Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-07-09
From the Evening Post.
Lite Insurance Statistics.
REroRroFrnr OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

The lifu insurance section uf the tenth
annual report Of Mr., VIM Barnes, Super.
intendent Of the Insurance Department Of
this State, has Just been issued. This re-
port reviews the business, progress and
financial standing ot all the eompaniee
incorporated in this state, or transacting
business here for other States in the year
1861, and is public document Of impor-
lance 10 the community in general, As a
specific branch of economic finance the
department Of Life Insurance has grown
into a large power within the past twenty
years in this State, also in New England,
and measurably in Pennsylvania and the
Western States,
| II is business with which every oiti-
zen who has the wisdom to realize any
available Surplus income from his earn
ings or his property, ought Ia he fully ac-
qualnted, The scheme Of life insurance is
intended TO embrace the interests of the
whole eommuntty-it is, properly consid-
cred, the great cooperative financial force
OF the pcople-asSociated for mutual ad.
vantage and protection; mobilizing the
surplus earnings Of all degrees in the true
spirit Of fraternity and equality, demo-
cratising the potent force Of capital in the
service Of the highest interests of human
society, Very fairly II may be- said that
the civilization OF a people can be estimat-
I'd by the relative progress OF life insur-
ance amongst them.
It's first impulse, pure and simple, is to
protect the widow and the orphan-to ex.
tend the atteetionate care OF the husband
and father beyond their own lives 10 the
objects of their affections Tho system
has been found capable OF other applica-
tons Ii secures endowments and an
nuities for the living, protects creditors
and promotes heuevolence generally.
From hlr. Barnes report we learn that
the financial force of this great interest in
this State, represented by thirty compai-
MICS, amount in their gross assets" to
the sum of ST., 522, 91s Ga; that they have
in force 20G,9GG policies, insuring the I'M
mense aggregate of S6l2,,2 ,43l O3, their
premium income in 1861 amounted to
S26, 1874, O6l %, and the death claims paid
on policies same year, Sl,229,9il 40.
During 1867 there were fifteen compa-
neis from other States represented by
agents in this State, and We may summa-
riIe their force thus:
/, Gross assets Of Is other State
companies D., ...,.-.......... sG0,02j,972 ID
| ;. Amount insured by l9i, IA poll
lClts. ......-,,,,, .ai9,HN3iA ~
| ;. Premium income .....4........ "a. 800 n
t. Death claims paid .............. 4Gll,G ~
Mr.. Barnes observes upon these figures
that the amount insured, which five
years ago was less than two hundred
millions, has already reached the numcr-
alton column Of our national debt, and
exceeds billion of dollars, with gross as
sets in hand exceeding one hundred and
twenty-five millions, And still the work
goes ON with uniagging step and in
creased activity"
1t is manifest that this great interest
needs watchful State supervision, and il
is satisfactory to find that Mr.. Barnes
who has held the office of Insurance SUI
perintendent since the creation of the de-
Partment in 1889, is fully equal to the re-
sPonsibilities of this important position.