The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-05-20

- ii II ftfS- u
Chinese Insurance Societies.
4 We clip1he 15llSvhR ikeres{i1g =
count Of chinese INSURANCE Socie{il
from recent number of the People
Magazine:
| Among the numerous interesting fe,
lures which are presented to our motto
by the study of the social institutions
the Chinese, there is one which, as fs
as we know, has never been describe
by any English writer. Werefer to tfl
societies for mutual insurance against
variety of risks and losses. 'EG n ~.
For the following details Of these a.
sOciRtiOns we are indebted to the wr
ting of Russian agriculturist long res
dent in China, NJ. Skatchk0ff. Insur
ance, he tells us, has hong heeh apple
by the Chinese to q number of differ
ent purposes. Houses are insured, S
are life-interests. Claims for relief il
time of sickness, and q multitude Q
other objects, are likewise thus secured
We will, however, confine our remark
to two instances-the insurance o
standing crops and the practice of i'm
surfing against law suits-bOth of whicl
are much In vogue in the. rural district
The landholders Of each individual
village with the residents in its imme
diate neighbOrhOod fOrnla separate so
ciety, the affair of which are conducted
by the village elders, without any inter
ference ON the part of the Government
The process of forming one of thes,
associations is thus described:
L a. general meeting of the villager.
is convened; buta day. two previous
to this, the three elders and four or five
of the most influential among the vii.
layers assemble in the joss-house for the
discussion of the necessary prelimina.
ries, such as forming an approximate
estimate of the extent of land to be in
sured, and of the probable rates of pre-
MUM, causing proclamation to be
made of their proceedings, and giving
notice thereof to the police authorities.
Affairs having been SO far adjusted, OH
the day of meeting, each landholder-
leasehOlders as well as freeholders be-
ing eligible-who desires to participate
in the mutual insurance Of the village.
crops, is expected to appear before the
elders in the temple to affix his sigma
ture against his name i'm the list pre-
pared by them. Those who do not thus
appear are considered to he unwilling
to share in the arrangement.
The number of watchmer to he hired
is then determined in accordance with
the extent of land insured. About PEI
kin two watchmen are allowed to eve
~ three hundred English acres for the
open country. In hilly districts, and
where the view is much impeded by
enclosures; the number is doubled.
Each watchman receives about twelve
shillings for the whole peiiod of his
service.
The precise rates of premiums to he
charged for each acre of land insured
are then fixed. This is i'm great meas
ure dependent upon the condition of
the adjacent districts. Where. all is
quiet, and no reasons exists for acticf-
pating any serious disorders, it is con-
sidered sufficient to have III hand, after
the watchmen have been paid, a sur
plus equal to One-tenth of the sum col
lected in premiums. On the othe hand,
when disturbances are rife. and the
general aspect of affairs less assuring,
the rates Of premium are raised SO as to
leave in some cases, after paying the
a reserve equal TO one-fifth
of the total amount assured.
It must be understood that these ar
rangements are made for the duration
Of each crop separately--sOmetimes for
still shorter periods. In smany dis
tricts the winter crops are insured from
seedtime to harvest, which of course,
provision against injury from
cattle, and losses by robbery and fire.
Around Piekin, however, the insurance
Of the winter crops is made from the
middle of June, when the grain has at
tanned its full growth, until harvest on
". Spring crops are invariably insured
from the day of sowing to the day of
harvest. RI ht'iiF'
How the liabilities of the members
ere enforced, NJ. Skatchkof' does not
tell us. We are left TO infer that 'cus-
tom,u so potent an influence in all
things Chinese, is found practically all
sufficient sfEaar
,f the insured property are curious
enough in their way. The fields are
day and night. For every
.hief taken in the act, and for every
head of cattle caught trespassing, the
receive n reward from the
society of three hundred tsians. or
lboutT eight pence. Each instance of
Neglect Of duty is punished by a fine of
lOuble the amount.
n thief caught in the daytime is pill
DRIED for the space of two or three
lours i'm front of the temple, after
which the elders exact from him IL fine
# ten times the value of the stolen pro-
luce, estimated according to its proba-
DE price during the ensuing winter. If
le is unable to pay, the sum is paid for
him, his land being taken i'm security.
Should he not he Il landowner, he IS
compelled to give a receipt for the
regarded as loan from the
elders, which receipt is handed over to
he police, to whose tender nlercies the
.ulprit is relegated. Night thefts are
by fines of half the above
lmount only.
Cattle found tresspassing are impOun-
led, but may he redeemed by their
,wners paying to the society u fine, the
mount of which varies according rs
he animal was found, partly or bodily
within the limits of an insured field.
I'm the event of fire occurring III an
insured field, the elders are bound to in
luire into its rcaases. If it proves to
lave originated with the owner, he
,ays to the society fine of one shil-
ing 900 tsians).~ If it were caused
~ another person, the delinquentpays
|, fine of ten times the value of the pro-
luce destroyed, theOwner being indenI-
lified by the society.
!. For all losses the person insured re-
,eives immediate payment of a sum
to one and half fines his
oss, estimated according to the prOlsa
,Ie scale of prices during the ensuing
Einter.
All moneys remaining over Us u sur
slus gut OF the preiniurns, fines, etc!,
ire treated as reserve fund applica-
de to various public purposes, such as
he repsj:rs of the schools, temples, etc,
md in providing gratuities for the po-
ice. These funds are generally put
tut as loans to some OF the village
who pay one per cent per
NOnth for the accommodation.
Any inadequacy of funds on the part
4 the society is made up by charging
IN extra premium Upon each acre OF
and insured.
The practice of iusllring against law.
tits is conducted upon analogous prin-
;ifaes. 1t is hardly necessary, MIR.
skatchkoff observes, to advert to the