The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-12

company will issue what will be known as
the special twenty-year childs endowment
policy"
A phase of the labor trouble that Is com
monty overlooked is the influence it has
the insurance business. Insurance men all
over the country. especially life men. are
complaining OF the serious setback given
their business by the unsettled conditions
tnat are a direct result Men OF money are
chary OF investing in life insurance when
the outcome of their other investments is
problernaucal. while men out of employ
ment are obviously poor prospects for the
industrial agent
D. E. Murphy, of Milwaukee, general
agent Of the Northwestern Mutual Life
for Wisconsin and the northern peninsular
OF Michigan, last week celebrated his twen-
ty-flrst anniversary general agent OF
the company. AS the results largely OF his
efforts during this period the company
mas insurance in force exceeding one-tenth
or the entire business of the company, and
more than one-half of the entire insurance
in force in Wisconsin i'm the thirty-four
companies competing for business in that
State.
A difficult loss toadjust will be that Of the
Northwestern Star on Company plant,
which exploded in Minneapolis on April
%. The explosion killed all the officers and
employees OF the plant, besides destroying
the books and obliterating every tangible
bit of evidence that could be used I'm reach
ing the amount of loss Proofs have been
filed by the widow of the president with
the companies, but il will be difficult TO
get at the amount Of property destroyed,
as there is nothing to work on or any one
left who knows anything about the busi-
ness.
An interesting piece of insurance news is
that after July / the national government
will carry its own insurance on the school
buildings. police stations workhouse,
Washington Asylum buildings and small
pox hospital all situated within the Dis
trict of Columbia and valued at about
100000. The insurance in force on these
buildings has been 100000. and during the
amounted TO $4,000 The reason for this
action is that Congress, upon being asked
for the necessary appropriation. was in
formed that during this period only 5000 i'm
losses had been paid, and. therefore. deter
mined to assume the risk Ii appears. how
ever, that the losses. instead of being only
1900, amounted TO $55,35, losing venture
for the companies.
There is a movement on foot TO estab-
lish an insurance exhibit at the forld's fair.
1t is being pushed by Carroll ID. Wright.
superintendent of the department OF social
economy Of the Louisiana Purchase expo
sition. The purpose is to assist in the
general education OF the public in insurance
matters. and is to pertain to all lines of in
surance-fire, life. accident. fidelity. etc-thc
material TO be included covers appropria-
ate monographs by insurance officials and
expert underwriters. statistics of every
sort, samples of policy forms. special
clauses, office forms, rate schedules, tables,
"A =
and other printed matter bearing upon the
subject OF insurance or any OF its phases.
The suggestion has also been made that a
series of lectures be given by prominent
insurance men.
Some startling comparisons were made In
a recent lecture at the Iowa State College
by Prof. II. s. Nollen. of that institution, in
respect to the magnitude of the life insur-
ance business of this country. He said in
part: 1.-The insurance in force, amounting
to seventeen thousand millions OF dollars,
is greater than the value OF all farm lands
and improvements in the United States; IL
is one and one-third times the total value
OF the manufactured products of all manu-
featuring industries shown by the last
census; IL Is three times the capital stock
OF the railway corporations OF this country,
and is equal to four-fifths of the total in
ternatlonal commerce or all nations ac-
cording to the latest published estimate.
Life insurance companies have. in assets,
over &. 80. 900. which is twice the total
capital stock OF all national, private and
state banks in this country. Ii is more than
two times the national debt. IL is four-fifths
of the total amount OF gold. silver and pa
per money in the United States; f0ur-fifths
Of the total wages paid by all manufacture
ing industries, according to the latest CEN
sus, and four-fifths of the total value of
exports and imports of the United States
for 1902. The income of the life insurance
companies Appropriated $500 600 900 in 1902
which Is more than the gross income Of the
United States Steel Corporation. as shown
by its last published statement. II is about
three-eighths OF the total gross railway
traffic earnings for last year, and about
ten-elevenths OF the total annual income Of
the national government Ii is about one
third Of the value Of the five leading cereals
produced in the United States last year.