The Washington herald., 1920-12-29
LIFE INSURANCE
men SHOULD Be
OPTIMISTIC NOW
No Better Time Than at
Present to Write
Insurance.

In spite OF credit restrictions,
which are only the natural results
OF currency expansion during the
war period, the life insurance man
who is not ap optimist today is
dead In his shell, or else lacks COM
nonsense powers of discernment,
Representative C. A. Christopherson
told members of the South Dakotl
Life Underwriters Association at
their recent meeting. Men may say
that the readjustment period fol-
lowing the world war is analogous
to other such times, but 1t is not,
the Representative said. Never be-
fore in history has the world faced
so complicated task of getting
back to a normal basis, in COM
merce, manufacture or even in the
social sphere of the race.
"The present condition" asserted
Mr.. Christopherson, who is recog-
nized as an authority on CONNER
cial topics, lis but the settling down
process following the $4,000. .000, 900
currency expansion and the some
what extreme credit laxity which
prevailed in this country. We should
have expected it. for it was only
a natural effect of cause. There
is, 1 feel. nothing to fear from the
position in which we find ourselves.
am not overlooking its gravity.
but i feel that from thiy thing will
come the substantial times which
we all desire. If we keep cool. use
good sense and keep hard at work,
things are going to come out all
right"
- ~
ering of the South Dakota men was
timism and good feeling, and over
double the usual attendance re-
suited.
Older Men Give Experiences.
Past Financial Stringencies and
How 1 Weathered Them" was dis
cussed by John Mallaney, general
agent for the Northwestern Mutual,
and West Babcock of the Mutual
Benefit. Both men pointed out the
dismal days of early life insurance
writing. Mr.. Mallaney described the
difficulty of pioneer times. when pol
icies had no loan or cash value,
when the farmers note was an un-
certain thing. He emphasized the
advantages the present-day life man
has compared to past times. and
enthused his hearers hy his hope
full words.
THE present depression" declared
Mr.. Babcock, "is absolutely C. land
of roses compared to some other
times in the country's past, when
there was not merely a financial
stringency, but a complete demoral-
ization of business in all lines. We
have not approached close to those
conditions, and / don't think we
shall approach them.
Something elst: We life insurance
men need to learn one deep lesson, a
lesson which most have not learned,
and that Is work. Few of you fell
lows work hard and continuously.
I'll tell you what / learned by hard
experience when I was selling insur-
ance in Minnesota years ago. Times
were bad-yes, worse than that. I
saw that had to dig in as never
had before, and to tell you all in a
few words, made more money and
saved more money in that two-year
period than in any other similar
length period in my life. God knows
II wasn't easy, but / had to work,
and 1 never will forget what it
taught me-"
"why 1 Am an Optimist",wa dis
cussed by four men. John X. Cres-
sey, Sioux Falls agency manager OF
the Mutua Life, defined a pessimist
as one who wears both suspenders
and a belt, and an optimist as
South Dakota man who still carries
a corkscrew on his key ring. am
an optimist," said Mr.. Cressey, "be-
cause my agents are optimists every
time l see them, because my men still
work every day; because know
there are many, many persons in
Sioux Falls and South Dakota who
ought to buy insurance right now,
and who can buy 1t II they want 1t;
because things never get SO bad they
couldn't be worse; because l know
the grandeur of the life agents
work and service, and hence 1 know.
that such a work Is bound to stand
up. and to move forward"
Work Is Solution.
IF every life insurance man in the
land were broke and hungry, to-
morrow would see the biggest num-
Der Of apps roll in in the history