Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-20
Northwestern Mutual Life-Tnsu,.n
Company.

TO tho Trustees and Other Member. -
the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance
| Company.
| The Executive Committee, In presents.
| the fortieth annual report OF the COM
| pany, does so with the consciousness. The,
| the great and Dencncent business Of To-
| insurance, Of which this comlany ts.
become SO prominent n factor ep,o-.
upon the new year stronger in puoHc CO..
hdence ard with the record OF Qreatsv
usefulness than ever before in ts h..
tory. Throughout the severe fnanci,1
depression OF the past five years the busf'
ness OF life insurance has prOspered ara
shown q steady and healthy growth Tbs
test has been a severe one. but the insii.
tuition has stood It grandly. and has estab.
lished tho fact that Il Is safer and bet.
ter able TO Withstand adverse busines,
conditions than any other system Va,
devised. That no regular life insurance
company has failed during that period
or even shown a lack OF strength or q,
the elements OF perpetulty. demonstrates
that no other financial institution AZ.
fords so safe and satisfactory protectlo,
to family and estate. While the progr.s.
Of the great business as a whole bas
been so marked, we desire TO call espooi.l
attention to the contributions which tbis
company has made to the grand sum
total
Starting without capital or assets IN
1851, we are able TO report az the close
of 1897 assets amounting to Sl03 375.555g.
liabilities Of $S0Ss5, Os3.O7: accumulation
held 10 meet tontine policy contracts
$3.50, 49, general surplus. s6lS000s "a. and
Insurance In force, $il3 0Sl 80
Only three companies. one Of which il
younger than the Northwestern. exceed
this company in size. and their field a.
operations covers practically the entira
civilized world 1t must be remembered.
however, that the business OF this com.
pany is strictly United States busines,.
that a strictly United States business \,
most desirable for a United States com.
pany to have, and that the Northwest
ern's new business has for years been
largely in excess of that written By anv
other company working exclusively in tho
United States.
The fact that the company has more
business IN force I'm the State OF New
York than I'm any other. and that ths
States OF Massachusetts,. Connecticut
Pennsylvania, and others are such large
contributors to its prosperity, Is proof
that. while more than % per cent. OF
all the life insurance I'm force in Wlscon-
sin, its home State is IN the Northwest
ern, It's superior merits are recognized
throughout the entire field Of is opera
tions.
The following summary by ten-year
periods will be interesting:
Insurance Disburse-
in Force. Assets. Income. ments.
Jam /, 1865:
s ss,5s93ss 5 s,126197 s1,eos75 3 ss7sY
Jan l. 1878.
ei,fs,st7 s,17s,27 s7noH ssaal
Jan. l. 1888:
ii7,sl5.s23 2.Ss,as ss@ns 4m.7oo
Jan. ]. 1898:
lS,OS1,S7O 1O3,S75.53s 2oO2O1ss lO17go
The securities In which the funds Of the
company are invested are OF the sams
high order as to safety and earning power
rs has always characterized its invest
nents. The interest and rents earned
Turing the year amounted 20 sos. 6e3Os.
which Is equal to SAC per cent. on tho
otal gross assets at the beginning OF the
rear.
The ratio Of death losses for the year
o mean amount OF insurance was 0ss
'er cent, or $3.50 per 81 600.
The average Of all the companies re-
PORTING to Massachusetts, for 1886 was Ia
The result OF the work OF the YEAR
hows as follows:
Increase IN assets ...............sl07n 932n
Increase in liabilities ............ 1852 ig7O1
Increase IN income ............. 1.fA7T6T
Increase In insurance written. 1856 794m
Increase In insurance in force. 2sg8snO
NO old member Of a llfe-insurancs
ompany is benefited by large transac-
Ions unless the rate Of expense at which
ne new business is secured and the old
uslness cared for Is moderate. Ia thia
egard the work OF 1887 was eminentiy
Notwithstanding the fact
hat the operations OF the year wero
realty increased. The ratio Of expense
I management TO mean amount OF in
urance In force was OCT per cent. or
30 per 1900 OF insurance, as compared
18th O.6S per cent. for 1896 The average
all companies for 1896 was OgO per
emit, or 81 per $1,000 Of insurance. a
iving Of $3.50 for each thousand dollars
insurance on the books. taken IN con-
eotion with the favorable death-rate OF
le company, makes II apparent why the
eneflts enjoyed by policy-holders OF the
orthwestern compare 50 favorably with
lose of other companies.
The question OF economy in manage
ent is properly attracting more atten-
on than formerly. and becoming bet
II understood. Careful scrutiny is in
ted to this feature OF the work OF tho
'mpany.
The marked persistency Of the business
the northwestern Is largely attribu-
bic to the fact that It is written with
Il rebate OF premiums. the rule OF the
mpany in this regard being rigidly ad-
red TO. On October l. 1881. a rule was
It in force fOrbidding the acceptance OF
siness from any one not under con-
act with the company. II IS expected
at the limitation Of tho field work ex-
Isivey TO the agents OF this company,
II result In a still higher class OF risks.
ring 1887 premiums amounting 20 Nf-
,l53 were collected by the agents With
{ the loss Of so much az a single cent
the company. For the five years last
81 So 1886 has been so collected. tho
al amount charged 10 profit and loss
IN that source being for that period
sl.020S6. We believe this record 10
without parallel. This showing.
lpled with the amount and quality u
siness written. Is sufficient testimony
the efficiency and integrity OF our
ency force.
he total payments 10 policy-hoders
ce organization, added 10 the present
iets. amount 10 81. 24i 1924 more than
entire premium receipts. In other
rds. the interest earnings OF the COM
ny. in addition 20 payins all expenses
conducting the business, have made
At TO policy-holders OF over twenty
lions OF dollars.
or information IS 70 rates and plans,
an agency, apply 10
John Il CARY A. SON