The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-05-23
TEMPERANCE AND LONGEVITY.

The Insurance Observer, devoted to IT.
surance interests in Great Britain, in
a recent article discusses the subject OF
Temperance and Longevity" from thepoint
Of view OF the actuary. 1t says:
SIT must be regarded we think, as fact
beyond dispute that intemperance is one OF
the most prominent evils from which this
country suffers. 1t Is a crying evil. in its
individual as we'll as its collective sense. so.
cally as we'll as commercially land. whileno
doubt the last decade has witnessed consiG-
erable improvement in this respect amongst
the population at large, and perhaps amongst
the middle classes In particular, still the
veriest optimist will hardly deny that much
remains to be accomplished. Every influence
which tends to help forward the, progress CT
80 desirable reformation is therefore to be
welcomed. The moralist may impress his
generation with the Nervousness OF intem-
perance as an offense against the happiness
Of families. The social reiormer may show
and he will hardly experience much diff
Guilty in doing so-that this vice, beyond all
other causes. fills our jails and find occupa-
ton for the hangman. The economist may
prove to demonstration that expenditure on
intoxicants Is mere waste, tending to bank
ruptcy and ruin. and that If applied in more
rational directions it would lead to comfort
If not opulence. These, 1t must be cons
fessed, are potent II not 1nanswerable argl.
ments. wich ought to carry conviction TO all
who are not past praying for. Still. nothing
is 10 the average man so precious as the
sometimes questionable boon Of life itself.
and. IL he can once be convinced that, as the
inevitable result Of habitual excess his
tenure of the existence which he prizes will
be considerably curtailed, the argument viii!
appeal to bis selhshness with IN effect which
more gen srous considerations will probably
fail to produce"
The Observer calls attention to m inter.
esting valuation report issued by the Sceptre
Life Association. prepared by the able, we'll.
known actuary, 81. w. Manly. Esq, and i:
quotes Mr.. Manly as saying in reference TO
this report:
"In order to determine how much OF this
diyisible surplus should be allowed to each
section. I have, as on the previous occasion,
made comparison between the actual
claims in both sections during tie quin-
quennium with the claims thar might have
been expected according to the Institute OF
Actuaries' HIM Table. The results, which
are here thrown into tabular form, are very
interesting, confirming, as they undoubtedly
do, the superiority OF the lives in the
temperance section from an insurance point
of view. Part OF the difference on the pres
ent occasion may arise from the temperance
section containing q larger proportion Of
new entrants who have recently passed
under medical examination, and for that
reason they mnst, as whole, be considered
n more select class at the time Of obserya-
ton; but, making due allowance for that
fact, there is still large margin in favor Of
the temperance lives"
The Observer then adds
"No functionary is less likely to be swayed
by imagination or sentiment than the
pctuary, the man Of figures and We cannot
but regard the testimony presented in this
report to the superiority OF temperance lives
as Of signal value. Nor is it merely tho ex-
preston Of 'pious opinion on the part OF
Mr. Manly but the facts ana figures are so
irresistible that he feels compelled to give
practical effect to them In the shape OF re-
versionary bonus of B0s. per cent. 10 particl-
pating assurants in the temperance section,
while those In the general section receive no
more than 25s. per cent. We shall hardly
be suspected Of fanaticisIn on the subject !
but the question as thus authoritatively
illustrated appears to US OF such Importance
rs to claim the attentive and anxious con-
sideration of all who are interested in the
business of life assurance"
The advocate Of total abstinence can
hardly have more significant and effective
confirmation of its wisdom as pertaining TO
longevity than Is thus furnished by the
painstaking, unanswerable economic records
Of life neutrality-suspicious. Temperance Ad-
vocate.