The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-08
SCORES REBATER
AND THE TW|sTER
Both Dishonest, Declares President of
National Association of Life I'm
derwriters, In Session Here.

The address OF President John w.
Wilmington. OF the National Associa-
ton OF Life Underwriters, was the
predominating feature Of the Thurs
day morning session Of the associa-
ton. which Is holding its twenty-first
annual convention In the commodious
and artistic assembly hall Of the Ho-
tel Pontchartrain. He made a strong
plea for honest methods In the sale
OF life insurance. giving the plan or
rebating particular condemnation. He
said In part:
1T Is source of great encourage
ment TO note that our men are stead
lily improving, both In their general
knowledge OF the business, and sales
manship ability. The ability to which
refer Is not of that type unfortunate
ly prevalent few years ago, when
the slogan was Get the business, no
matter how but to that order Of abi-
ity, which, prompted by accurate In
formation and intelligence, backed up
by genuine honesty, brings results In
the shape OF good clean business.
To-day we have cooperation
among our members which Is a living.
vital thing; our members are loyal to
one another. adopting only clean
methods, and devoting to the inter
ests OF the business their best SER
vice and efforts. AS result the field
work is being placed on q plane
where Ii rightly belongs.
We need today, as never before,
now that the business as q whole has
~ A{tta o.
ment. and il on much higher plane
than in the past, now that the best
OF agency men everywhere occupy q
position far in advance OF any thought
of few years ago, we need, l say, to
educate TO proper methods. those who
still need education, to rebuke the Of
tenders against decent methods, and
point out the path which under new
conditions will not only be the path
OF honor, but OF greatest success.
For many years we have been
steadfastly fighting to stamp out re-
batting and twisting, two OF the great
est enemies of progress. How well
We have succeeded can not be an
swered by any one man. The evil
has not been entirely blotted out, but
as twisting is question OF education,
1t will take time, and patience, to In
form the policyholder of It's evils, and
IL will also take time. and patience,
TO eliminate the undesirable class OF
agent who would stoop to such prac-
tees. Relating Is a question Of COM
mon honesty, and II behooves US In
| dividually and collectively to re-
double our efforts in the fight for re-
form along both these lines. The
twister in the past has appeared In
many phases and DISCUSSES. Often
| times he poses TO the insured as q
man calls himself an expert and &C
advertises. Beware OF this man. He
! is invariably an outcast from the
ranks OF accredited life insurance
statesmen. The legitimate agent OF a
! legitimate company Is the only man
entitled TO call himself expert and
our ranks are full of such.
Like an fnsidious reptile worming
its way into the confidence Of the un.
suspecting policy holder, the twister
has made his appearance In new
disguise. refer to the self-styled
abstract companies the activities OF
which in several cities during the
| past few months have been such, that
we, as body, must recognize the
danger of allowing them to operate
anywhere In this country unchalleng
ed They are twisters Of the very
worst type.
II cannot pass the subject OF twist
ing without voicing word OF con
demnation against the misrepresenter
who works injury through malice OF
ignorance, or possibly both. and who
is really twister in the making"
The convention was opened with
prayer by the Rev. Frank 8. Rowland
pastor of the Cass-Ave. Methodist
church, after which Mayor Breitmey
er delivered an address Of welcome
The mayor, apparently not the least
perturbed by his defeat at the primar'
les, told the delegates that the city
was theirs while they remain. They
laughed when he told them that he
once became associated with an in.
surance company, and that all he had
to show for an investment OF $1,7OO,
was a chair, which now. adorns his
| home.
A feature of the Saturday morning
session will be an address by Sir
George w. Ross, president of the
Manufacturers Life Assurance Co.,
Of Canada, and former premier of
Ontario, who will speak on Recent
insurance legislation In Canada"