The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-10-23
EASY TO GET INSURED.
Submarine Divers Now the Only
Class barred by Community.

There is saying current in life insur-
auce circles TO the effect that nothing but
an autopsy makes a man ineligible for
life insurance today. Only a few years
ago the list OF the iueiigibIes was long
one and "a host Of occupations shut men
Dut from Insurance while hereditary dis
ease or symptoms Of serious chronic all
m,ut were iusurmouutabie bars Now,
there is just one profession 10 whose fol-
lowers an insurance policy is inevitably
denied, even 10y the most liberal compa-
MES. The submarine divers must 90 UNI
insured. He enjoys the rather depressing
distinction of belonging TO the only pro
fessiou which Is considered too hazard
Gus for even the most elastic 'substand-
ard risk"
Before 1896 he had plenty of COMPANY
Now Gremeu. harbOr pilots policemen, en-
ginecurs. glassbIUwcrs. men in
the lfe-saving service, bartender
ali those who lead the strenuous
life and court an UutimeIy end,
are taken, hguratiyely speaking, 10 the
bosom Of the insurance companies. Natu-
rally. the terms OF their policies differ as
the predetermined danger of their occu-
patiOus varies. In several OF the larger
companies the electrical huemau Is con
sid,red the biggest risk for whom q poll
cy IS written, but II hg IS willing 70 agree
The scale upon which these terms are
adjusted differs in the various companies.
The company which was the first 20 adopt
the sub-SJaudaTd policy. and IS now the
most far-rCaghiug IN the carrying out OF
that policy. adjusts the extra risk pen
atty by means Of Zen on the puucy- me
man insured pays no larger premium IMAM
ne usUII under ordinary circumstanc-S,
but tie agreement into which he enters
provides that. IL ne dies within year.
D.. I'D o. ID q D..
the amount which represents the extra
risk in his case II he lives two years,
less is Suutractsd- When he has. SO 90
speak, oUtIiVed the amount Of the u,Hr
his disability Is wiped out and he has
his full policy AZ regular rates Other
companies arrange the matter by writ
ing the policy at the risk of a certain
considerable advance ln years
I'm the matter Of physical disability
things have changed as radically as ia the
matter of professional disability The
medical examination Is as severe AS ever.
and 10 obtain regular policy man
must pass this rN1WlIatUU. but "a PIN Si-
cal condition which five years ago would
have made II impossible for man 20
obtain Insurance now merely means that
D., must secure = Sub-Staudard policy. He
can get his insurance II he is willing 10
H.E l.uTI4l. for the extra risk the com
pauy s. taking. OF course. there is "A
llllt 10 this possibility. Men over sixty
years Of age are seldom insured unless
Conditions are exceptional and the thing
is considered -'gIlt-ruEcd risk" Men
lI The most advanced stages of chronic.
disease, whose lease Of life can b. der
nitcly determined 10 be- short are. of
course. barred from Insurance. But scri-
Gus chronic disease in its earlier stages
does not mean rejection.
The insurance COmuanieg studied static
ties IN regard 10 disease and ruort..,fty,
until they satisfied themselves that thrv
were turning away good money on an il
logical assumption They found that a
man may have weak lungs OF kidney
trouble or troublesome heart al TWENTY
NFe and die Of mumps or measles ar nine
" statistics FOR certain number Of
years showed that the number of deaths
among the rejected was not SO larpa ia
proportion as the number among the ac-
Cepted.
1T isn't the sick men who die -. said q
prominent official OF one Of the New York
Insurance companies 90 reu0rter
There never was anything truer than
the Ola saying that a creaking door is
long on Its hinges, The man who has
something wrong with him usually takes
better care Of himself than the man with
fine constitution does He isn't taking
chances. and unless his disease IS one
bound to progress rapidly he's likely To
I've forever We have 20 make out "A
special policy for him adjusted 10 the ,x-
ira risk We are running in his case brIt
10 would be sheer folly not 90 insure him
really can't understand why we were
blind so long.
Now you take the problem Of the
liquor men II has always Drru consider
cd that the wholesale liquor man was lit
tie affected 10y his business and was ueu-
ally a fair risk. The retail dealer was I'm
"a majority Of cases "A bad physical and
more hazard. and the bdrkeeper couldn't
De written m Jl. That was absurd We
have scale Of liquor business risks
Even t a liquor man passes medical ,X-
animation he may perhaps be refused a
regular policy. bUt according 10 the YER
dict Of that medical examination and his
personal character a sub-standard policy
may be written for him A fireman NAV
be considered bad risk vet the NOR
tally among hremen isn't pheuOmeualIv
high. a pilot takes big chauces but "a
large majority OF pilots die In their beds
a.rILarl Iu.I- III. L-....rL In. - - -