12 BULLETIN 786, tf, S. DEPAHTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SALARIES OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. 



More or less complete information concerning the compensation of 

 directors and officers was given by 842 companies. In the case of 

 directors each of these companies reported the actual per diem 

 allowed. The largest such per diem was $10 and the smallest was 

 50 cents. Only 24 companies paid a per diem of more than $3, while 

 104 companies paid a per diem of less than $1.50. The average per 

 diem paid by the 842 companies was $2.05. The most common 

 amount paid was $2, nearly one-half of the companies reporting this 

 figure. 



The question referring to compensation of officers was less gener- 

 ally filled out than were the other parts of the questionnaire, and in 

 view of the variation in the size of the companies, as well as of the 

 different plans in vogue with regard to the distribution of duties 

 among the officers, any figures in the way of averages would have 

 but little significance. A few data bearing on the plans of com- 

 pensation may, however, be submitted. The president was paid a 

 fixed annual salary by 410 companies, while 85 reported paying a' 

 fixed allowance per policy in force during the year, and 56 others 

 reported a combination of these two methods in the compensation of 

 this officer. In the case of the secretary, 423 companies reported pay- 

 ing a fixed annual salary ; 98 reported compensating this official on a 

 per diem basis, and 139 reported paying a fixed allowance per policy 

 in force during the year. In the case of the treasurer, 3l5 companies 

 paid a fixed annual salary ; 118 reported compensating this official on 

 a per diem basis ; and 166 reported paying him on the basis of per- 

 centage of money handled. Forty-one companies used a mixture of 

 two or more of these methods as a basis for the compensation of the 

 treasurer. Out of 188 companies which reported the compensation of 

 a secretary-treasurer, 122 paid an annual salary; 13 companies paid 

 a per diem; and 13 paid a fixed allowance per policy in force, while 

 40 companies used a combination of two or more of these methods. 

 The prevailing plan of compensation for directors and officers of 

 these organizations is therefore that of a per diem for the directors 

 and an annual salary for the officers charged with the routine work 

 of the company. 



ADJUSTMENT OF LOSSES. 



Information concerning the agency used in the adjustment of losses 

 was furnished by 1,143 companies. Of these, 178 reported having 

 a committee charged with this duty, while 119 reported employing 

 special adjusters. In the case of 404 companies the adjustment of 

 losses was left entirely to the directors while in the case of 97 com- 



