Evening journal., 1915-04-30
Insurance field
AND AGENTS DUTY
Ernest ]. Clark Tells Della
ware College Students
of the Possibilities
WIDE SCOPE FOR THE
ALERT COLLEGE MAN

Ernest ]. Clark, a prominent life
insurance manager of Baltimore. who
was president last year Of the Nation-
al Association of Life Underwriters,
addressed the students at Delaware
College this morning on "The Field
and the Agent"
Dividing his subject into three sec
tions, Possibilities Of the Field, I'm
creasing Responsibilities of the
Agent" and Demand for College
Men" Mr. Clark said in part
"The institution of life insurance
as il exists today is comparatively
new, having had its entire growth in
this country during the past seventy
years. On December 81, 1914, there
were 232 legal reserve companies
reporting TO the various State insur-
ance departments. with admitted as
sets of IS, ,139, ,743 .203: 40.176,51l poll
cies in force, aggregating $22,071.-
167,505 and distributed over 26,000.-
600 lives. The annual income of
these companies in 1914 was S1,022-
5.16S. and they raid out during the
year S522.754.913. in death claims.
matured endowments, dividends and
surrender values.
"who made all this wonderful rec
ord possible? The agent, not the
officer or medical director.
Our American people carry more
than twice as much life insurance as
ell the rest of the world combined.
We have the best insurance compa
nies, the highest grade agency force
and no profession or business has
ever attained such remarkable growth
and usefulness in the same space of
time, and yet our S22O71 167,5O5, of
legal reserve life insurance covers
less than per cent. of the life
values of our insurable risks in this
country. which are estimated at $3.50
000,000.00O. Fire insurance covers a
possible contingency only. and yet 50
per cent. of the combustible property
of the United States is insured
against destruction by fire. whereas
the most important of all classified
values is protected against the posi-
tive and ultimate destruction by death
to the extent of but per cent.
"The income of the life insurance
agent, other than industrial. has been
found, according to statistics. TO be
superior on the average to that of
other professions. Notwithstanding the
less amount of expenditure in both
time and money in securing his pro-
fessional training BY way of Illus
tration. according to investigations
made, all graduates of Yale Univer-
sity from 1906 to 1911. inclusive,
made an average income of Sl,2S0 per
year, while the average income of
the professional life insurance man
for the same time was S1.S72, show
ing the oveTcrowding of men in the
other professions.
Remember. gentlemen. that next
to the work of the minister. the life
insurance agent deals with the most
serious and important question il all
the world, namely-death, endeavor-
ing so far as it lies within his power
to alleviate poverty and distress
which usually follow in consequence
with all that poverty means in its
affect on disease, vice, illiteracy and
even crime.
Let US consider for few moments
the question of improvdence which
exists on the part Of our American
men right here in the great civilized
nation on earth. and the absolute de.
mand. in consequence, for billions oi
additional life insurance. Eighty-fivC
men out of every 200. at death, leave
no income producing estate. This
average is shown conclusively by thu
following statistics From Januar.
/. 1901, to December 81. 1905. out o
27.O11 registered adult deaths, accord
ing to the records of the Surrogate
Courts Of the United States, 2305
or S5.3 per cent of the deceased lef
no estate Thirty-fve per cent. of al
widows were left in absolute wan
e 1r.r 4 1ufa %
the common comforts Of life. Their
are approximately 3.100,000 widow
in the United States 100000 of WHOM
are over 60 years of age. OF this lat
ter number 900 600 are now depen
dent on the generosity of relatives
charity or the State. In addition {
this appalling situation. think of tn
millions of fatnerless and orpha
children, whose Intellectual mora
and physical natures have bee
drafed through poverty, in conse
quence of the death of a father VIII
neglected, through procrastinatior
Indifference or ignorance (thcy al
amount to the same thngl to max
provision for them against his deatl
Perchance he was daily contribute
toward the 81 l,750,000 900. spent dun
ing the year in the United States 70
alcoholic drinks, or toward the $500
100000 per annum spent in this cour
try for tobacco. or he may have eve
been the purchaser Of an automobile
yet could not afford to protect hi
dependent helpless wife and childre
with life insurance. Only three me
out of 100, at death, leave an estat
of $4,000, or over. and as a furthC
evidence of this universal and natior
wide improvidence, there are 100000
women in the United States compel
ed to work for livelihood.
Demand for College Men.
"The greatest need in life insu
ance today is for field men of brain
ambition and energy. From VIII;
source can we secure them and whei
do we find the highest developmel
=. OF these essential qualifications? "
naturally turn to the American co
lege or university.
It be mere salesman of life il
suraLce does not meet the deman
but the ability to advise. guide an
serve the interests or welfare. of u
applicant or policy holder in the s
lection of the proper form ar