The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-12
UNDER WRITERS HEAR ]. ". KEYES Discusses The Life Insurance Agent and His Future,' Ably Defending That Field .
 of Insurance. AT THE UNION LEAGUE
 .s------------------ Says Prominence Given Us Demands That Public Be Made Acquaint-
 cd With the Place We
 Occupy"
AT THE UNION LEAGUE

, Connecticut met in the Union league
 yesterday afternoon, this being the reg.
 ular monthly session,
 After a business discussion, John w
 Reyes of Hartford read an interesting
 paper on "The Life Insurance Agcn
 and His Future"
 Those present were R. M. NorthruI
 of Hartford; william Holman, Bridge
 port; M Stein, Bridgeport; S. P
 Thrasher, Hartford r. w. Rogers
 Hartford; S, V Conln Hartford; D, G
 Holbrook, Hartford; J w. Reyes
 Hartford; q. w. Greene, Waterbury;
 H. H, Anderson Mystic; J. w. Moore
 Bridgeport and G. Y. McDermott, G
 l., Peck, L, c, slayton, j. P, Campbell,
 F. W Hodge, C. F. Nettleton and John
 Adams of New Haven.
 The Underwriters association was formed about 1890 and it's object is 10
 foster good feeling, bring the members in close touch with each other and to
 promote their interests by means of
 discussions on important matters. The
 Connecticut association which is a
 branch of the national assoc ton has
 about 55 members and its officers are:
 President, Frank w Hodge of New
 Haven; vice president, William Holman
 of Bridgeport and secretary and treas
 urer, R. M. Northrop of Hartford, D.
 c. Hobrook of Hartford Is chairman
 of the executive committee.
 The paper read by Mir Reyes yester-
 day was as follows;
 The topic selected by your commit tee for discussion at this meeting Is timely, The unusual prominence given the work of the life insurance agent during the past three years demands that the public be made acquainted with the place we occupy, and the need l of our service. in this. the most far | reaching In economic importance of
 financial institutions When so thought full public citizen as United States \ Circuit Justice Francis e Lowell gives to the woyld, as he did in the Atlantic Monthly the following dctum: "ln or- der to put life Insurance upon a proper 1 economic basis the elimination of the insurance agent is the great reform needed it Is our duty to answer and 1 in no uncertain tones,
 "rhc first q vision of the topl' calls for a definition What is the life lnsur- ance agent? There Is no trusm more ! evident than that man is what he does hy their fruits yc shall know | them is the old maxim Our answer is that in the time of direct need that comes to man when the helpless family is left not alone to mourn the loved one taken suddenly from them, but to face the world with no means of sus- tenance. the life insurance agent steps in and with his generous check brings to the hcreaved family both the means of living and the loving testimony of { the urceaslng care and provision of the dear one who has gone Thousands and thousands of men who have saved nothing beside are living comfortably upon the proceeds Of cash values of life policies or maured endowmcuts that the life insurance agent induced them to secure during the years of plenty our schools and colleges are filled with the hosts of students whose living and tuition fees are paid from the funds provided by the work of the life insurance agent There is no nor, unselhsh act of mans life than 10 deny himself n generous part of his incou e that others may be comfort able after his death, this the life in surance agent induces him to perform and provides the means whereby he may put his generous emotions into practical effect Thrift is one of the fundamental requisites of good cltizen- ship; this the life insurance agent teaches a man Mhen he induces hlm to begin saving with q life Insurance policy. Sef-denial Is an essential ol fine character making, the life insur- ance agent by his persistence, induces men to deny themselves temporary
 luxury for permanent comfort These instances of what the life insurance agent does could be multiplied but they are enough to make clearly evident his place in his profession
 But his need there is questioned. 1t Is said that he Is too expensive a part of the system. Most men grant the value of life insurance as an economic force but many do not understand the absolute need of the agent. I submit that more than 20 per cent. of the in. surance in force to-day is the result of the persistent efforts of the agents Statistics and experience have demon. strated that men do not insure their lives without being forced by trained experts to do so. And so long as the majority Of men will not act for the future good of themselves or their fam, llies without being shown the need, the life insurance agent will be q necessity. And what does the agent cost the com pany? The expense and mortality hg- ures of any of the leading companies prove his economic value. Upon tho basis of present commissions the cost of Insurance Is less because of the agent than 1t would be without him.
 And now word for the personal side of the agents work know of no nobler calling The life insurance agent can employ all the talents and education he possesses, because his field Is the human mind. There are no men as a class doing more for the ultl- mate good of the present and future |. generations than the field men in life 1 insurance Aside from what they ac- | their work Is the nobler In | that 1t is performed without the degree | of respect and honor given to the other ! high professions, Say what you will, large portion of recompense for work . performed comes from the esteem in which the work is held, It lies with Us, by forgetting commissions, by sinking as dominant force, personal gain and . by securing for each client the form Of policy best suited to his ultimate need, to ennoble our work and thereby take and maintain position of recognized