 does not only limit the extraordinary expense of stock compaiiies. but it 

 also saves the country vast sums of money. 



I have taken pains during each and every year to ascertain the results 

 of the mutual in.surance companies everywhere. Last yeai- 1 traveled over 

 twenty-eight States of the Union, and everywhere observed the working 

 of these companies. There is not a single State in the Union where 

 mutual insurance obtains a foothold that is not more and more in favor 

 of it as times goes on. All of these States, like Indfana. have had a 

 spasmodic fight, for the Itusiness, with the stock companies. Biit where- 

 ever the mutual eompanies have stood up and made a manful fight for 

 their riglits they have prevailed and are absolutely getting the business. 

 So successful lias been mutual insurance that men in towns and cities are 

 trying to get enabling acts in the different States, so that they may get 

 out from under the unjust system they are now sulTering from. The 

 stock companies liave become, not only burdens, but their insurance is 

 unsatisfactory. You may insure in any company you please, with the 



