The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-08-27
THE AGENTS. MEETINGS.


agents of the National Life Insurance
Company, on their speciality, at the
meeting of their association in this
city last week, may not come under
the classification of popular litera-
ture;' they may not, in the estima-
ton of the general reader, supersede
the reigning favorite IN fiction; the
headlines telling of the issue of the
yacht race may catch the universal
eye quicker than dicussions of business
principles or the facts presented in
these meetings of the associated agents
of the National Life, but the solid
truths of the business of conducting a
life insurance institution on basis
that, beyond peradventure, shall in
sure it's solvency and permanency,
that shall make for wholesome growth
and abiding prosperity, that shall pre-
pare for the insured and extend to the
beneficiary Che largest measure of the
benign results of wise life insur-
ance, could hardly merit more general
attention or be more strongly or
thoughtfully presented, not only from
business point of view, but especial
ly in the scholarly character of the
presentation and the high quality of
its literary expression.
Examining these papers, and rein
forcing examination by contact with
Al. af hn nt
body, having regard, also, to the home
management corps, from its president
aggressive, initiative, incisive in
all his plans and policies, tireless as
the sun in action, in understanding
comprehensive as the globe which is
the symbol the National Life carries on
! its banners-down through the official
roster, one begins to understand how the
institution has been extending its
| business, and at the same time grow
ing in compactness and solidity, till
it has become National with big n,
and till its insurance and resources,
year by year, have mounted up among
the numerals that give the Company
| high rank even in these times when
business power and magnitude are
measured by tens and hundreds of mil
lions. The meeting here of the Agents
| Association has been illuminating. One
can understand how, after such an in
terchange of views and comparison OF
notes, each agent will depart to his
field newly armed and equipped fol
successful battle in the all pervadine
conflict with rivals, with metropolis
tan giants, and how the issue must be
a great increment of business, business
selected with inCI easing care, carrying
with it increased assurance of the Ma
tional's financial soundness, of growth
with growing strength and solidity.
The lessons formulated and laugh
in the recent meetings were not all O.
life insurance some of them were O.
general application, particularly tt
kinds of BUSINESS that are open tt
universal competition. In Treasure
Cutters paper ON COLLECTIONS ant
Their Relation to Results" the neces
sity for prompt collection OF premi
inns and their early Transmission t.
the home Office was enforced, not onl.
on good general business principles
but especially from the circumstanc
that the Company makes loan engage
ments in anticipation of premium
that will become due, or other re
sources that at an expected tim
should materialize in cash, and aim
to make such quick turns Of the mon
ey as shall leave the smallest margl
of time when it is not bearing inter
est. Illustrating the Importance Q
keeping the Oompany's funds "tick
ing.n Mr.. Cutler spoke Of the fac
that sin the mercantile business c
today may be noted innumerable dc
vices for the saving of minute and frac
tionsl wastes and losses that woui
once have been considered of little in
portance. Business conditions have
however, so changed "that even thes
savings, in the smallest fractions, rel
resent vast sums in the years tota
, and the necessity for making quicke
turns of collections and investments
one of these savings in life insul
ance. ;"
A person engaged in the manage
0 ment of any kind of business toda
will find, throughout these addresses
0 much valuable instruction, and man
n lessons, born of experience in bus
ness whose nature is a constant az
q monition to prudence and teacher
r wisdom, which may be conned and p'
o into practice with the greatest adyal
= tage to his interests.