Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-14
Monday, December IA, 1914.
A Surprising War Statement.

Every advantage OF the business lies
In the preservation of the physical
and, consequently, the moral we'll be-
ing of the population from which II
draws the income. To humanity, life
insurance is the exact opposite CT
another great commercial institution
DEATH ASSURANCE.
You didn't know there was any
such business as death assurance?
Well, there is, and it costs this eoun-
try more than it's army, navy, PEN
sion roll, and public Improvements
combined. It insures thousands OF
deaths and untold misery every year,
in this country and yet our govern
sympathy with, the business that 1t
participates in the promotion of the
traffic and enjoys a large share of the
receipts.
A regular branch Of the life insur-
ance business is devoted to prevention
of disease and ill health. Its warn
ings against epidemics are sown
broadcast. The best advice obtain
able from the greatest living experts
in medicine and surgery are mailed to
policy holders. Skilled actuaries are
studying the human insurance crop
every hour. The span of life and its
probabilities as affected by mode Of
life and environment are an opening
book to them.
A meeting of life insurance presi-
dents has just been held at New
York city. 1t was the regular meet
ing of the association. Before it came
the actuaries to report some of the
results of an exhaustive mortality in
vestigation. just completed by the in
surance companies into 100000 in
sured lives in the past rs years. Per-
haps the most significant feature Of
these reports was the striking results
Sobtained by Arthur Hunter, a New
York actuary who declared:
"The loss of FIVE hundred thousand
men ~ the result Of the present war;
fare could be made good in less than
ten years through complete abstinence
from alcoholic beverages by all the in
habitants of Russia"
Mr.. Hunter is chairman of the CEN
trail bureau of the Medico-Actuarial
Committee which had charge Of the
three and one-half year inquiry. The
investigation dealt with the expert
ence of 43 of the leading companies Of
great many groups of insured persons
supposed to have a higher mortality
While the fundamental object of the
investigation was to aid the COM
panies in determining what risks in
the future should be accepted, rated
up. or declined. Mr.. Hunter said that
the results also could be utilized 10
lengthen human life. Taking up some
of the specific results Of the investi-
cation, Mr. Hunter said
Nothing has been more conclu-
sively proved than that a steady free
use of alcoholic beverages, or occa-
sional excuses, are detrimental to the
individual. In my judgment, it has
also been proved beyond peradventure
OF doubt that total abstinence from
alcohol is of value to humanity; 1t is
certain that abstainers live loneg than
persons who use alcoholic beverages.
Among the men who admitted that
they had taken alcohol occasionally to
excess in the past, but whose habits
were considered satisfactory when
they were insured there were 2s9
deaths while there would have been
only 100 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 re-
duction in the average life of these
men Of over four years" One of the
most significant results of the investi-
cation. he said, was the high mortal
ity experienced among railroad men.
Among locomotive engineers the
mortality was 50 per cent in excess of
that among the insured as a whole,
which is equivalent to five years re-
duction in the average lifetime"
There is a general impression that
saloonkeepers do not live as long rs
persons in non-hazardous oecupa-
TONS" he continued, but it is not
generally known that most classes
which are connected with either the
manufacture or sale of liquor have a
high mortality. Among saloon pro-
prietors. whether they attended the
bar or not there was an extra NOR
tality Of 70 per cent; and the causes
of death indicated that a free use Of