Evening star., 1926-05-20
DEMAND FOR LIFE.
INSURANCE GREAT
Firms Making Every Effort to
Cut Mortality Rate.
Crime Studied.
BY j. E. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The star.
NEW YORK, May 20.--New lie IN
Surance is being taken out at Il rate
closely approXimating n billion dol-
lars a month. Never before has such
a volume of business been done as III
the first four and q half months OF
this year and companies are having
difficulty in securing workers to nan
die it adequately.
one large life insurance company
has commandeered one of the most
successful of its agents here to act
as instructor to the young men Just
breaking into the business. This man
holds classes Il few hours n day and
the 200 then sally forth and do their
best to put his instructions into effect.
But business is too pressing for the
young statesmen to devote all their
time to training and instruction.
Group insurance is showing the
largest gains as compared with last
year, with industrial insurance next,
although all departments of life in
SuranCe are extremely active the
country over. A study is being made
Of WorkmenS S compensation insurance
by companies engaged in this branch
to determine whether there should be
d revision of rates. The companies
plan to carry on a campaign of in
struction to show relationship between
industria! safety and economy of pro
duCtiOn.
Would Cut Mortality.
Every effort is being made by the
companies to cut down mortality.
Physicians of all companies are
making exhaustive studies of dis
eases. DIR. Frederick l.. Hoffman,
consulting statistician of the Pru-
Dental Co. will make "a survey OF
Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona
this Summer to determine methods
to eradicate disease among the
Mexican and Indian population.
Mexico has the reputation of having
the highest death rate in the world
with terrific mortality from typhus,
chronic alcoholism. yenereal and lung
diseases Recent claims as 10 cure
for cancer have been closely followed
aud investigated by the insurance
companies.
The interest of the companies in
the eradication of disease and accident
is clearly shown by the figures Of the
New York Life Insurance Co. for
1925, when, with $5.2l9 100000 insur-
ance in force, the company paid
$136.067,9l9 OF the ll.031 policy
holders who died during the year
l,641 succumbed to heart disease,
l,15t to cancer and S15 died as a re
suit of accidents. Since double in
demnitY is paid on deaths due to
some classes of accidents, the com
pany is striving to cut. down its
accident losses, which they say are
mounting excessively.
New Crime Engineer.
Rates have not gone up on life and
disability insurance Sa result of the
crime wave. But burglary and theft
insurance rates have risen in some To-
calities and businesses. This trend is
responsible for the development of the
crime engineer. John j. de BOves OF
New York, who has specialized in pro
tectinG jeWelry houses. banks and fur
and silk shops, says the business man
has made il too easy for the crook to
operate.
Most of them fail TO realize" he
said, that the bandit seldom tackles
a protected job
Far too much is made of alleged in
sanity in murder trials, DR.. Hoffman
said. in discussing the homicide prob
lens of insurance companies. He de-
clared offenders too often gain liberty
after a comparatively short term in
prison for the criminal insane.
Insanity was responsible for "a per
cent of the total and permanent disa-
blity claims allowed by the Prudential
in the last five years, ranking second
only to tuberculosis.
More passengers passed through
Southampton than through Liverpool