Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-02
Publicity and Life Insurance
rBy d. w. Norris. of Grinnell.l


cy has an actual. increasing value. Ii
you can not keep it up, you are pro-
tected in what you have put In. Ii you
will pay up your policy rs you ought
to, while you are young and vigorous,
in ten or twenty payments, 1t then be-
comes your most valuable asset. Now
what does fraternal insurance give
you, aside from the fact that nearly
all of them are on false basis and
must fail to meet their obligations In
say twenty or twenty-five years. do
not say this Is true Of all. for there are
several that regulate their premiums
on an intelligent basls-you get each
year only what you pay for. 1t Is just
like living from hand to mouth, 1t Is
In no sense providing for the future.
Ii the company reaches non paying
basis 1t quits. You have been pro-
tected to that point and no longer. II
you get sick. lose u leg or arm. become
in anyway incapacitated to work. you
can no longer pay. Then. what about
the wife and children at your death?
When you stop paying assessments.
insurance stops, and while admit 1t
has done great deal OF good l have
never looked upon the scheme with
favor. Ny conclusion then Is once for
all. Write old-line insurance on the
ten or twenty payment plan, but take
endowment if you want to and IL you
can afford It,
The great harm that the present
crusade is doing to legitimate life In
surance Is this: All companies have
fixed expenses which must be paid.
Rents and taxes must be met. and sal
aries and expenses OF men in the field,
etc. This can only be reduced to a
low average with new business. Let
the new business stop and these ex-
penses must cut down dividends and II
continued long enough, must eat into
the permanent funds. Certain life In
surance men that know and trust
tell me that they have been handi-
capped for several years by the en-
ormous commissions paid by the east
ern companies. often amounting to
the entire first premium paid. Anyone
who knows anything about life insur-
ance knows that this Is ruinous.
Recently man by the name OF
Dwiggins in Des Moines, state agent
for the Equitable of New York. was
compelled to sever his connection with
this company because OF its rottenness
disclosed and the resulting loss of bus
mess, and he made O contract with
the Central Life Of Des Moines Since
the reorganization OF the Equitable
Dwiggins has quit the Central Life
and has gone back to his first love.
Reason? Why, he says the Equitable.
the company which has voluntarily re-
duced expenses 100000 q year, and
ought to be compelled by law to take
| 81, 600, 900 a year more of Of Its sal
aries. offered him a more favorable
| contract There you have 1t. McCur-
dy says this Is right. He says that life
insurance is such blessing, that II
ought to be widely diffused and thinks
it proper and right that the men In.
sured should be compelled to pay thu
expense of getting new insurance, MOI
that 1t will benefit them any, but II
order to bring the benefits Of life In
surance home to as many as possible
wonder IL 1t is possible for suct
men to see themselves as others SCI
them / wonder II 1t is possible the.
know the universal contempt of hat
and anger that Is abroad. The othe
day In a social club l picked up tn
evening paper and read aloud abou
John A. McCall's poverty. Somebod'
at st. Louis had told Of $4,000
mortgage on McCalfs home. OF cours
this poverty story is a lie. made GU
Of whole cloth in order to evoke sym
pathy. 1 asked those present whethe
they felt any sorrow for Mccall IN M
poverty and ventured the assertion
ironically that personally l would tax
pleasure in seeing such a man In tn
poor house or wearing stripes.
found instant and hearty approval an
an Irish friend more emotional thai
the rest remarked, II wish he was II
he'll With his back broke" Rattle
picturesque and inelegant but 1t prett,
we'll voices the feeling OF the people.