New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE MAzEs OF INSURANCE LAW.


THE LAW OF INSURANCE; including Fire e. Life life
Risks. BY Arthur Biddle. NJ A. Philadeipnisa'
Kay & Brother. 1885, vols PIP ciil. o's 0f'
The law writer's have found 1t necessary to use
their pens very diligently TO keep pace with the
eyer-changing phases of the law OF contracts grow
ing out Of modern industrial and commercial ad-
vancement The multiplication of treaties upon
snecial branches Of the law is frequently COM
plained OF by practitioners burdensome, poth 10
their purses and their time 1t is true that many
Of the works that have come from the presses OF
the law publishers within the last five years fur
nish sunicent justification for the complaints OF the
LAWYERS Not few of them consist of little more
than disconnected paragraphs. pCsely strung 10
gether and pretending to give synopses OIL 'ea~
ing decisions covering the subjects under col'
alteration Such labor this finds legitimate
scope in a general digest, when properly done; but
unfortunately the most OF it is not properly zone
and bears unmistakable evidence Of the immature
and inexperienced minds whose aid mas pee" III
voked by the too busy practitioner VINO Iehus ii'
name and reputation to the title page. H. as -
sometimes said every reputable attorney owes 10
b,s profession a debt which can only be canceiied
by the production Of some legal work upon SUI
feet with which he is especially familiar. lie Is GER
tainly bound to pay that debt In the gooo com VI
his own personal research and labor ana not mercy
as an editor of the crude copy prepared py 'ne
Young law clerks employed by him for that pur-
nose II this were the invariable rule followed oy
the law.book authors OF ability and repu'aton'
the members OF the bar would buy new 'rea'se'
with more confidence and find In them mueh 'es'
occasion for criticism and complaint IMAM d. PieS
ent ,<... e.,
rscep,,v nubished law books. not because the vol
,,mes before us illustrate such defective work. put
because on the contrary, they furnish the pes. VI
recent instances of the manner IN winch Ia"
treatises should produced to be OF real 'aiue. "
is no disparagement to the modest pu' eN'e".N.
hook of Professor Richards or others OF It's khd
,o,s,x issued to saw that Mr. Bddle has here given
ia tho most comprehensive and thorough treatise
that has yet appeared on the subject OF insurance
law Lawyers will even forgive MN 'ne si~e VI
the work when they discover how cohscien'io"sis
he has performed his duty how fully he has covered
every phase of his subject and yet now Tree 'he
volumes are from padding to swell the bulk OF
the printed matter There Is evidence on nearly
every page of the special knowledge OF the au'hoi'
When it is remembered that the chief HE IN
surance companies of this city are among the great
est of existing financial institutions ana that man!
millions Of American citizens are directly ana Pc
cuniarily interested in the various insurance coi
porations that have their principal oNnces "i'hi" d
radius of half mile from the New-forK custom"
House it becomes easy to appreciate the Importance
Of the law governing the various forms OF in
surance contracts The student OF insurance
law and the writer upon it has this advan-
tare that 1t is of comparatively recent origin;
and in fact the most important OF all the aoJuoi-
cations on the subject have been maze "itnnh d
single generation Yet the expansion OF the system
Of insurance has been vast and the novel ques-
lions ever arising have been so mutitudnous that
insurance law has already swollen beyond modest
PROPORTIONS and promises to usurp the place now
held by railroad law the leading subject OF
modern jurisprudence. 1t also has this pecuharllv'
that more or familiarity with its salient pri-
ciples and controlling decisions is essentially not
hut
ness men. A great work on insurance law
therefore that completely fulfls its mission
must furnish to the learned lawyer all the
aid he needs in the successful conduct OF
insurance litigation and must also provide
answers to the numberess legal questions that are
constantly presenting themselves in the actual con-
duct of the insurance business That MI biooie
work will 60 a long way toward satisfying the ex-
listing need of such comprehensive treatise' any
intelligent, even though cursory, examination OF
these volumes is sufficient to show. The lawyer
and the insurance man will find in these volumes
the exposition of the law so far as 1t has yet been
decided. controlling the insurance contracts with
which they have to deal; and other business men
who care to be well informed as TO the value ana
significance of the policies upon which they are
every year paying premiums will find here much 10
interest and help them. 1t is often said that not
one real estate in hundred has read through
the standard fire policy. whose provisions embody
his only right TO recover compensation for loss
from fire. Probably the proportion of those who
have carefully read the provisions CT their life
policies is not very much greater The same per-
sons would scarcely exhibit equal confidence in the
individuals with whom they were entering into al
most any other kind of contract; and 1t certainly
furnishes excellent proof of the honesty ana good
faith with which the great insurance corporations
are conducted that few instances arise where
any has occasion to regret his failure TO take
greater precauton. Yet venture TO say that if
any prudent business man will examine Mr.. Bid
dies work. and particularly the portions relating
1.-The performance Of the contract and the many
cases cited of litigaons arising solely from the in
nocent or ignorant failure of the insured TO full
I'll some part OF his contract he will quickly be con-
WINGED of the wisdom of pursuing the same course
IN the making of insurance contracts as In all
Others. Nor will any be better satisfied than
the managers of well-conducted insurance compan-
les themselves have their policyholders become
we'll informed their rights and able to protect
themselves properly in them.
ROOLS OF THE HECK