The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-08-28
Life Insurance Funds
Big Factor in Moving
Crops Of the Country

UlUp0 vi tllG uuutiUJ
NEW YORK. Aug. 27.-Amcrican life
insurance companies loaned 1880. hnp. NV"
TO American farmers within two years
and nine months ending October J. lSli'
enabling them to increase their supply
Of food for the entente nations. Ahout
so7n nnn ono of this was loaned 10 farm
ers or on farm mortgages In nineteen
states nf thu west and south. These
states are supplying the bulk OF Am"r'-
can rnodstuffs TO this country and It's
allies in Ihr war. TIL" average 'htercs'
ratc on farm loans up TO 1917 was 5is
per cent or less.
These facts arc shown in report 10
American life insurance companies to-
dav bv George r. Wight Of New YORK
civ MANAGER Of the association or
life insurance presidents. 1t Is COM
piled from original statistics and covers
1aI5 1915 and ninc months Of 1917.
If this increase in life insuranc" loans
m farmers has continued since SePtcm-
bcr 1917, Mr.. Wight indicates litc IN
suronco companies have invested IN
farm loans about $1,000. "0n.hoN. RMS
moro than onc-half all their real estate
mortgage l"'!'", "'''''
ly 9.nnn moo. QUO.
The report shows that the real estate
mortgage LOANS OF the companies on
both farm and city property increased
from, ST. 7n6, nnn. nnn to 1892, 100000 dur
ing 1918 and 1915. During tho same
onr;cd." continues the report. tho lllc
insurance companies increased lhc'r
farm mortgages in round figures from
G55 millions tn S45 millions. net IN
crease Of l9h millions. The rate or IN
crease for this two-ycar period lo''
farm mortgage loans is % per cent. no
r,,c of increase Of all assets or Tic
commands for the same period Is A.
nor rcnt. I, is seen. therefore. that farm
nortr,cc loan Investments Of lilo IN
surancc companies have recently I'M
crcoscd about two and half times an
r,rcb ne tho concurrent rate Of increase
Of their assets generally. DURING inc
sam. prriod there was per cent r.
million doliars-in INC
amount Of money loaned on real "s'R'"
,nortvnrcs on other than farm pro.'
ertE. .loro-
An analysis Of tho new data th'rH,
f,-, indicntrs clearly. in this dH'ld'"
change. in tho character of thelr 'n'.FSN
ncnte that tho American life insurance
have h"cn a very noS't'N"
factor in tn" increase III the pr"au'
,inn If fondstutfs demanded ny inc
conditions created by the world war
and further may indicate chantc III
,bo;r Investments Of Il permanent chhr-
actor Tho change noted is tho FcTE
distinct trend from city real estate
mortgage loans to farm loans. WINE
This change had SGT in sometime before
IN, hcyjnninE Of hostilitics, In August
1o,. tbc statistics show noteworthy
s,ccdinr m Of tho process during inc
: wo.yror pcriod Of 1915 and lHld. ~
,bis trcnd has continued nj The same
relative rate. farm mortgages '"udH
form, moro than one-half Of all the r"''I
estate mortgage loans held ny such COM
panies. ~,
."Tbc rrca, agricultural sections NJ
tho country were those which attTac''"
most of tho new farm mortgage n'o"''
of Tho life insurance companies our
I,r thnsc ,wo years. the northwest l'aa-
inr with sS6. nnn. nnn. an incrcaS" ol "'
nor rcnt: the southwest shows an IN
crease Of SAG n0n. 0nh. or nearly - pr'
cont. The central northern. si'."""'
ar 1G.S per cent: the gulf ana M'SS'HNr
nj valley. S11 100000 or d rcT cr"t
Which is tho highest rate oil 'nE'''r -.
ir any section Of the country
south Atlantic shows an increase. o'
81 goo ono. or As per cent. II thus ap-
pears that while the largest a r'%u.n.,
of money have Gon" int" inc hortn" ras
and southwest. tho raj" ol ''''' t"H'
been sncatcs, south Of The Potomac ana nj
Ohio rIvcrs. and cast Of tn" MiSsiSsIrn'
The sixteen states having tn" e ra w
bulk Of life insuranr" lnrm INC. .s"o ~
money produce nearly % per ccn' ~
H. country.s essential food crops. IN
onJitjnn, according to the Arriru'turaI
Year rnok( thcs" nineteen STATES e%, r ,,v,
a,cc nearly so per cent of tho FOOD ''Nc
u Wi. r,.,i,Ic hogs and Sheep OF '''e
s9%uM y It, therefore, arrGars n That
thc iirc insurance COMPANIES nav" w,
loaned ahou, ~ rcr cent ri 'nr'r r, ~ "on ~,
,nnrtrar,. money in IN" states 'hn, COW,
.. ,.;h, w., o,nroximatrly lhrcc-quar'crS 81
,h ,P INK Of the comtry's staple 1000
production"