Arizona republican., 1922-03-06
FINDS BUSINESS IN
SOUTHWEST MAKING
FORWARD STRIDES

That the entire southwest is enjoy
ing an upward trend in business in
the opinion of Il. =. Schwentker gem
eral agent of the Pacific Mutual Life
Insurance company with offices in
the Heard building. He has just re-
turned from a business trip TO Albu-
querQue. N. NJ, where he found un-
usual progress being made.
The First National bank is erect
ing and eight story office building at
Albuquerque and a new $350000 hotel
is being built there" he reported.
adding that the Santa Fe railroad is
spending more than two million dol
lars in making additions to their
shops at that point.
Referring to business in his own
line. especially in regard to the
southwest district, Mr.. Schwentker
said:
"The outlook for the life insurance
business was never brighter than
right now. The public appreciates
the real worth of life insurance more
than ever before and the desire to
buy more insurance Is everywhere
manifest. The volume of new bust
ness. will be limited only by the pub
lies ability to buy. One advantage
we have enjoyed is that life insur-
ance rates have remained stationary
while prices in nearly every other
line went sky high and then had TO
react to new low level. The public
is slow to buy anything II 1t thinks
the price is not stable.
1T will surprise most people to
learn that the volume of new insur-
ance sold in 1921 came within 10
per cent of the high water mark
reached in 1920. Figures for the
state of Arizona have not been COM
piled as yet but our particular agen-
cy including Arizona, New Mexico
and West Texas, shows big increase
over 1920. Much insurance has been
sold to people who need it to protect
their indebtedness and a great deal
more to people who wanted TO In
crease their estates sufficiently TO
cover the tremendous shrinkage in
values from which we have all suf-
fered.
THE place and importance OF life
insurance in world affairs is more
firmly fived than ever before. Life
insurance played important roles IN
the leading world events OF the last
decade. First in the great war. sec
ond in the great flue epidemic and at
present in the great financial depres-
sion. The war brought government
insurance for the soldier which pop
ularized insurance more than any
thing else. The flue epidemic caused
a /, tremendous payment in death
claims thus further emphasizing the
value and necessity of life insurance.
Now while recovering from the pres
ent depression. as we take stock OF
our assets we find our life insurance
to be about the only asset that has
not deprecated in value and nearly
everyone wishes they had invested
more of their easy made money dur
ing recent years in life insurance.
Many a family is kept from want and
many farms in the salt River valley
are being planted in crops with llle
insurance reserves.
Times like the present make peo-
pie think more soberly and enaple
them TO understand more easily how
il is possible that SO per cent OF all
estates, as statistics from probate
courts show. consist of life insurance.
More liberal policies and better
trained statesmen have much TO do
With the increased volume OF our
business.
Our business is not a one sided
affair by any means as our excellent
securities are attracting life insur-
ance funds to such an extent thar
more money is being invested in THIS
state than we are paying IN pre-
miums."