New-York tribune., 1907-08-11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FOR LIFE INSURANCE SAFETY.
Correspondent Urges No Change for Standard
Form of Policy.
! fbe Edito- OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Having noticed the public announcement
1hat Superintendent kelsey OF the State Insurance
Department is give hearing on the applications
If various life insurance companies In this state
for authority 10 use other than the standard forms
of policies. il me that there ought 10 be .
general public protest against abandoning the stand
rsken against the deception ard fraud Niilch nave
been perperrated the public by cunning ana
constituencies who have found employment IN
selling life Insurance
EvervUhere there are men 10 be found who are
successful in business and quick to see the good
and the had in a general business proposition pre-
sented them who have purchased life insurance
policies which have not proved TO be what iheE
expected Were represented &c be
Because OF the kind Of reports which have been
required from life insurance companies ana the
hundreds OF differently worded policies issued un-
Scrupuious have been able TO make almost any
kind OF a statement a prospective purchaser OF
life insurance. and back IL up with figures and
explanations which would have the appearance OF
being justified by the reports given out Tor the
public information il has been fully demonstrated
1hat in the matter OF life insurance men can be
easily fooled with cunning representations Nthal
they viii get advantage ever the other Fellow
81 they viii purchase the particularly Woroed policy
recommended Experience shows that men are too
often caught with representation that tney had
the reputation Of knowing q good thing when they
saw = and for that had been selected as
rhe best person whom offer special privilege
Because Of the large number Of differently word
ed policies which companies are allowed 10 issue
there four questions which man VINO ls CON
sidering the purchase Of life insurance viii do Wen
10 ask himself. follows:
Do Won think would be equitable. or lawful for
Z life insurance company 10 treat one class OF It's
rolicyhoIders better than 81 does another class
Would you insure in a company which DID dls-
crT1rinate in favor Of any class Of It's poLcyhcldefs
in the matter OF premiums. dividends or anything
else2
Do yo1 think q mutual company has power 10
make discriminating contracts with a pohcEhoder
er z class Of policy holders which viii bind all the
other Jess favored polieyhOlders or the assets OF
The company
Do you suppose any trust stHorthy ilfe Insurance.
company could. ought afford to or VIII siNe
you any insurance YOU do not pay for
The State NJ New York has had an experience
end has egslated 10 abuses in the life IN
et,-srce business From this time forward the
E1rar.re State should maintain the most Honora0le
position II has taken and down any sch ne 10 de-
seive The public. The state should not be a party
10 any stra1agem which viii make = easter 10
luInbug the public than il fow S. even though II
nav lie shown that there those %ho ike % pe
huubusged-
The standard policies contain everything that -
legitimate ard desirable in lfs Insurance policy
Using oulv these policies is a great Grange ron
5o-ue- ethods. but the time '1es come when 1le
Efe Insurance companies should al fe completed
70 give the public square deal fne stlndaFd
policies and other SIDNEY y ho" ELL
Aug