Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-05-05


whv q wife shauSa Sessr sssnrs fssF f.lfs
III F,eyeF 81 fssr nn.sana.
The subject Of life insurance is begin
ming III attract attention among women.
Il i known that though the aggregate
volume Of the sum payable on life poll
eies IN Europe and America amounts to
the enormous figure Of $4,000. ooo. 0oe--
a sam exceeding the total cost Of all the
railroads in the world added 30 all the
national debfs-the risks taken out on
female lives amount 10 comparatively
rnaIi sum. This has arisen partly fron
tho nnwillingnass OF life insurance COM
panies to insure women. q feeling which
induces some companies to refuse TO in
ture them nj all, while others charge !
per cent. additional for female risks. and
partly from the fact that the woman is
not, as a rule, the family breAawinner.
aud her death does not. save IN excep-
tional cases. require to be guarded
against in q pecunisry point OF view.
Still the number Of women whose de-
mise would take bread out OF the mouths
of others is on the increase.
Companies object 10 take female risks
because women are exposed TO die OF
casualties aud diseases from which men
are exempt. But, ON the other hand,
men are exposed to die OF accidents or OF
diseases produced by reckless lives quite
Ms frequently as women perish tn child
birth or from diseases incident to mater
nifty. The sexes are fairly ON an equal
ity In this respect. II is probable that a
healthy young woman OF twenty, wheth-
er married or unmarried, Is about rs
good risk as young man Of the same
age.
Some of the companies raise the point
whether any one has an insurable inter
est in the life of woman. A mans wife
and children have an insurable interest
in his life, but who suffers pecuniary
loss whena girl OF a married woman
dies? Certainly not, as general rule,
the father. or the mother, or the broth
ers and sisters Of tbs former, or the hus-
band OF the latter: they may be plunged
into deep affection. but affection cannot
be measured in dollars.
But the case alters II the girl or the
married woman belongs TO the working
|
the breadwinner for the household; then
her father, mother. brothers, sisters.
children, and possibly her husband.
may have an interest in her life which
can be insured. IL she belongs 10 the
, leisure class, and does not contribute by
| her daily exertions 10 the daily susie
nance OF her family, 1t is not easy to see
| who has an interest in her life which
: could be appraised in dollars, and fos
which company could make compensa-
ton in the form OF q check.
Il is common, when marriage takes
place between young people who have no
} fortune and expect to be dependent on
the husbands exertions, for the man %
, insure his life in favor of his wife and
children. This il one of the most benef-
icent uses of life insurance. Formerly,
. more frequently than now, the consorts
assured their lives reciprocaily. each In
favor Of the other. This operation never
} could be reconciled with business prin-
ciples or sound ethics.
Experience, moreover, has developed
7 the unpleasant fact that the mortality
among women whose lives are insured
In favor of their husbands il larger than
the ordinary mortality tables warrant
It is terrible thing to say. but doctor.
! and criminal lawyers believe the crime
, of wife murder to be much more FIRE.
: quent than Is commonly supposed. It i.
: n crime that is rarely suspected, and
still more rarely detected A woman Is
taken i'll with strange pain. She con
suits a doctor, who knows that women
are always having strange pains. and
that they generally arise from very sim
, pie causes. He prescribes for this or thai
. organic trouble. The pain continues
The woman tries other medicines, which
have relieved friends of hers under sim
liar circumstances. The husband act
,, as nurse and gives the medicines. i,
. these days of science. toxicology know
) dozen drugs which are difficult TO de
tect by smell. taste OF sight, but which
0 II regularly administered. will sap lif,
n and eventually cause death.
= As a general rule. q girl should refus,
TO insure her life In favor of her hus
band, and a well administered compan,
!, should refuse to issue such policy
Z San Francisco Argonaut