The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-04-16
Colossal Figures in Lie lnSur-
What Do They Mean?

The pvUlshel statements Of banks,
trust companies ana Industrial CON
+ Germs command the attention Of pec-
sons Interested n then as Investors
or daposito2s the Annual -tatcmen;s
Of sroat Life Insurance companies
larc read by The mass Of the people
With an the interest that attaches to
.he more important news Of tho day.
/ IL cannot be otherwise gnea practical
/ " every family in every community
feels that its own fortunes are close
/ ly connected With and dependent up.
on the operations Of one or more Of
Ithese tremendous be2e1cent associa-
tions.
The Metropolitan Life pats forth q
statement Of It's business in 1905.
presenting an array Of figures that
shows imprassively the intimate rela-
tons between this Institution and the
whole people In one item alone an
amazing fact is stated, |. Is taat
giving tho number Of policies in force
on the last day Of the yo1r- more
than o0o00-showing that one per.
son in every ten Of the entire popu-
latinp of the United States is insured
IN this company
In other items the figures are TOO
large to convey any clear meaning
until they are divided and sub-diyidod
and made to apply 10 days and hours
instead OF years. For example this
great company has paid 70 and in
vested for its policy holders since
organization. over .0000O0-a
sum that will impress the average
reader merely as being vas; and very
vague. There is a quick comprehen-
sion, however. when We learn by a
little calculation that during 1903 the
amount thus distributed among poll
cy holders averaged $50 a minute
during every working day of the year.
Every day IN the year $50 Claims
we're paid; every day in the year
more than G000 now policies were
written. A. the end of every day in
he year tha company's assets We're
more chan $4,000 greater than ii tho
rora,ug. Its total assets at the end
If the year We're more than 100000.
200 It's total income for the ca2
rcar 1908 was over $4,000 600.
Going back twenty-years we have
ONE comparative figures that tell
tory Of almost increditable growth
The companys income for the year
$50 vas little over 100000; for
1893 a little over sl5,000,000; for 1895
lvcr Sl9,0o0OO0 its surplus since
$3.50 has increased from about $627
200 to over s10,000,000 When we come
the amount Of outstanding instr.
lnce at the end of the year we pass
Inc billion mark. The exact sum is
Sl342,3S1 ,457.00.
The Metropolitan Life received
from premiums and other sources
Turing 1895 over sG.500000 more than
IN 1902. Considering The relative cen.
lidons Of the financial markets il
hose two wears, this exhibit Is az
rst surprising. then illuminating Ia
1902 money was plentiful; public con
ldcnce In the manifold projects Of
promoters and inanoers had never
1aea stronger. ";imes were good
In 1908 these conditions zero rayera
sd Thousands Of hitherto prosper
iua wage earncra were ont Of employ
ncut: others wero forced to accept
reduced wages; the incomes Of the
vcllto-do shrank and dWindled; and
everywhere there was a decided ton
,ancy to retrench and TO Eithold
money from investment Ye. this was
" far the most prosperous year OF
the Metropolitan Life Insurance com
]gnys existence.
Nothing could show more plainly
yhat life insurance really stands for
the minds Of the people. It is
not regarded as a speculative Won
ure, BIZ. q more promise Of security
4 safe shelter when financial storm
clouds threaten general wreck
a concern like the metropolitan
Life Insurance company is. Of course,
d business organization. bu; IL is one
u which all Of ils policy holders arg
bona fdc partners. "a company of
he people. By he people ana for tie
people," one that has Known how toll
gain and how to justify the confidence
Of the whole community.
That is why no bank stakeholder
will read tic annual reports Of his
own prosperous bank with kcen2r
relish than people everywhere read
tbfs rama rlfahIo ctqtar4pnt of shg