Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1903-09-03
TALK ON MORTALITY
Papers Read Before the Congress Of
Actuaries at New York.
TIE IMPROVEMENT IN LONGEVITY.
Not an increase IN the Vitality Of the
Strong. but . Dimination Of Mortality
Among the Weak-Convention Of
Latter Carrier.

NOS I'm InOkOA1o IN Umo vhtaAhV Oh smo
strong. but Dimination Of Mortality
Among the Convention Of
Letter Carriers.
New York, Sept. LAT the morning
session Of the congress Of actuaries
President Lepreux made his address
and q discussion on Q paper ON the
Improvement in Longevity" took
place until the noon adjournment
The afternoon session began with Q
discussion Of three papers on the gen.
eral subject Of war mortality, the first
by Frederick Schooling, honorary sec
retary Of the Institute Of Actuaries,
London, on "War Risks with Special
Reference to the War In South Africa,
1S99-19O2;" the second by Kotaro
Schida, delegate Of the imperial Jap
anese government, Toxic. on "The
Risk Rate of the Late Chino-Japanese
War;" and the third by Robert g.
Ham, assistant actuary Of the Equita-
BILE Life Assurance society, on War
Mortality in the United States" The
afternoon programme also included
discussion OF papers on mortality In
India and other tropical countries, In
Japan and among other non-Caucasian
races. The subject Of the morning
discussion, Improvement in Longev-
! ity," was again taken up. Mr' Charl-
ton u. Lewis said that there were three
/ general reasons for the improvement
in longevity-the better care that chill
dren receive In the present day; the
vast improvement in handling epidem-
les, especially progressive, In the last
few years, and the vast improvement
in medical and surgical science. I'VE
find," he said, that the mortality IN
particular diseases has decreased very
greatly In the last 40 years. These In
fiuences are all alike in this respect,
that all represent not an increase In
the vitality of the strong, but q dimin-
ution Of mortality among the weak.
The number Of weaklings to-day Ii.
therefore, greater and the result 10 .
degradation Of the mass In the aver
age"
FL. Hoffman, Of Newark. university
lecturer on actuarial subjects, said In
part: when we are told by secre-
tary Of war that the mortality in Cuba
is not more than that in the city OF
New York 1t does not require much
actuarial knowledge to cause one to
smile and to know that It is nonsense"
He also declared the statement that
the death rate of the city OF Havana
Ia no greater than that Of Washington
to be untrue. For some time to come
the death rate Of Havana will be from
so to 100 per cent. greater than any
northern city.
The papers on mortality among non
Caucasian races were taken up for dis
cussion.
James Chatham, delegate Of the
faculty Of actuaries, Edinburg, spoke
briefly on the general topic, and Miles
M Dawson, of New York, and George
King, of London, discussed Mr.. Hunt
er's paper on the subject.
A paper by Mr.. Eggenberge on Min
ers' Experience" was the last topic OF
discussion during the afternoon. The
congress then adjourned until this
morning.
Convention Of Letter Carriers.
Syracuse, N. Y, Sept. 1.-The four
teenth annual convention Of the Ma
tional Association of Letter Carriers
opened here Monday with nearly 1000
delegates in attendance. Reports Of
officers and committees were received
showing the organization to be In q
prosperous condition. The convention
met in the afternoon for q short ses-
sion. w. @. Edens, assistant super
intendent Of the free delivery division
Of the post once department, addressed
the convention. In the evening the
Alhambra convention hall was crowded
with 5000 people at the public reeep-
ton to the delegates. Congressman
James Sherman, Of Utica; Congress-
man Michael e. Driscoll, Of this city;
Mayor Kline and others spoke. Let
ter carriers bands from New York,