Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-11-13


| them personally and know that they
| don't steal. know that they are just
plain common American citizens, like
you and me; that they are mot snobs;
that they live plainly and have plain
homes and have no use for bob tailed
horses and live1,ied footmen. 1 know
that the men who know them best
have no more doubt of their upright
ness than you or 1 have of
the men who manage the banks
in Marshalltown and Grinnell. SO long
as these companies are managed by
men close to you, by men like you, and
the funds invested near you, just as
you or your local bank invests funds,
then you can trust them. When they
become huge and unwieldly and the
management passes into the hands of
men who live extravagantly and who
dent recognize you or who gamble in
stocks, then hunt for another place to
put Your money.
The other day friend OF mine who
has a policy in the Mutual Life, and
who is going to send his proxy to Tom
Lawson said to me, How do you
know that the Equitable of Iowa and
the Northwestern are not stealing your
dividends?" l was glad of the ques-
ton. 1t took me but a moment to
answer. Because for thirty years
these two companies have been paying
back to me every year in the way of
dividends all that my policies have
earned" and l went to my safe and
laid them down on the table and
showed him that these two companies
had insured me at cost. That Is to say
oil the loading" in my premiums, the
money paid by me not needed to carry
my risk, had every year, for thirty
years. been returned to me in the form
OF dividends.
II man deals with you honestly
for thirty years and settles with you
amicabiy and voluntarily, pays you
ever! dollar he owes you, isn't 1t pretty
conclusive he is giving you fair deal?
I say thirty years. My policies are not
at this writing before me. but I am
cutie sure my Northwestern policy is
thirty years old, and my Equitable pol
icy is nearly as old.
A representative Of an Iowa conn
pany showed me the other day very
ingenious diagram that he is getting
out, in colors, designed to illustrate
cussing, the extra sum over and above
all contingencies, that all American
companies take from the insured. It
was a very instructive chart, and
| nightly complimentary to the man
agement of this company, and wish
could reproduce 1t here. Never the
less, laughingly told him that was
still OF the opinion that all insurance
rates were unnecessarily high, and
that he had better get ready for a re-
duction. He replied that he would
not oppose a reduction; that he be
| lieved the present lase fine hes. ra
frankly admitted that the present rate
was robbery when managed as the
New York Life & Mutual have been
managed.
| I have referred to Iowa companies,
but they are, Of course, good conn
panies outside of Iowa. 1t has been
intimated to me, however, that GER
tain Iowa companies have been and
are now writing deferred dividend
! policies. II you find that they are
don't give them a. dollar of your
money. You can gamble without doing
1t in this way. do know some things
about how things are done In Des
Moines by agents of several Iowa
companies and by agents of foreign
companies, and in my next article I
am going to tell what know and i
am going to suggest what you ought
! to urge your member of the legisla-
| ture to do this winter