The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-03-22
s.o,o,,es FOR Relsef In sickn

Societies for Reiael ih 80
Those fr;endly.or relief societies roccpy
.ho aame high. moral ground as The lie
assurance companies, and deserve, IN 7te9T!
# their objects, the same eneoursg el'.
They are. however, subject TO 2 esrtsin
average law Of sickness, just IS ltfc CEN
nanics are to = Law of mortality, eId reitaer
can NEGLECT this fact without r;ak;rc SPEEDY
min. It is true that the law Of 5ickues5 ls
not az satisfactorily ascertainec es thay Of
mortality; but so much the greater reason
have relief societies to be careful that thelr
management shall be in accct121c5 with
the latest and best knowledge upon TINS
subject. No greater hlessI1s. cS1 e&ise
among community Of lab6r!2g Iasn OF
limited means than well-oTearecr vel 81. :.
informed, and prudently-maHEgs3 1ehei
society, which demands respect anc. conn
dence both By the intelligence snd ~ the
integrity Of it's promoters. But the Aisaese
sense of honor and most unimpeachao.e IN
teority cannot avert the results winch loi-
low from the violation Of natural lava.
An association which makes 20 variation
in premium with the age OF IT'S members,
and proposes to pay as much Per week
during sickness as the annual premium
paid BY the sick member, proceeds upon
two mistaken assumptio1s-aame!y, 1naV
the same average of sickness PER annIra IS
exnerienced OF all ages, ald that this
average will run to less than sevsn days.
For Something must be allowed for ex-
nenses. and if the period were just seven
days, the sick fees would just use up al! the
premiums. But the results OF Ihe widest
observations in England show that among .
ueru larqe nunber of laboring persons the
constant minimum Of sickness is s'r ana
one. ffM days per annuns, the persons
ranging from fifteen years OF age upwards
and that the excess Of sickness oTer this
constant minimum increases for each I2dl-
yidual with his age, according TO e we'll
established law. At IS years OF age
the average exceeds week, and ct %
exceeds two weeks per .snnum, even II
irrecoverable cases are excluded onv II
not, then ut 35 the average is near1 J nile
days. and at SIS more than three weeks. Il
society proposing to take equal premiums
at ali ages will, if it admits no ineaassT
under 35, barely pay its way, but will lag
up no provision against the future; =
older members are admitted, it cannot Ior
any considerable length Of time SO
much as pay its way, unless, indeed,
the premiums are so loaded as TO &c
unjustly onerous upon the younger mem
bers. Besides, there is moral rpectG-
ton against which it should provide |o- i:
cannot expect go large q membership as !2e
mathematical law demands for its certain
application, and in small number il -1Lsg
be prepared to meet material alterations,
which, in a sickly season, must Grippe, u
not destroy, its resources. =.
With scale of premiums prope2:g ca.
culated upon the tables, and varyi1%:,, 5--a-s-
fore, for the different ages of the apQl-52.-tS,
and loaded to meet unusual demands. re-
lief society may inspire confidence and
meet with permanent success. WE aach
change in it's plans, We see no reasoI w
this Association shall not experience scuA'
dant prosperity. .a- g. .