New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-26
WOMEN ANDLIFE INSURANCE
DIR. HAMMONDs STATEMENTS DENIED.
INSURANCE. OFFICERS ON HIS CHARGES IN THE
NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW"

INSURANCE. oyYICERS ON HIS CHARGES IN LIE
NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW"
DR.. William A. Hammond declares in tho
current number OF The North american Rev'ep that NO
insurance companies refuse to insure womens n'es ~
cause they cannot depend upon what women say win
reference TO themselves "On account Of womans in
ability regard 10 her the diseases sno
may have had, her mode OF LIE, anu o'hoi
matters in which eIactness re1uno''
life insurance companies decline 10 ISSUE
policies to her," DIR. Hammond further explains tha'
though woman abhors fasehoOd she does not " unoer
stand the necessity being exact In the ordinary aars
Of everyday life. She tells her physician for Instance
that eaten nothing for month"; anu ii presSeu
as to whether abe what abe says, replies that
really she cats nothing at ALL and IL Still iur'ucr
pressed and requested 10 consider for moment LIDO
meaning of the words she answers Win entrc u
consciousness that there 10 any difference In the TWO
statements that she may take roll and an egg anu
cup OF coffee for breakfast and an innitesiha pco "
chicken and a modcum of pie for her dinner, pue tna
she does not call that anything It's OWING u 'u'
difficulty of being exact that the female nina eApeiF
enoes overwhelming obstacles In the study oil ma'ne
matics."
POLICY OF THE NEw-YoRK LIFE.
An officer of the Ncw-York Life Insurance Company
who I'm tho absence Morris Franklin acts as presuen'
of that company asked yesterday whether IL Is tuo
that life insurance companies decline to ssue poces "
women because OF the ine1actness OF thsir ela'o"
respecting themselves
att. not true" he replied.
~Why them do life insurance companies decline 10
issue policies TO womenP
They don't decline We issued couple Of such poll
cies last week"
"But the companies do not consider women to be good
risks, do thenV
undoubtedly rot" replied the acting president.
"Why notp
"Because of the difficulty of making an exhaustive
physical examination Of them When men apply to nave
their lives insured examine their bodies Thoroughly
But In the case OF women considerations of deiicscy
prev ALL and it dficult-perhaps might say mpos-
sioe-:o obtain q comprehensive knowledge OF their
physical condition. This difficulty. however, arises
not from the ine1acncss Of their statements bat rom
the neIactncss of knowledge respecting the eta'o
OF their bodies"
"Are womel loss exact In their statements than men
arci"
81 do not think co. Nor do think that any man
who has a good general knowledge OF women VIII
maintain such proposition.
y observation and experience are that men as
ine1sct A few days ago We saw the papers
the names o: two Western who had signed ceFun-
cafes 10 The effect that a certain Quack medicine had
cured them entirely OF kidney disease AS these men
only recently declared 10 u.s. In their Applications
for nfcusursncc, that they La1 nothing the matter WIN
their kdneys and had had, we were enough hes
osted tho 10 cause sono inquiries to be made
We found tast they had signed the quaek medone Ger
acat,s Without much thought o. what they doing.
and that really their kidneys had not given them any
trouble. They probably supposed that the quack medl
cine bad done them gooi but were incIact enough
20 gay that their kidneys thnnaf received benefit
think men are just liable suoh intxactnes' as are
women. There are few men whose statements you can
take without qualifications"
"Then Il Ia not because OF women's ineIactncss con-
corning their agcs their disease or their mode OF life.
that life insurance companies do not consider them good
ri1ksi"
.'No. atnlI IiiAas have said because 81 the dii-
cu,y Of obtaining thorough physical examination
Moreover most women are liable 10 the pers In
ciicut 10 bearing children charge m extra premium
when we insure their lives. they less than forty
five years 81 ncc."
But II they arc fcrty.aye. odcrt"
In that case. the premium Is tho same as j. chArSeu
for meu." -. -. ...s,a., ...,,,,.,. %
oIamint the women applicants"
We'll all can say - that Ia New.York We have never
practicable female medical liner possessing tho
requisite qualifications could Dot be found.
WHAT THE fQUIIABLE DOES.
At the Office OF the Equitable LIE Assurance Society
Of tho agents. 10 whom Dr. HaImoncs abatement
had been repeated. sad:
The doctor lie mistaken about life insurance compa-
uioa declining 10 issue policies 10 women Tho Equitable
Life Assurance Society Is constantly Issuing such poll
cles and makes discrimination against women "a
such II charges them, when between the ages OF ak
teen and forycght onehalf Of per cent .han II
similar additional premium, aud for tho Same reason,
namely tina; they extraordinary risks"
Why ARC women oeu.ldcrcd 90 be extraordinary |
nsksT
soeIy for one reason OF the psrils incident
10 Collaborating. To these pers American women are
pecuiarly exposed. Whether &c IL the climate. their
sedcnary habits. their ughiacine that Is AZ faut
don't know, bat statistics shoT that the percentage o.
deaths cildbcarlng a. greater In America than in
any other country. French women. least OF all. fecm
exposed these peril- But the mortality among Amer
fa. Xu Yf u IA
YoI receive applications from women. them as freely
a. from mcnf"
Just ~ freely II woman Is healthy. she is just IA
likely 10 bc insured We have thousands or women
woman insured life here for $4,000. She Is tbrty
years of age Tho actress Lolita Insured her ho goOd
whie ago for large amount think II was $4,000
You bring 20 this office whose heart and KID
neys an1 lungs AL right, and SEQ n Dr Lambert
"sO the company take iuto consideration any
ALLEGED ncIactness Of statement on the part OF women
"NOt Ut sll IL iusurcs them u they paAs satisfactory
exanin alton. just A. It insurer men"
Are women then, considered 10 DO good risksP
additional premium Of hall Of per covers Tho
raroads are not considered to DC good risks We do
not much TO insure their lives, yet We do 40 when
their examinations provo satisfactory. Our attitude
tOwHrd women ~ "a Bimnr one.
as especially difficult, for reasons OF decacy to
ascorian precisely what tLe ph9Sca o"nulioh oi
40 a certain extent. yes; but competent medical
There qucetOns relating exclusively To Women II
Ii RUE OF the company not TO insure IN unmarried
child unless Is tan forty years Of But II
satisfactory In oherTespects tins rule may be dis
regarded
"IueInctness OF statement. them bas reference 10
than 10 men, when an insurance Is con-
tempated I"
Not whit more. The woman's declaration Is takon
Just the mans IL, and H. ter three years nouuruhs
are discovered In H. her policy like the mans, Ia moon
teabc. And if she is than forty wears OF
age, the premium she has 10 pay OH policy Of o insur
nnco precisely that which OF the same ago has
pay. The only discrimination made with rceronee 10
woueu il the idltiOnal premium OF one-haf Of per
cent or dOurs thousand. and this Is due solely 20
pcrils incident to maternity, and relates 10 those
women only aro between tho ages OF sixteen aud
forty eight"
THE TAX RATE FOR 1888.