Evening journal., 1912-12-06
BETTERINC
INSURANCE
BUSINESS
Underwriters Want Closer
Relationship Between Com
panieS and Policy Holders
COUNTY WIDE PLAN
ADVOCATED BY MANY

Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL.
NEW YORK. Dec. Managers Of
life Insurance companies are seeking
@ stimulate scountry-wide move
ment for greater cooperation be-
tween policyholders and agents. to
the end that there shall be a better
adjustment of the policy to the needs
of the individual This was develop
ed at todays sessions of the Sixth
Annual Convention of the Association
OF Life Insurance Presidents. The en-
tire days proceedings were devoted
10 consideration Of the problem Of
Fitting the Policy to the Policy
holder
State supervisory officials joined
with company presidents, actuaries
and agents. in trying TO evolve some
standardization OF insurance require
ments. from the viewpoint of the
Dolicyholder, both as 10 the kind of
policies and the amounts. 10 was
pointed out that a thoroughly scien-
hifc writing of life insurance for the
individual involved accurate knowl-
edge as TO his income, property inter
,ests, nature of business, number and
age Of dependents, kind and amount
,of insurance hitherto obtained and
NOW carried etc It was therefore
urged that the establishment Of
1nore confidential relations between
agents and policyholders, such as ex-
DIST between lawyer and client, ply
stefan and patient, was essential to
fhe solution of the problem of fit
hing policies to policyholders' needs.
Frank II. Hardison, of Boston, In
Eurance Commissioner OF Massachu-
Eetts and president Of the national
convention of Insurance Commission
ers. said:
When man applies to a physi-
clan for advice he, II he is wise. dis
CLOSES every symptom to that physi-
lcian. telling him about things he
lnever breathed aloud before perhaps,
land making him partner in a knowl
edge Of the innermost secrets of his
body as far as he knows them. The
physician is then In a position TO
apply his skill by resting his dag
nosis on the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth. So too
in legal matters. the lawyer who does
not get the details of the case is in
no position to advise wisely. But TO
what physician and TO what attorney
does a person give up all this private
and secret knowledge? Only to one
I'm whom he has confidence. The
wiser the one wanting advice the
wiser counselor he seeks. No youth
in his teens will he sought for adj
vice on these subjects. Hence those
who wish TO practice law or medi-
cine must not only prepare them
selves for u by a long course OF
study and then pass certain tests OF
knowledge which the State requires
but must spend years Of waiting for
maturity In thought and judgment
Then men turn to them and not in
vain
Can YOU expect that a person will
take the opposite course when life
insurance Is the object Of his atten-
ton? True II is that he may take a
policy from a person whom he has
not selected with the same care as
he has his doctor or his lawyer: hut
think how many times greater arc
the chances of a misht than would
be the case were the agent a person
lsn whom tho applicant had as much
lconfidence as In the doctor or the
l1awyer-a person whose knowledge
land Judgment he felt to be sound and
Ito whom he could tell in confidence
iall his personal. tamliy ana business
affairs in order that he might obtain
insurance fitted 10 his needs by one
1rained as an expert In such matters.
Darby A. Day. OF Chicago, a prom
hnent underwater said: IF ii were
possible ] should like 10 see every
company in the business today form
q department Of instruction for its
agents. consisting Of as many in
siructors as It's corps might need
and that they should visit each and
every agency with as great frequency
jas possible. cooperating with the
general agents and managers in cor
Erecting erroneous theories that are 50
prevalent In new men who have only
a superficial knowledge OF our bust
ness. teaching them the psychology
OF salesmanship. developing in them
the love and respect for their bust.
ness. impressing upon their minds
that their work is a missionary one
that they have duty TO humanity tC
perform for which they shall be held
accountable and 7 should further
like 10 see each and every manager
feel that his company rewarded him
for the good that he did rather thar
for the result that he accomplished
IN dollars and cents"