Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-10-06

ference was to impress on the colonies
the fitness of contributing more gener-
ously toward naval and military e1-
penses. Canada has continually re
fused to consider any plan by which 1t
should contribute proportionally with
the mother country and the other col
onies unless it were guaranteed sim
liar measure of control. An inter
change of views along this line has
finally led to proposals which Great
Britain has accepted, and on Septem-
Der 1st Canada assumed the military
and financial burden of maintaining
the most important two British strong
holds on this continent-Halifax on
the Atlantic coast and Esquimalt on
the Pacific It is the purpose Of the
Canadian government eventually to
garrison these fortresses with its own
militia; but for a brief period, at least,
the British garrison will be retained,
as they have received permission to
accept service under the Dominion
government if they desire. Sir Freder-
lex Borden, the Canadian minister of
militia, outlined an ambitious plan of
defense for Canada, which includes not
merely the maintenance of Esquimalt
and Halifax, but the building Of
chain of strong forts along the south
ern boundary, and the manning OF
them with Canadian militia. No doubt
such a program appeals to the ambi-
=; of
but whether it will appeal to the good
sense of those who will pay the bills,
and who know the friendly sentiment
of the only people against whom such
a line Of forts would be of service, is.
another question, and one upon which
it would be impertinent for an Ameri
can to express an opinion.
Colonel Jacob L. Greene, of Hart
ford, Conn, who died a short time
ago, left an estate which now proves
to amount to little more than $4,000.
For twenty-seven years Colonel
Greene had been president Of one Of
the large insurance companies of the
country. His salary, it is understood,
had for many years been $4,000 a
year. He spent most of it, was con-
tent with it, and died hOnored and re-
spected. One can imagine how the
Hydes and AleXanders would have
sneered at his failure to use his "op-
portunities" had he died before the ex-
posures Of the last year had driven
them into shamed concealment. Col
onel Greene, it would appear, had no
disposition to get safety deposit leases
from the company for his private
benefit. Apparently he never manipu
lated stock issues of subsidiary trust
companies, nor got syndicate rake
OFFS on bond purchases. He seems to
have worked for his pay like any hon
est man. The result, as far as his
company is concerned, appears on the
surface Of the reports as to it's condi-
ton. In one of the tables recently pre-
pared in connection with a study of
American life insurance companies it
was shown that this particular COM
pany had repaid to its policy holders
or accumulated in reserve for them
benefits amounting to 1878 per cent
for every dollar they had paid in, as
against an average for twenty-five
leading companies of only 106.O2 per
cent. 1t is true the company IS not
known as especially liberal to its poll
cy holders, but it is better than that.
1t lives up scrupulously both to the
letter and the spirit Of the contract it
makes with them. Unfortunately no
legislation can make it certain that
men of Colonel Greene's type will be
placed at the head Of all insurance
companies. But laws and law enforce
ment can at least check early in their
careers all men Of the opposite type.
Toward such law and law enforce
ment much progress is necessary.