Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-01-22

guage country. If we do we cannot
claim to be cultured people, nor
shall we be equipped to carry on COM
MERGE with the balance of the world.
In our own private and parochial
schools a sufficient course of English
should be carried. This should in
clude reading, writing, American his
tory, and civics. This is clearly in
the interest of the children, but moth
/ ing should be done that will in any
way interfere with religious instruc-
tons or religious services. l take
the position that he who prays to his
Deity shall have the right to do so in
the language of his own choice. And
again, it must be understood that the
right to carry on religious services in
a foreign language shall not be used
as a propaganda against our country
and its institutions.
State Life Insurance.
| l wish to call your attention to the
conditions of the state life insurance
| fund, and in that connection l sub
nit the following report which 1 have
received from the Commissioner of
| Insurance:
"In 1911 section 1989m was enacted.
This statute provided for State Life
Fund to be managed by the state
without obligation on the part of the
state except to the extent of the fund.
Policies were issued in 1913-at the
end of that year 239 policies had been
issued granting SAT, 10000 of insur-
ance.
in 1914, SO policies for $82,S00.00 of
insurance were issued and policies
for 100000 insurance lapsed. In 1915,
II policies for $70,50O.00 insurance
were issued, 2 policy-holders with
100000 insurance died, / surren-
dered and lapsed. In 1916, "a poll
cies for $S0,2OO00 were issued,
policy-holder died, 3 surrendered and
ii lapsed. In 1917, 81 policies for
$21 100000 were issued, 1 surrendered
and lapsed. In 1918, II policies were
issued, people with 100000 of in
surance died, 8 people with 100000
insurance surrendered and 9 people
with 100000 insurance lapsed.
There are in force 461 policies for
1878, 10000 of insurance.
"The Insurance Department has
kept up a continuous campaign for
business through circularizing avail
able lists-state banks and local OFF,
Gals do not send in business"
1t will be observed that. the fund is
now carrying a total of $379,700.00 of
insurance. The total assets of the
fund on January 1, 1919, were $685.
676.08. The death losses for the year
1918 exceeded the expected by about
40 per cent. With SO small an amount
of insurance in force sharp fiuctua-
tons in mortality experience are like
ly to occur. A few years of unfavor-
able experience would deplete the
surplus and impair the reserve. The
state is liable only to the extent of
the fund. and if the reserve is i'm
paired the policies are not worth one
hundred cents on the dollar.
The state should not continue a sys-
tenn of life insurance that does not
guarantee the full value of the policy
lin fact if this type of insurance is
permitted to continue I would regard
it as a moral obligation on the state
to make good any loss that the policy
holder might sustain for the reason
that the policy was sold by the state
and that in itself should be a guaran-
ty against any loss by the policy
holder and am certain that it was ac-
cepted in that spirit
The present policy-holders can be
frIJI ,Csy,
guaranteed by reinsurance in re
sponsible company. Their present as
sets are sufficient for this purpose.
I recommend that you repeal the
statute under which this form of life
insurance is being carried and direct
the Insurance Commissioner to rein
sure the present policy-holders in
reliable company.
Primary Election.
For two sessions | have advocated
a revision of the Primary Law. l
think it is fair to say that it is gen
orally conceded that in its present
form the law is failure. No party
organization can be maintained under
tin fact it has again been demon
strated within this state in the past
year that the adherents of one party
may make an effort to nominate the
candidate for another party in the
hope of giving their own ticket bet
ter opportunity for success.
Such methods are breeders of polit-
zeal dishonesty and demoralize the
politics of the state and should not
have the sanction of law. For my own
part I regard the party convention the
proper agency to fix its party princi-
pies and nominate its candidate, and
the only valid objection that was
urged against that system was the
political caucus which nominated the
delegates. In order to obviate that
feature of the convention system
which brought it into disrepute l sug-