The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-11-06
THRIFT CONFERENCE
DISCUSSES INFLUENZA
Association OF Life Insurance fFc>''
dents Meets in Twelfth Annual
Session.


dents Meets in Twelfth Annual
Session.
New York, Dec. 5.--That the
economic loss to the nation from the
recent influenza epidemic amounted
to millions of the best years OF lie.
because the average age OF those VINO
died was under thirty. was pointed
out today by Actuary Henry NOR. OF
New York. at the thrift conference
which is being held in connection
with the twelfth annual convention
OF the Association of Life Insurance
Presidents Mr.. NOR. who Is presi
dent OF the Acturial Society or
America, said that recent invesnga-
ton OF insured lives covering PERIOD
of fifteen years experience showed
that those who had died as result OF
the influenza epidemic should have
lived on the average to be hfty-nve
to sixty years elds- under normal con-
ditions In speaking OF this loss, ne
said that this young and vigorous
human life which would otherwise
soon have been devoted to reconsruc-
ton problems now before the Worin
has been STOLEN by this scourge.
Mr.. Moir used figures taken from OH
cial reports and contributed by rep
resentative life insurance companies
to demonstrate that the average loss
of years of life suffered on account or
each one of the thousands of deaths
from Influenza has not been less than
twenty-five.
The thrift conference of the life
insurance executives Is giving its at
tention to the lessons of the war, and
the great problems OF reconstruction
These themes are under discussion to-
day and tomorrow by officials of the
federal and state governments, To-
gether with educators, business men
professional men and executives of
life insurance companies. the latter
representing over 95 per cent OF all
the oid-line life insurance outstand-
ing In the listed States About three
hundred men from nearly every state
in the Union are in attendance at the
meeting, which will continue through
tomorrow George b. Stadden. of
Springfield. H.. is chairman.
Tn order to determine the extent
and the effect of any epidemic" said
Mr.. NOR. lit is necessary that we
have a standard The mortality table,
with which actuaries have so much to
do, Is a simple and accurate measur-
ing rod. 1t enables us to determine
skiifully whether or not the people
of today are enjoying more years OF
life on the average. than our ances-
tors. During the past three years
committee of the Actuarial society
has bees occupied in preparing n new
table for standard lives in the United
States The work was recommended
by the National Convention of In
suranee Commissioners. which ap-
pointed a committee Of FIVE actuares
of state insurance departments to CO.
operate with the Actuarial society.
The American Institute OF Actua-
ries was also invited TO appoint
szS~ srxf Axz dnfs tSav
These three several committees have
been cooperating pleasantly and the
work, commenced in 1915 and cover
ing a vast insurance experience dur
ing the fifteen years ending with 1915.
is now about complete. During that
time the United States and Canada
were not affected either by war or by
MIR. NOR then compared the NOR
tality from disease among soldiers in
training camps in this country be-
fore the recent influenza epidemic
with the mortality of men of equal
age in civil life as revealed by the
fifteen-year experience of the life in
surance companies previously men
taosed.
WYE afs ali Interested IN tho ssaa3aa.
of our army, for all of us have rea-
tives or friends in service, and cpl
denies to which soldiers are liable
touch us closely" said Mr.. Moir. We
should discuss not only the relative
health of the soldiers as compared
with former cam paigns and commend
{ those in charge for improved condi-
tons; but we should also study the
situation to see whether existing con-
ditions approach the ideal The
young men have all been medically
examined and re-examined since the
army was organized and subsequent
to the declaration of war in April.
1917. They are. therefore, of a SINH
lar class to young men examined and
accepted for life insurance. II be
comes desirable to compare deaths
amongst young men in military life
I with those OF young men in their
homes and attending to their regular
business. The new mortality expe-
rience enables US to do this through
reports issued from the surgeon
generals office in Washington deal
ing with the year ending August 81,
! 1918. The annual military death
rates at camps within the United
States were as follows
/ Camp