Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-10
INSURANCE COMPANIES COMPILE
STATISTICS SHOWING LIQUOR
sHoRrENs LIFE.
HARD DRINKERS NO LONGER
ACCEPTED BY COMPANIES
live. Of Men Who Quit Drink Habit
Shown to Have Boon Shortened by
Earlier ational Asso-
citation Hears Startling Statistics
COMPLIED by Actuaries From Facts.

New York. Dec. 1o.--That the use OF
xlcoholic beverages shortens me III
this country was reported as status
t,cal fact to the eighth annual conVen-
ton of the Association OF l.le ihsu'-
snce Presidents here this morning.
Figures on the subject were presented
by Arthur Hunter. actuary. IN connec-
tiop with the findings OF mortality
Investigation into the lives OF 2'oVo'ooo
life insurance policy holders, covering
q period of twenty five years inns
Investigation, which has just been nm
lshed. was made primarily 70 assist the
life insurance companies 70 ma ou'
which types Of persons could be sale!S
accepted for insurance at the regular
rates of premium, which types should
be charged an extra premium. and
which shouid be- declined I. was an
nouuced, however, at today's conVeh-
ton that the results of this private
mortality inquiry were also aFaiIaoie
for public use in lengthenIng life.
Forty three leading life insurance
companies in the United States and
Canada contributed their detailed rec
ords on the 1000 900 lives in question,
which represented their collective ex-
perience on many different classes OF
Insured likely to have higher death
rates than normal. The chief groups
investigated included persons engaged
in ninety seven hazardous occupations,
those having family history OF con-
sumption, a defect in their personal
history. those whose physical condi-
ton was not normal. and those whose
habits with regard to alconolic oever-
ages were not satisfactory in the past
or who used liquor steadily at the time
Of application for insurance.
Quittero Fool Effects.
Among the men who admitted that
they had taken alcohol occasionally to
excess N the past" said Mr.. Hunter
"but whose habits were considered
satisfactory when they were insured.
there were $50 deaths while there
would have been only 1870 had this
group been made up OF insured lives
in general. The extra mortality was.
therefore, over SO per cent, which was
equivalent to a reduction in the aver
age life of these men OF over four
ysars. II this meant that four years
would be cut off tho end OF the aver
age normal Life time Of each man,
there arc many who would consider
that The game was worth the candle
But It means that in each year num-
Der Of men will die at an earlier age
than they should. For example. at age
IS, the expectation OF life Is thirty two
years; in the first year after that age.
instead Of say. nine persons dying.
there would be probably twelve deaths:
that II. three men would each lose
thirty-two years Of life: in the next
year proably four men would each
lose thirty-one years of lie. etc. AS a
matter of fact, many immoderate
thinkers would live longer than thir-
ty-two years, but not nearly so many
as would live II they had been mod
crate drinkers. and far fewer than II
thew had been total abstainers from
alcohol.
Abstainers Live Longest.
with regard to men who had used
alcoholic beverages daily but not to ex-
cess. the experience Of the companies
was divided into two groups; (a) mer
who took two glasses Of beer or
glass OF whisky or their equivalent,
day; (b) men who took more than the
foregoing amount, but were not con
sidered by the companies to drink u
excess. The mortality IN the secone
group was found to be fully so per cen
greater than in the tristan excellen
argument for moderation in the use o
alcoholic beverages
The committee or the medlco
actuarial mortality investigation die
not make q report on the mortaht!
among total abstainers, but sufflcien
statistics have been published by IN
dtvidual companies to justify the state
nent that persons who have AWAY
been tota; aSs:a.asTs have 1ior;a..e
during the working years OF Ire
about one-haf of that among tnos
who use alcohol to the extent or
least two glasses Of whisky per day. II
view OF this, the effect of prohibition
Of the manufacture and sale or alec
holic beverages in Russia must be YER
great II the government OF Russi
carry out their present intention 7
abolish permanently all forms OF alec
holic beverages, the saving in huma
life will be enormous. II .s not to
much to say that the loss Of 10000
men as the result of the present war
fare could be made good in less tina
ten years thru complete abstineDc
from alcoholic beverages by all the in
habitants OF Russia
Liquor Selling Hazardous.
Referring to occupations In the liquo
business, Mr.. Hunter said:
There Is general impression tina
saloon keepers do not live as long a
persons in non hazardous occupation
out it is not generally known tha
most classes which are connected wit
either the manufacture or sale OF liqut
have high mortality. Among saloo
proprietors. whether they attended I'll
bar or not there was an extra morta
lty of 10 per cent: and the causes
death indicated that n free use Of alec
holic beverages had caused many
the deaths. The hotel proprietors WI
attended the bar either occasionally
regularly had as high mortality
the saloon Keepers; that Is, the III
time was reduced about six years {
the average on account OF their occ,
patton. The mortality among tho
connected with breweries was abo
one-third above the normal. The lar,
class Of proprietors Of wholesale liqu
- houses has an extra mortality Of abo
one NTH. In the fourteen sub division
Of the trades connected with the man,
facture or sale OF alcohol, there W
only one class which had norm