258 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ing our agents, and on the first day of August we were able 

 to commence issuing policies. A little before that time 

 our secretary was able to take five hundred and some odd 

 thousand dollars of applications under his arm and go down 

 to the insurance commissioner, show them to him, and say, 

 " Mr. Commissioner, we want authority to issue policies on 

 this property." After lookmg them over the commissioner 

 granted the authority, and on the first day of August 

 we commenced issuing policies covering something over 

 $500,000 worth of farm property, no one policy exceeding 

 $2,500. I tell you it took some hard work. It was a 

 thorough organization that we mapped out. 



Mr. Taft. I want to get my barn and house insured for 

 $1,200 ; what will you insure them for? 



Mr. Douglas. Are you a member of the order? 



Mr. Taft. No, sir ; but I am a farmer. 



Mr. Douglas. We will not insure your property unless 

 you are a member. We are doing this thing for our own 

 benefit. 



Mr. Taft. Supposing I was a member, what would you 

 insure me for? 



Mr. Douglas. If you have a good risk, one-half of 

 one per cent, for five years on your house, with a contin- 

 gent liability for three times the amount of the cash pre- 

 miums. 



Mr. Taft. I got it insured for seven dollars. 



Mr. Douglas. We are learning to do our own business for 

 our own benefit, as long as we hurt nobody else. We have 

 been going on quite rapidly since we commenced to issue pol- 

 icies on the first of August. I think we have this matter of 

 fire insurance so arranged that it is ooinsr to be a benefit to 



C DO 



us, at least, and will injure no one else. 



Mr. Taft. Of course the gentleman would not go into 

 it unless he thought it would be a benefit to himself and his 

 friends, but I wanted to know whether it would benefit any- 

 body else. 



Adjourned to 7.30, p. m. 



