Twice-a-week record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-13
SOUTHERN life INSURANCECO
Editorial From The Courier Journal
August Eighth, Nineteen Hun.
dred And Nine.

opment is word constantly increas-
ing in usage in our vocabulary.
Opportunities that were once per-
mitted to come and 60 unheeded are
now caught and nailed down. Ian
guid indifenee more frequently than
formerly gets jolt from aggressive
ness and the Southern business world
profits as a result Of the encounter.
A striking illustration of this
latter day tendency to curb suspicion
of enterprise and welcome Southern
progress came recently with the
announcement that plans are under
way for the organization of a great
life insurance company for the South,
with headquarters in Kentucky. 1t
is significant that the proposition
has been received by the many as
seriously as 1t was launched by the
few sincerely Twenty, ten. or even
FIVE years ago the announcement
would have met with scaut welcome.
To-day it seems to have been receiv-
ed with a cordiality not unmixed
with enthusiasm. Men recognize in
it an agency of benefit for both Ken
lucky ana the South and consequent
ly a personal TREND.
The moment the swadling clothes
were ripped off the Citizens National
Life Insurance Company-an organ
ization which Is to have $1,000, 900
of capital stock and $4,000. 900 of
surplus--people began to lift up
their heads and take notice. Since
then, it is declared. letters and
kilograms have poured in on the
promoters from every section of the
South-actually wishing Godspeed
to the enterprise. That the interest
has not been limited to merely YER
bose sentiment, is demonstrated by
the substantial financial support
proffered with every arrival of the
mail.
The man who is even more than a
casual student of current events is
impressed when iutrodced to the
magnitude of the life insurance bus
mess IN the United States. Out of
apparently bewlldering volumes of
statistics he can readily gain, how
ever, a conception, dazzling in i'm
pressiveness and particularly useful
in an understandable contemplation
of the real meaning of the territory
south Of the Mason and Dixon line
of the establishment therein of the
proposed Citizens National Life.
1t is we'll to bear in mind that the
East in particular has until most
recent years enjoyed what may almost
be described as a monopoly of the
life insurance business. While East
erners have drawn with tremendous
profit to themselves the money from
Southern policy holders, they must
also be credited with possessing
increasing faith in life insurance.
In 1878 the total amount in pol
icies reported to the New York Insur-
ance Department was So, 0S6, OFT, US
This fetal had increased at the end
of 1908 to $40, 623, 733,7S5. New
York City's life Insurance assets
aggregated in 1908 1875, 900, 900.
Hartford, Conn, has a population
of $4,000. 1t had life insurance
assets in 1908 of 5000, 900, 600.
Montpelier, VT, has a, population of
1000, and in 1908 had life insurance
assets of s44, 600, 800, or S., 42s
per capita. These figures, however,
do not convey their full sispi6eauc e
until oontrasted with Louisyille's
aggregate life insurance assets in
1899 Of about 100000 with a
population $50, 00O..
There is no end to the evidence
thM life insurance business is profit.
able for community. We are want
70 turn etsrnally to New York when
We study things financial. Che