The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-04-22
Insuring Women's Lives.

Of the many life insurance companies
OF this city, says the New York Mail and
Express, only one is managed by wom-
en- In the interests of women. The at
torney for the company. when asked by
a reporter for some particulars regard
ing its work, said:
'.All the officers are ladies of wealth,
and they expect no salary. What they
claim is that, if woman desires to in
sure. she should have the same unre-
stricted freedom as a man has in such
matters The company was started in
1883, and is now on a paying basis. 1t
has hundred agents, and its large
agency in Philadelphia is managed by
woman. Some of the statistics that
we gather will surprise the public, l
think. For instance, | have just re-
ceived the report of the English registrar
general for last year. 1t shows that out
of every 1000 living persons 497 are
males and 513 females; that of births,
to every 100 females born there are 103
5-1O0 males; and that at every age of
life the death-rate is lower among fe-
males than amoLg males. From his
figures he shows that the mean eNpecta-
ton OF life of males is 41.32, and of fe-
males 1862. He also finds diminished
death-rate in both sexes, and the i'm
provement in living is shown to be
greater in females than in males. This
proves a statement made in 1861 by one
of the English government actuaries,
that on general principles, if there
should be general improvement in liv-
ing, it would first be manifested in fe-
males. In this country we find from
statistics that the same things prevail.
This making a special subject of woman
insurance has had the effect of inducing
women to insure who never before
thought of the subject"
'.Have there been any attempts made
by them to defraud?'
''Yes, there have, but where we find
isolated instances of women insuring by
fraud there are numerous cases of men
doing the same thing. One thing OBJ
served in such business is that al
though women are fighting for equal
rights and all the privileges that men
have, yet they don't want to assume the
same responsibility, and when trouble
comes theywant to shield themselves be-
hind their sex. The experience of our
company has developed the fact that
women ought to be held to the same ac-
countability as men, for they have
shown themselves equally as shrewd
in putting up, pressing, and even
creating insurance claims as any
man l have come across in my eX-
perience. We have cases where wom-
en- have attempted to insure a hus-
band in failing health, but we have had
no cases that | am aware of where de-
ception has been practiced as to age. A
well-planned but unsuccessful attempt
to get money from us wrongfully was
made not long ago by a woman who
held an accident policy in the company.
Her policy was for S25 a week indemni-
ty, and $1,000 in case of death. We
limit the period of liability to twenty
six weeks, and we take them on very
low rates, for one of the conditions is
that if a person is able to do any portion
of her regular work our liability ceases.
This woman fell, sustaining no injury,
but receiving quite shock to her nerv-
Gus system. Within two weeks after, as
we found out, she took a two-hundred-
mile trip, returning after ten days, and
going at her regular business again.
claim, together with DOCTORS certifi-
cate, and asked for $3.50 on account,
as partial payment of the liability.
For the sake of being liberal we gave
her this, thinking that would end the
matter of course. But at the end of six
months what does this enterprising
woman do but present us bill for in
demnity for the entire of that time! We
had personal knowledge that she had
not been disabled during that time, and
it was perfectly evident to everybody
that she had not We refused to give
her any more, and she knew so well
that she had no claim in law that she
gave it up. A curious fact observed
about woman insurance is that the mo-
ment the applicant learns that there is
any doubt about her being accepted she
is ten times more eager than ever to be
insured.