Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-11
AHUSBAND'S DUTY.
He Owes 1t to His Family to Have
His House In Order.

There are any number OF men who
are the most tndulgent of husbands
and fathers, providing a good living
for their families and who yet live up
to the limit of their incomes, with
never a thought for the future and
never an effort to protect their loved
ones and their homes in case of their
death.
To such men. as well as to those
who are provident, but who keep put
ting of the arrangement of their busi-
ness affairs to meet such an emer-
gency, the following sensible sugges-
lions by Willis Frederick Dix in the
New York independent may be of In
terest:
Is your house really in order? Out
wardly, perhaps, yes, since your wife
is a good housekeeper, but how about
your own personal affairs? Your law
yer has perhaps drawn your will for
you. and your personal accounts are
businesslike, but have you looked that
will over recently. and in the case of
your death is there some one in your
household who is sufficiently familiar
with your account book to understand
your system!
Have you tried to imagine just what
condition would exist in your family
Immediately after your death, and
have you carefully provided for that
condition? These and a number OF
similar questions must be answered
satisfactorily before you can say that
your house Is really in order.
The following are a few practical
suggestions which, II you think them
over and act upon them, may be the
means of saving you or your family
from some seriously inconvenient
plight or actual trouble and loss.
First of all, make a point of keeping
your wife Tor some member of your
household) familiar with your system
of personal accounts Let her know
where your safety deposit box is.
where you keep the key, where your
letter file relating to these business
matters is kept and just what your
relation to your business is. You know
it is quite possible that you will die
sometime.
Keep your fire insurance policies in
| your safety deposit box, where they
will not be burned with your house,
and keep in the same package with
them. plans and specifications of your
house, so that the fire insurance COM
! panies can know definitely just how
much it would cost to replace it. With
your furniture insurance policy keep q
detailed inventory OF your household
effects, with statement of their values.
1t would be impossible for you to do
this from memory after the goods have
been destroyed, and much needless
trouble would necessarily ensue with
out such list And do not rely wholly
upon your agent to renew your policies
as they expire. Keep a list of the
dates of expiry in your account book,
where you will see them frequently.
Suppose you should be run over and
killed today. Have you looked into the
law Of your state to ascertain whether
or not your safety box would be seal
ed, and If it would be sealed are there
any documents in it which your family
would need before it were officially
opened by your executors in the pres
ence of a state officer? Your executors
} may take a year to settle up your es
tate How about ready money for the
use of your family?
When man draws up his will 1t /:
seldom that he appreciates the fac
that his cash in bank and the interes
accrued on his investments up to the
date of his death become principal anC
cannot be- used by his family to pa!
| their current expenses following hi!
death
An excellent way for a man to b
sure that his family. upon his death
will have ready money at once, FREE
from all complications, is to take out
in addition to his regular insurance. 1
policy for say $1,000 or $1,000 In favo
of his wife or some member OF hi
family.
This sum will have nothing to d,
with the legal formalities necessary il
!. connection with the settling up of tn
estate and can be Immediately collect
ed and put in use.
/ -
PiafoIas and nouhIonns