Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-07-08
LIFE INSURANCE ON CATTLE
How Belgium is Protected Against Diseased
Meat Producers
OWNERS HAVE OPTION OF THE INDEMNITY
Government Insurance Takes Care of
Losse Due TO Animals Being
Condemned on Account
of Disease.

ANTWERP, June 8.-To the Editor OF
The Bee: on January l. 1893 the provin-
cial government of Antwerp created a sys-
TEN Of compulsory insurance Of cattle, the
two objects of which we're First, to In
demnify the raisers for loss of cattle;
second, to take sanitary measures against
disease amongst cattle. The creation OF
this system Of insurance supplied a long
felt want for at that time there were no
mutual insurance clubs among cattle rails
ers in this province and the national gov
ernment itself only granted an inadequate
indemnity of a maximum of rs francs Gl5)
in case of tuberculosis, which maximum
was increased to 125 francs G2) through
the efforts Of the provincial government,
and was extended in cases Of anthrax.
The effect OF compulsory insurance was
to enable the establishment of much lower
premiums, which were fixed at 40 centimes
Is cents) per 100 francs 600 of the de-
clared value, for genuine cattle ralsers;
IS centmes Ql cents)) per 100 francs $500
of the declared value for manufacturers,
cattle dealers and owners Of mich cows.
This premium covered the risk of death by
! pleuro-pneumonla, tuberculosis, accidents
| attending parturiton, madness, anthrax
and similar Diseases also for death result
4
these operations were performed under the
direction of the official veterinary service.
The indemnity fixed In the event OF meat
/ being unfit for consumption was two-thirds
| Of the market value Of the live animal,
| said market value not to exceed the
| amount insured; for risks where the meat
was At for consumption the indemnity was
| fixed at one-fourth of its market value
and the meat left in the hands of the
policy holder.
| Eject of the Law.
This system Of general insurance worked
during the years 1893, 1894 and 1895 as far
as cattle raisers were concerned and gave
| So factory results to this class Of policy
! hO.yrs. This, however, was not the case
! with owners of milch cows, and even less
so with cattle dealers, for whom the pre-
MUM of 55 confines III cents) per 100
| francs $500 was in no way proportionate to
| the risk incurred. The owners of milch
cows are in the habit Of overlooking their
| cattle which makes them more subject to
disease, while cattle dealers are constantly
changing their stock and thus continually
reincurring their risks.
The total amount insured under the COM
pulsory system was 24,OOO,OOO francs C4sOO,
OOO), representing about 5000 head of cat
tie, owned by 1900 cattle raisers. The
amount of the premiums paid was $500
francs Cs16,7OO).
The satisfactory results attained during
the three years of compulsory insurance,
| obtained for the institution the unanimous
| sympathies of the provincial government,
but at the same time an active company
was started among the cattle raisers in
favor of optional insurance. The super
iority Of the provincial insurance system
from an economical standpoint could not
be denied. but it's adversarles based them
selves on principal and demanded the sup
preston Of the compulsory element in the
Provincial Agricultural insurance.
Insurance Wow I'm Vogue.
The provincial government therefore
was obliged to yield, and in an extraordi-
nary assembly in the month of October
1895, the agricultural fund, as 1t is called
was reorganized on the optional basis, and
three distinct classes Of Insurance were
established. viz:
Glass A-Tuberculosis, anthrax and sim
liar diseases, accidents Of parturition pleu
ro-pneumonia and COW fever;
Class Blowers all the classes provided
for in Glass A, as well as all losses In
CURED by the meat being condemned.
Class C-Covers all the cases included II
Glasses A and B, and further, seventeen
|
merely At for consumption) while the ami
NAL may be suffering from one OF the fol
lowing diseases: Gastro-enteric, hatulen
distension OF the abdomen, chronic indi
gestion. Inflammation of the pericardium
bone disease, disease OF the spinal cords
acute and chronic Inflammation of>bronchia
} tubes or lungs, peritonitis, disease of tn,
lungs, Inflammation of the brain, infam
nation Of the digestive organs through
hematuris, hepatitis. taundce, tetannos
hydFoemie.
of optional insurance are as follows:
For cattle insured for a value OF from
100 francs 02ol to 200 francs (s4o)-Class A
60 confines az cents per 100 francs 900
Glass B. los francs (21 cents) per 10
francs (ssO); Glass C, LIS francs (Si cents
For cattle insured for value of iron
300 francs $3.50 to $50 francs CSS0)-C1ass A
csnmesO qS cents per pert 100 fTaRss @
500; Class 9. LIS francs (s5 cent9 pc
. 100 francs 800
For cattle insured for a value OF iron
, 500 francs 600 to 700 francs (S14O)-Clas
A. 1 franc GO cents) per 100 francs $50
! Glass b, Las francs 90 centsl per 100 franc
/ $50; Class c, 1.s5 francs go cents) per IL
Basis of Premiums.
The premiums have been made progressiv
for the reason that experience has show
that cattle Of high value are more sub
ject to certain diseases and that the pro
portionate premiums are not in keepin
with the indemnities that have to be paid
The above mentioned premiums hav
l been maintained up to the present tim
and have been SUFFICIENT to meet all annua
and normal demands, besides creating
r reserve fund for disastrous years. TIL
, premiums for the owners Of milch COWS
= however, were doubled in 1902.
The provincial insurance fund now work
4 to the general satisfaction of the cattl
c raisers; liabilities are settled with celerit
. every two weeks, and disputes betwee
the management of the fund and the polio
" holders are very rare. The classes Is an
= C, by reason Of the greater advantage
( contained therein, are, OF course, the mos
: popular.
The following table shows the workln
: Of the fund from 1886 TO 1896, inclusive
. Amount Paid in II
y - demnitle-