New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-06
TYPHOID BEATS PLAGUE
Number Of Cases Greater, Life
insurance Presidents Hear.
c,RELESSNESS BIG FACTOR
,,onomic Loss 100000
Year, Says DR.. Allan j.
Mclaughlin.

.-uo,.bolders in the various life insur-
companies OF the country will be
e,.a.ed 10 know that. beginning yesterday
l ,bs Hotel Astor. 80 members of the
= e....,stion OF Life Insurance Presidents
-ivtb annual convention assembled, are
,,.s,ssing among other things means
s.-eby the policyholder may get new
~. IN life. Among the features brought
=, At the opening session was the fact
~, typhoid fever caused an economic
49, Of 800 10000 year. and was a
.rsater peril than the plague in India.
The convention was called to order by
nooree /. Cochran, OF Los Angeles,
sresiden; Of the association, as well
- OF the Pacific Mutual Life In
.urance Company. After a short ad-
srsss by the president came the reading
:, napers. the first of which was a dis
,ussion Of the problem of conserving life
assurance funds, contributed by George
r Ide. president Of the Home Life In
grance Company, of New York. This
vas followed by a paper by Myron T.
usrriek. United States Ambassador to
France, on Agricultural Credits"
other papers were on railroad securi-
ties as local investments, by Walker d.
Vines. chairman of the executive COM
mittee of the Atchson. Topeka & Santa
Fe. the call Of the South for insurance
\ investments, BY Senator Lea. of Ten
rsssee: forty-six years experience with
farm lands. by Jesse r. Clark. president
of the Union Central Life Insurance Com
many. Of Cincinnati; the attitude of the
present day supervision of insurance, by
william T. Emmett, Superintendent of In
surance Of New York State; the effect of
safe water supply on the typhoid fever
rate by DR.. Allan J. Mclaughlin, Of the
United States Public Health Service. at
Washington; the influence of vital statis-
tics on longevity, by Or. Watson S.
Rankin, secretary Of the Board Of Health
Of North Carolina, and a report of the
health committee of the association, of
which T. w. Jenkins. president of the Sc
curity Mutual Life Insurance Company,
Of Binghamton, is the chairman.
DR.. Mclaughlin said there were 10000
cases of typhoid fever annually in this
country which could be prevented by a
campaign of education, with an annual
saving Of 1920 lives; that the economic
loss caused by typhoid fever in this coun-
try was $10o,OO10O0 year; that in fifty Of
the largest American cities the typhoid
fever death rate averaged 25 persons per
10000 population. as against Sc persons
per 10000 population for thirty-three lead
ing cities Of Northern Europe; that in
1903 there were more cases Of typhoid
fever in the United States than there were
cases Of plague in India. and that every
case of typhoid fever was due to some
ones ignorance or carelessness. He spoke
10 part as follows:
Twenty deaths in 10000 probably rep
resent 200 cases of typhoid fever. Sup
pose 200 cases of Asiatic cholera occurred
IN any American city of 10000 populs-
ton, would not strenuous activity be dls-
played for the eradication of the scourge?
The mental attitude toward typhoid
fever displayed by many physicians, and
especially health officers. Is scarcely more
cOmmendable. Their complacency In the
face Of typhoid fever rates above 20
deaths annually in 10000 population is
difficult 10 explain. II the rate Is below
p many municipal officials are inclined
10 be satisfied with this rate. as IL Is low
compared with less fortunate cities.
No single measure in reducing typhoid
fever Oh large scale approaches the
effect OF substituting a safe for polluted
water supply. The educational cam
paign must be directed against improper
disposal of sewage, impure milk supplies,
flies. uncontrolled cases OF typhoid, hlthy
personal habits Of individuals and. above
all, against contaminated public water
supplies.
The adoption OF a plan for financing
rural credits in this country, somewhat
after those in force abroad, and the crea-
ton Of life insurance plan TO cover in
debtedhess in the event Of the borrowers
death, were advocated by Myron T. Her
rick, who said;
This subject Of agricultural credits,
while Of great magnitude, is really, after
al. not intricate. The operation of the
), credit Foncier, the Landschaften, the
Kaineisen and hundreds Of kindred in
stitutions for land and personal credit, so
eminently successful and beneficial in
their results I'm Europe, can be very cas-
lily explained. 1t is simply an application
on the story Of the bundle OF sticks tied
together-singly, easily broken; together.
able TO withstand any pressure.
Every year the farmer is spending
something like $25O,00o0O0 more for inter-
est than would be the case IL he We're
able to enjoy the benefits of this sys-
TEN. This sum which ne eXpendS In In
terest should be applied to the develop
tnent Of the country. II has been esti-
mated by good authority that he needs
Immediately for legitimate development
Of the soil more than 100000. 900. Let
no one think that because little more
interest may be obtained by bank or
Investor under present conditions that his
prosperity would be lessened by the in
auguration OF these agricultural credit
systems. quite the contrary; such sys-
TENS would mean additional production
OF wealth. BY this use Of credit 81 would
then do the work Of $50 now. The benefit
would not be confined to the farmer alone.
~ would necessarily extend 10 every
Slass. and be felt in every grade of in
custry, and the farmers prosperity
would be reflected throughout all our
social life-Just as 1t X in Europe.
These good results have been accom-
Pished beyon6 the shadow of a doubt
IN Europe, said Mr.. Herrick, declaring 1t
needs only brief investigation TO prove
this eoncusively.