New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-31
IMMENSE BUSINESS DONE.
JOHN A. MCALL TALKS OF AMERICAN
LIFE INSURANCE.
TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF POLICIES WRIT
TEN IN 1s99-THE NEW YEAR PROMISES
REMARKABLE RESULTS.

President John A. Mccall. OF the New-York
Life Insurance Company was yesterday re-
quested by reporter OF The Tribune to say
something about life insurance during the last
year and the year to come. Although burdened
with a great volume OF work incident to the
closing up Of a busy year, Mr.. Mccall furnished
the following signed statement:
The reports OF American life insurance companies
when completed and filed will probably show tha'
1899 was a remarkably successful year. Inc com
pany whose business not larger thah III 1870
and whose outstanding business Is not ~
larger than ever before In its history VIII DC NV,
exception The interest OF the general puoio III
life insurance was never 80 widespread ana
ooa understanding NJ lust what good life insurance
mean. "a more prevalent to-day than ever before
American lie companies have probably deNeleu
mara than ak hundred thousand policies during 'ne
pas wear This directly affects the ih'e'e''' INV
future OF not less than 100000 people -
During the year some Important e'e"'' 10
transpIred For the frst time In the his'oiy u :"
ternat,onal affairs a Governmental Commission WIS
49,, 49, I-n,,ea states upon a purely commercial
matter Our life companies. whose energy anu ~"
btIon have carried American HE ihs"'"n'
cry quarter OF the habitable glooe so' III" 49,
complications with the Prussian Government ,ao
or five years ago and In the early part u l1.'
Cor,n,se,o,ers representing the Government WIS.,
w
panies including two OF the so-cslleo s'ans 49,
ma MOS This was an event which Is note"o' my
not merely because It Is unpreceoeh'eu' 0
cause IL indicates long advance III 'ie ~ n
ent struggle against that pre1uolce VI WIN"
nations are more or less guilty. ,
II we may Judge by results the Prusslah W."
mssoners did not find the American life offices the
49,. ., ,r,ouitv thar critics had said they were,
ord IN the other hand the American oHlceS lo"
that the Prussian Commissioners were lh'eHee"
able earnest and fearless. ana "ith"' ,,,
after truth II has been the claim OF Aii.' '. "
offices for some years that In extending 'hei' Jus
roes all over the world they were laboring IN the
interests OF peace well as or prac'ical 'e"','
cence Managers Of our companies have ireaue"t.y
ootled attention TO the effect which must IoI'o"
In due course from putting together upon coHiio"
nIane and Joining together by common in'eieS1' Wv
Frenchman the Italian, the Russian the VI. ''
49, r,nal,ebman the Spanlard and the Jew. Ameri-
can life insurance has been doing exactly t'iis' mas
been teaching the people OF the world mat '"eS
$50 ,r,areets in common and that they are not
,,oassoruv enemies This has been going on Win
,rcroasIng success but not without COMMIT
Wherever American life Insurance mas gone III lo'
egn fields It has had to grsppie Win na''o.'
nreiudce with the disposition 10 beIleNe III VI "
t,gr institution; but against 1t ali our companies
have made steady progress. have Wueheu Inv.
fields Of usefulness and have at last created Sucr
an innortcnt international interest that as stated
above the Prussian Government sent commlssoh
IN this country for the express purpose OF Be'''"N
better information II this means anything II
means in the coming year even greater SUCCESS III
the foreign field 1t also means greater success AZ
home. ~ -
Al things considered. the year 1890 promises 10 oe
remarkable in life insurance We are ptIohho Nil q
ion u,av vet from the time when every able poueu
man will Insure his life In the same way tnI
man now insures his property. Heyond ques,, ,
that time is coming ard the work done IN hS "a" =.
YEAR OF the century promises now waterway ~
hasten the day. ,,, ,.,,r,,,a ~ q
Whether We view American life insurance rs a
benedcent enterprise which has assumed h'tI "a. "a,
tionai prcportions and consider In that way .ne
millions of people II pro ects. or the Knd OF P b
lection which II offers, rising as II does aD9Ne '
limitations OF speech. OF race ana or relgloi' vi
whether we view It as financial enterprise anu
consider the colossal proportions which IL mas TOW now
oSour,ed and the still more enormous proportions
which by the operation OF natural laws. II mus '
assume in the future. we must be equalIy, III
PIesstu. i'9 '"' JOHN A MCALL