The Topeka state journal., 1922-08-24
LIFE INSURANCE.


Press just issued presents many in
teresting facts concerning the rapidly
growing business of life insurance. It
shows that there was distributed to
policyhoIders in 1921 the sum OF
s1,17O.722.OOO. The largest single
payment was made to the estate OF
Ferdinand Schlesinger Of Wisconsin
and amounted to $1,517.S29.
The largest policy paid in Kansas
was $133,5O0 to the heirs of John
Bunyan Adams of Ell Dorado; the next
largest, $4,000. held in Emporia by
somebody whose name is not given.
This Is followed by $ss,6s2 to the es-
tate OF Jabez H. Watkins of Lawrence.
Only two Topekans who died held
policies exceeding 100000 They were
Dennis C. Payne. $4,000. and Harry
H. Wardin, $1o,029. The total
amount paid on policies held by citi-
zens of Topeka was $369,oO0.
Policyholders borrowed literally on
their insurance policies in 1921, tho
transactions in policy loans showing
large increase. Last year was abnor-
maily favorable in mortality, the de-
crease in the amount of life insurance
matured by death in the United States
and Canada appFoximating s15,0O0,-
600.
On the other hand, dividends to
policyholders increased considerably
more than $31. 100000. The amount
paid for disability claims and addi-
tional accidental death benefits ex-
ceeded s4,o0o,O0o, about double the
corresponding payment in 1920 The
insurance companies, as usual. were
forced to decline applications for hun
dreds of millions of life insurance on
account Of the uninsurabla physical
condition of the applicants. who had
procrastinated too long.
According to census bureau statis-
tics. the population of the United
States increased in the decade $1,000
slightly over Is per cent. During the
same period, the amount OF life in
surance in force in legal reserve COM
panies increased over 40 per cent.
Accordingly during the decade, life in
surance grew eight times faster than
the population. In\ number, the
United States increased by $4,000, 900
people in ten years. In amount, life
insurance in force increased by over
SIS, s,o0o. 1000. For each person
added to the population in the decade,
nearly $1,000 was added to the out
standing life insurance OF the nation.
On q basis of eighteen hours oper-
alton a day. automobiles killed two
persons every hour in 1921, or a total
of more than 12,5O0> during the en-
tire year. These figures are based
upon a tabulation of the experience IF
fifty principal cities in the United
States, and the assumption follows
that similar experience would pre-
vail for the entire country.
The automobile death rate has now
become a determinable factor in the
general mortality OF the nation and
has already risen to alarming proper
tions, with no signs of abatement. In
the year 1920, the death rate was
1897 per million population, and in
1921 it increased to 1851 per million
population.
The highest death rate of any i'm
portant city was in Los Angeles, where
the ratio OF 291.0 almost doubled the
general average of 1851 for the entire
country. Singularly. Detroit, which
might Oc EG6aTuG0 lHe INCUBATOR OF
the American automobile, reported a
death rate per million population of
only 1852.
The American wage-earner pays
nearly $12o a year for. his insurance.
The aggregate premium paid in 1921
for the principal forms of Insurance
life. fire, casualty. marine, automo-
bile. liability, etc, has been calculated
to be in excess OF $4,000, 100000.
The list of big policyhoIders in the
United States is headed by the Wana-
makers Two members OF the family
I Jointly carry $7.6O0,0O0 insurance,
Rodnan Wanamaker holding s4.5oO.-
coo and his father. John Wanamaker,
the pioneer millionaire policyhoIder
OF the nation, holding $3,0oo,o0o.
Golf has finally been dignified with
place among mortality causes"
For q long time" says the Press, at
has been recognized as an accident
factor as well as a moral and i'm
moral hazard, but the remarkable de-
velopment in the popularity of the
sport has brought with It the newt
ably attendant danger to life, as well
as bodily injury"
MI -