The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-11-16
INTERESTING FIGURES.
Concerning the Money Valu
of a Human Life.

EpecuIatIons Concerning the Money value
of a Human Life.
That which we call a human life has
always been recognized as having to its
possessor, and perhaps to others by
reason of affection, a paramount and
unreasonable value. That it may
have also money value has been ac-
kuowledged in various ways, notably
in the institution of slavery. From
early times the ownership of the serv.
4 ices of human being has had worth
in accordance with the excess of earn
ings obtainable above the necessary
cost of subsistence. This value has
not usually been computed with &C.
curacy in each individual case, but in
a general way price has been fixed
for a slave, taking into consideration
his age, physical condition, and ca
pacity for the kind of service desired
of him. 1t is clear. however, that GER
tain important elements are either
wholly lacking or but partially de.
yeloped, in the case of the life of a
person held in bondage, which may be
present if the possessor of the life is
| free and independent. Can human
lives possess attributes which will give
to them real values? 1t would not be
difficult to enumerate many lives which
can not be considered of any pecuniary
worth because, for various reasons, they
produce nothing. Such are those oil
the very old, the imbeciles. and the
confirmed invalids. But my purpose
is to show that life surrounded by
fairly supposable circumstances, such
as exist in every community, has a
definite value. Every man who earns
+ or produces more than suffces for his
actual personal expenses is of pecuni-
airy value to some one beside himself.
1t may be that family is dependent
upon him for support, or he may ac-
cumulate his surplus income for the
benefit of heirs or charity. No matter
what the purpose is. there is value to
some one in his services. Suppose he
has earned $4,000 during the year, and
his food, clothing, shelter and other
strictly personal expenditures have
amounted to $500. Then clearly he
has been of the value of 81, 800 to some
one during that time. We can meas
ure the value of the years which have
passed. Can we estimate with accur-
acy those which are to come? Care
full observations, extending over many
years, in widely separated countries
and among various nations, have dem
onstrated that the mortality of the
human family is governed by law
which is constant in its operation.
That inevitable power, death, working
through its numberless agencies. by
disease, accident and violence, and
seeming to seek its victims by chance,
is ruled by an intelligence which
preserves the balance of population,
directs the laws of supply and
demand, and renders possible the
various calculations upon which
the commerce of the world is
based. The most extensive compil-
ations of statistics, and the most
precise calculations which have been
made in search of the Law of mortality,
are those derived from Investigations
among what are known as selected
lives, or those which are unimpared by
hereditary faint, and are found by the
examination of physicians to be prac-
tically free from disease. A mortality
table was constructed in 1913 from
careful observations among large
number of such lives whose course
could be accurately traced, and numer-
Gus more recent investigations have
served to confirm the substantial cor
rectness of the death-rate which was
then shown to exist. Let us suppose
that the man whose surplus earnings
are 81 800 year is thirty years of age
and in good health, and that money is
worth four per cent. per annum. By
the mortality table, to which allusion
has been made, the present value of
the future surplus earnings of this life
is $25.560 1t is true that this value is
based on averages, and that the as
sumption that he will, through his
life, receive and spend just the
amounts here set down will not
probably be realized. 1t is we'll
nigh certain that his death will occur
either before or after the date here
fixed. Disease or accident may rob him
permanently of, his productive power.
Circumstances which no skill guided by
research can calculate, and no judg-
ment foretell, may change the current
of his life, and enhance or diminish the
value of his efforts. And yet this value
rests upon foundation composed of
elements no more uncertain than those
which determine the worth of the
business block. Both the building and
tho life are constantly exposed to the
danger of destruction, but that chance
can be measured even more accurately
in the latter case than in the former.
The natural ability of one man is
greater than that of another, and this
advantage will be shown in the value
of their respective services. These
qualities, as well as those of in
dustry and perseverance, are Unborn
apd will oopeil aro5 ~ ooa.oo