The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-11-07
FOR TOTAL AssTAINeRs.
A Foreign Expert Urges Life lnsur'
anee Companies to Favor Them.

anoe Companies to Favor Them.
Efforts are now being made abroad
to organize total abstalners into what
is known as "super-standard" class
of life risks. The movement Is the
result of a careful Investigation into
the death losses Of life companies.
with the result that much valuable
data has been accumulated TO show
that persons who do not use alcoholic
beverages make altogether the best
class Of policy.holders Tor an insur.
ance company TO have. The subject
has been studied before by actuaries
in this country, and although authori-
ties are not IN agreement as to the ex-
act effect Of such indulgence, the feel.
ing is general that Il adds materially
to the ordinary life risk In cases
where pollcyholders have been at.
tackled with serious disease IT has
been found that the chances OF re.
covery decidedly favor those who do
not use stimulants Of any kind
One foreign expert cautions the com
panies against making any allowance
for even moderate drinking. This, he
says. may easily lead to excess. He
adds. "The outlook for a man who
should fall ill with pneumonia, typhoid
fever, dysentery ,nephrltis. heart dis
ease diabetes and affections Of the llv.
er Is bad enough under the best cir
cumstances. but II the patient Is an
Incorporate man his hope for recovery
Is reduced very materially, and the
figl.t for life is desperate II not hope
less Every physician who has had
much emergency hospital practice, or
even private practice, among the in
temperate. can assert to these state
ments. We know that men who follow
hazardous occupations are frequently
liable to injuries In case the party
injured is temperate his chances for
recovery from the injury and the sur.
gerry incident thereto are far In excess
of the man who uses intoxicants.
"Since Inheritance plays such
great role in life insurance, and many
a risk personally good is rejected on
account of bad ancestry, would II not
be also well to consider, not only the
physical features of q risk who has
drunken ancestors, but also the moral
features of such a risk in all its bear.
ings? Mainly intemperance Is usually
frequent among the vicious and those
of low habits. The children of heavy
drinkers are personally poorer risks
than those whose ancestors led TEN.
perate lives. We might multiply in.
stances to show the many correlatives
combinations In which intemperance
is a factor as a great hazard in life
insurance
Under present conditions we have
but two kinds of risks, the standard
and so-called sub.standard. The first
embraces all those who can pass sat.
isfactory examination and get an un.
modified policy at thc usual rate: the
second embraces all those who can
pass only partially successful examl.
nation and can obtain a policy with
some notifications and inserted con.
ditions. wish to make a plea for the
establishment OF another elias of risk
than the two already existing. and
which for want of another and better
name | will call the super-standard
class. This class shall embrace all
the good qualifications Of the standard
risk. namely, good family history. free
from taint of disease. bad habits. Ion.
gevity, personally good health, and in
addition to all this they must be tee
totalers. There are a sufficiently large
number of these who take life insur.
ance to Justify the creating Of such
class of super-standard risks. to whom
policies should be issued at reduced
rates. This is no more than Just to
them, as they should not be COMPEL.
ed TO pay for the shortcomings of that
large majority, who. aside from what
good traits thew possess from life
insurance standpoint, are most OF
them drinkers of intoxicants, who va.
ry all the way from worst lnebriates
up to the regular tippler and the so.
called thoroughbred sport"
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Deafness Cannot be Cured