The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-06-29

~ uSt = "uOESSSS
Mr.. Horner's address vas in part as
follows:
THE tremendous growth of life in
surance in the United States is the re-
suit of the adequacy and permanency
of legal reserve system; Of the strong
personalities and mentalities which
have served in its behalf at the home
Office and in the field; and-the great
purchasing power of the American
people.
TT has attained it's present great
and in spite Of the methods which
have, with few exceptions, prevailed.
I refer to the lack of publicity, adver-
Using, education, ethics and scientific
methods of work. Weigh that state
ment carefully before you decide as
to its truth and sanity.
There is much in the history Of the
business in the united StatesEto COM
mend. There is far more to commend
than to censure. H.
THE figures which President. Stills
has brought to the attention of the
agents and laymen ver the United
States, and the predominating COM
mon honesty which has characterized
the care of these trust funds, are en-
titled to the very highest praise.
THE fact that legal reserve life in
SuranCe, In so SIOTI d pSLIOQ DIS al III
stitution, has reached such colossal
1gures, calls for unstinted praise and
unbounded confidence in the system,
and in the integrity Of purpose of the
men in charge.
"Not extraordinary, but as a logical
sequence, when you consider the pc
culiar nature of life insurance apd it's
newness in the minds of the people, is
the fact that the things mentioned
have been neglected.
THAT great results have been at
tanned does not eliminate the necessi-
ty Of treating the situation now, at
the psychological time, by raising the
standard of the business to the plane
It should occupy, and increase the
amount of protection carried to a fig
ure within reason, which is an ade-
ouate indemnity for the people Of this
country to carry, ,
IT have been called, on numerous
occasions, the father of this move
Fment. Such a statement is just as
preposterous as is a statement against
the sanity Of the plan.
"This movement is the crystalliza-
ton of the best thought in the bust
ness from the biggest men in the bus
mess, who are now identified with 1t
OF who have passed out OF service In
the last generation.
" IllCA Law NAl~S o~NAc OAS tNN
the fortitude to helr crystalline it does
not In any n made 1t a one-man
movement.
"a Iayman recently made the state
ment.t to me that in his opinion there
was nothing sold that the average
person needed so much and knew so
little about as life insurance. >
"Now. those of us in touch with the
field situation know this is to be lit
eraily true, n when the laymen
themselves begin to recognize the sit
uation and comment upon 1t, as they
are doing all over the country, 1t is
| time the question of education was
| given due attention.
public regard has and does swing
between hazy recognition or its mis-
sion and active distrust of its meth
DDS. Both of these conditions ARE
based upon ignorance of h tremen-
dous truth Of this oft-mallgned busl-
ness, and the overcoming of this ig-
norance is a practical educational and
advertising problem.
"Education in life insurance is not
simply educating the student body OF
the United States In regard to the
principles and practices OF lie lnsur-
ance and the desirability OF life insur-
ance as a vocation, and the. creating
Of a better spirit. OF understanding ane
co-oI.eration upon the part or the pup
lie at large, but there is necessity thai
| agents in the field have better facili.
ties for receiving instruction anc
schooling in their work.
Furthermore, there should be es'
tablished a. better code. Of ethics IL
agency practices, and new agents
schooled in these matters just as z
law student or medical student II
trained in the ethics OF his profession
'AlI the best authorities upon oul
educational system are unalterably II
favor of education for efficiency, o.
the Incorporating of vocational train
ing in the public schools ana higne'
educational institutions.
ut does not need any argument O
amplification TO show that life .insur'
ance as. an institution has been dere'
lict In taking advantage of the public
mind In regard to these matters.
Much has been done In a hit-or,
miss way, but we cannot do anytnlnl
worth while until we take charge of !
as a unified proposition and hav'
~something tangible to suggest, and a
least one or two textbooks.
"The public have no right to enter
tain, as they do in altogether to,
many instances, an attitude OF aloof
lness toward life insurance ana tn