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Marine Insurance Volume Gains Better Business in May Reflects Improvement Over -April— Competition Stil Keen and Disturbing MARKED improvement in_ the Aoi of marine insurance writ- ten in May over April is re: ported by underwriters. More goods are being moved and the demand for insur- ance is reviving, although some under- writers are not too confident it will last. One underwriter, in discussing the busi- ness that passed through his hands in May, said that the improvement seemed to be general and that he noticed that most of the risks he had been quoting rates for, had been coming into his of- fice while a few months ago only a small number were ever placed. Much of the business last month was written on ship- ments to the West Indies, South Africa and Chinese ports, while there was less than usual to Central America. Losses on ‘tie’ ‘whole have been moderate, al- though underwriters were hard hit by several hull casualties. One factor, however, which continues’ to cast a shadow over the marine un- derwriting situation has been the keen competition for premiums which has con- tinued unabated. In their efforts to at- tract business, some underwriters have been taking business at cut rates. With the canal season open, under- writers are hopeful that the anticipated activity will result in much good _busi- ness. While the canal hazard is greater than generally supposed on account of the exposure to open waterways and the dangers of ice in the fall and floods, underwriters feel that the government is taking every step to make canal naviga- tion as safe as is possible and hope this year the loss ratio will be reduced con- siderably below that of 1921, which was unsatisfactory. Ao gee Explains Model Risk Act HE necessity for better and uniform legislation governing marine insur- ance as provided in the model marine bill enacted by congress for the district of Columbia, was explained by S. S. Hueb- ner, insurance expert of the shipping board, at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States held recently in Washington. Mr. Huebner, who has been one of the leading spirits in pushing the bill, de- clared that the alternative to uniform state legislation is the establishment of a federal insurance bureau. American marine insurance is so in- separably bound up with the welfare of the American merchant marine ‘and foreign trade that the surest way of en- couraging government insurance is to continue the present methods of ‘super- vision, Mr. Huebner said. ° He added that the house committee on merchant marine and fisheries, which had investi- gated the marine insurance situation, in its report had favored the conduct of marine insurance by private interests but found that present conditions in the ma- rine insurance field are woefully unsatis- factory. The model marine bill, drawn to afford some relief to domestic marine insur- ance companies tied down by legislative obstacles, is proposed as a model for principles and not details, being merely the adoption of basic ideas, he said. Mr. Huebner concluded: “While marine insurance conducted by private interests is clearly preferable, our national government cannot remain un- mindful of the fundamental needs of commerce. The various states should recognize it. Should they refuse to co- operate by enacting legislation based on the model marine bill, such a_ refusal will prove the greatest. boom to the nu- merous proponents of government insur- ance as a permanent policy.” * * * Some Hull Losses Heavy OMESTIC marine insurance com- panies suffered several heavy hull losses in May, the severest of which was the stranding of the British Vuicroria pE LorrencuiA, 4600 tons, off the coast of Bermuda. The vessel was carrying a-cargo of sugar from Cuba to the United Kingdom and was insured in the American market for about $1,000,000. The ship is considered a complete loss and underwriters see little possibility of salving any of the cargo. Another heavy loss, which has fallen on the domestic marine insurance market is that of the steamer Justin which struck a rock - whileon the way from Hampton Roads to Rio de Janeiro with a general cargo and is reported to have broken in half. The Justin was heavily insured in this country as was its cargo. In addition to these two losses there have been sev- eral reported from the Pacific coast. x ok Ox Find Fire Hazard Great ARINE underwriters are alarmed by the discovery that a conflagra- tion hazard, similar to that which caused serious fires at Galveston and New Or-’ leans, exists in New York harbor. A special committee of underwriters and port officials have completed a_ survey of conditions and report that oil coat- ing on piling and bulkheads of piers con- tinues to be a grave menace. In some 276 ‘conditions at locations notably at the mouth of the Gowanus canal and at Beard’s Erie basin, there is danger of a sweeping conflaga- tion, the piling being so heavily coated with oil deposits that a fire would gain considerable headway under the pier and would spread to adjacent property. As a result of the survey, underwriters are united in demanding that some relief measures be provided to improve present the locations named and that the source of the oil be located and stopped. The question of the float- ing oil hazard is by no means only a local one, however, but universal and underwriters are hopeful that at some future date laws will be enacted that will effectively prevent the depositing of oil and refuse inside of a certain limit. Several ports have local laws govern- ing the discharging of oil but many others have taken no steps to combat the hazard. x * * Say Lighte rs Overloaded HE American Institute of Marine Underwriters is taking steps to secure relief at Havana, Cuba, from the un- satisfactory lighterage conditions existing there. It is reported that lighters are be- ing overloaded and the institute has com- municated with the Cuban port officials and the American embassy with a view to securing their help in forcing the operators of lighters to stop the practice of badly over-charging their vessels. Lighters are being so crammed with goods that frequently the loadline is not more than six inches from the deck, underwriters complain, and a slight swell results in water washing over the cargo and frequent doing great damage. Late- ly marine underwriters have received numerous claims through damage _ to goods caused while being conveyed by lighter and are determined to check this source of loss. x ok Ok Retires from Insurance ERBERT APPLETON, vice presi- dent of Appleton & Cox, of New York, marine underwriters, has an- nounced his retirement from the marine insurance field. Mr. Appleton served as president of the National Board of Mar- ine Underwriters for four successive years and was alsodeputy chairman of the ‘American Committee on Lloyds Reg- istry. He became a partner in the mar- ine underwriting firm in 1920. Appleton & Cox have been United States managers for the marine department of the United