Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-03-13
Living Figures in the Annual state
msnt Of the Metropolitan Life

msnt Of the Metropolitan Lire
The yearly compilation Of statistics
publisbed by the Metropolitan Life In
nrapee Company is never dry reading
! , summary Of that company's business
for the wear 1905, just issued, tabulates
astounding figures in the concise man-
nor approved by accountants, and fol-
Irving the custom Of former years, sup
piements them with a clear and lucid
snalysis for the benefit Of the people
who are not accountants.
Few persons are sufficiently familiar
ueat financial operations to grasp inn
mediately the full significance Of al
balance sheet in wlrich totals and grand
totals are expressed in hundreds Of
millions, but the purpose Of Life In
surauce statement is doubtless to in.
form and enlighten its multitude Of
policy holders, and this purpose the
| Metropolitan management accomplishes
with signal success Following closely
upon a period Of agitation in the life
insurance field such statement is
timely and specially interesting.
After placing before as a compre.
hensive statement Of the compaug-'s
general condition, and presenting a
series Of comparative items the Metro
politan reminds us again that the mum.
ber Of It's policy holders (now increased
90 moro than eight and a half million)
equals the combinod population Of our
eights largest cities In other words.
10 The compaBy's policies now in force
were all placed in New York, Chicago,
Philadelphia, Boston. st. Louis, Clcve.
land. Cincinnati and Milwaukee. ovcry
man, woman and child In these com.
munities would possess one.
Men now living remember when the
whole United States could hardly have
supplied ~ vast a number Of insurable
persons Even at this day there are
twenty -four states and territories whose
combined population does not equal the
number Of people carrying Insurance
iH ihis one great company.
Wo are informed that ninc,ccn thou.
sand persons were In tho company =
service az tho end Of 1905. II one adult
hrcadwiuucr rcprosonts hvo Individuals
Boz tho total population. We must con.
cludo that nearly a hundred thousand
persons draw subsistence from this In.
siiluton-noi In Insurance benefits. bot
ia direct payment for service 20 tho
company
This army Of nineteen thousand ON.
ployscs evidenily includes no dronea
During tho year just closed Il handled |
a daily average Of one AMI a half mil. /
lion dollars In business alone. The
company issued on the average nearly
seven Thousand now policies every bus
mess day during the same twelve
months
A single item which illustrates graph,
ically the real meaning AMI purpose
OF al this tremendous business Il that
relating 90 insurance claims paid dur.
Ing tho year, These amounted 10 more
than ti5.oo0oo0. This means that
some one received from ihe Metropol.
itan Life ln benefits one hundred and
'iK dollars every minute of every bus
mess day of eight hours throughout the
year
Agaia. tho uncertainty of lie anl |
health, and the universal need of Iifst,
Insurance are most impressivsly EN-,
nhaslscd in the statement that l5lts h
policies paid within the year 1908 had
ooen In force lcs than twelve months
from tho time they were issued.
Tho Metropolitan Life began the year
1906 with assets OF more than one
hundred and hfiy million dollars. show.
Ink au Increase Of more than twenty.
.hfee million dollars over the preceding
Twelve months, This evidence OF ample
'nd increasing strength Is a most sat
sfaetory thing Tor policy holders 10
contemplate. and il is further cause
'oF satisfaction that the largest year =
business In the eompany's history Was
ransaoto'i AZ lower rate OF expense
han has ever beea reached 10 proyious
-ears
Tho company directs particular al.
ention 10 the fact that il does not
ssue roniine, or "defsrred dividendp
'olleies, noT any form Of contract which
aiis 20 specify 10 exact terms What
he insured is 90 pay 10 premiums aud
'hA' he rs % receive In benefits. That
d. simPliciiy Of its eoutraet agree
aent Is popular feature will not be
.uestioned IN the light of facts above
.otei.