Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-17
RETIRED ofFIcERs' PLEA
They Think One life Insurance Company is
Working Them Hardship
A Free Talk by One of Those At
fected-A General Liberal
Policy Shown.

tne mutual Lie insurance Company OF New
York are complaining about the recent
action of that company in increasing its
rates on naval officers, indiscriminately,
during the progress Of the present war with
Spain. 1t is represented that it is unjust to
officers on the retired list and officers on
the active list assigned to shors duty to
charge them the same insurance rates as
officers attached to naval vessels actually
engaged in operations against the enemy.
The claim is made that retired officers and
officers on shore duty are actually in no
greater danger in consequence of the war
than are citizens in the private walks of
life, and are equitably no more subject to
war risks.
policy in the Mutual Insurance Company. is
very indignant over it's action. He talked
freely on the subject to a Star reporter to-
day:
This same company, If 1 mistake not F." he
said, "a short time ago offered the govern
ment very large sum of money on loan to
help carry on the war. Patriotism is al
ways to be commended, but when 1t can be
oHered advantageously, the party maj king
the offer not oniv gets praise, but some
times derives considerable benefit. Judging
from the company's notice, the naval officer
who is insured in it will have to pay round
ly for the privilege. and has little else to
gain. All officers appear to be included in
the companys notice, it is not stated
that any are exempt
Il do not understand why that Is so. 1t
| is not apparent to me that naval officers on
the active list On shore duty incur any
more danger curing time of war than the
civilians around them, nor that retired Of
tcers ordered to temporary duty on shore
are in any more danger than they were
while living at home. Ii case the war
should last a few years, the insurance COM
pany would receive more from the regular
| and extra premiums than the insured would
from his entire policy when pail. What be-
comes OF all the money paid INTO these COM
panies? Is it divided among the insured at
any time? Why should naval officer be
obliged to pay for danger incurred by COM
batants when he is safe on shore thous-
ands of miles from the seat of actual dan
ger? 1t looks to me if it were simply TO
allow the companies to make d big show,
pay large salaries and make yearly state
ments setting forth their fiourishin;s condi-
| ton. The regular premiums ar: certainly
large enough, while the dividends declared
to the insured are correspoHdingly small.
So far my experience goes, the company
seems to be the only gamer IN the trans
action. An officer insuring his life for So
$50 or $4,000 for the benefit of his family,
finds it difficult enough to pay the reSular
premiums, but when an extra war risk is
put on without any show of reason, the
family of that officer must suffer The ma
jorIty of life insurance companies ac- I'LL
ferently in this matter, and impose no extra
war risk on naval officers, regardless Of
| their conditions of exposure
Inc action OF the Mttudl Lille
Company of New York complained of is
embodied in a notice to the naval officers
insured in that company, saying:
I'm accordance with the provisions of the
perm ission already granted to ---, IN
| sured under policy mum bered ---, issued
by this company,"to serve as an officer of
the United States navy, the annual extra
premium charged by the company in time
of war is hereby declared to be such per
centage of the amount insured under said
policy. not exceeding ten per cent 81,
as shall be found 10 accord with the COM
pany's mortuary experience as conse-
quence of such hostilities. the same to be
ascertained after their close, and then to
be adjusted by the company.
The amount eff such extra premium. with
interest at the rate of four per cent per
/, annum, will be IL aien upon said policy, to
be deducted from its dividends or from its
cash value If surrendered, or from its
| amount at maturity or from the amount of
any paid-up policy issued in lieu thereof;
or it may at any time be paid in cash by
the policy holder.
Should said policy become claim during
the continuance of hostiitieS the extra
premium, as herein provided, will be de-
Quoted from its amount and will be subject
to final adjustment, under mortuary allot-
mcnt after the corrected charge for extra
premium shall have been fixed by the COM
pany
This agreement will not keep the above
policy in force unless the regular premiums
are duly paid and the other covenants are
observed"
Liberal Policy by other Companies.
From an inquiry made by Star reporter
| among the representatives of life insurance
companies in this city, it is found that
liberal policy is, a rule, followed in the
treatment of policy holders who are en-
gagged in the war Generally speaking the
companies have assumed what are known
as risks and have waived the clause
in the policies prohibiting policy holders
from engaging in the military service. In
| the case of army and navy officers permits
are, as a rule, issued by the companies
without extra charge. In some cases it is
understood that a policy is subject to a
lien, which is deducted from the amount
due when death occurs. The above applies
| to those holding policies at the outbreak of
the war; but in case of the issue of new
policies such regulations are made as to the
extra risk supposed to be incurred by service
in a war as each company determines. For
regular army and navy officers an extra
charge Is made even when in the service
outside of this country, but for all others
in the army and navy who go to Cuba, for
example, an extra charge is made by sew
eral companies. In the event their duty
does not call them outside of the country,
no charge is made in the cost of insurance
When war risks are taken into account
some companies provide for a deduction Of
10 per cent in the amount of the policy in
the event of DEATH But in the case of the
New York company of which complaint Is
made an extra premium is charged.