The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-04

NAHE~e - N%N+AAAAf EAA Eiea1 " a. W.
There is no doubt that the condi-
tiOns which exist In the weekly pre-
MUM life insurance business are such
rs to make every field worker feel
that radical change is necessary. As
long as the present economic situa-
ton prevails industrial life insurance
will continue to be worker life insur-
anee.
From an experiment involving only
few thousand dollars it has grown
to be factor in finance capital which
controls upwards Of 4 billions Of dol
lars. This is more than the entire
U. S. currency in circulation.
Few Control II.
At present, as has been repeatedly
pointed out, this enormous economic
power is vested in the hands Of few
INSCRIPTIONS Wall Street manipula-
tors who have used it in enslaving
the American worker and furthering
imperialistic schemes abroad.
The "Big Four" are mutual COM
panies, that is to say, the machinery
exists whereby the workers who sub
scribe to this form of life insurance
may take over the management and
direction of these organizations and
use them to their own advantage.
Not Free.
To this end the field worker must
lend himself. At present his use is
the use of a controlled creature. He
is used as an implement Of fraud and
coercion. If he would free himself
from the position in which he now
finds himself it is imperative that he
organize a protective union not only
for the benefits which will accrue to
his own advantage but in the interest
of the 40 million policyholders who
are victinlized by the same system.
The right to organize is given to
those groups of workers who effec-
lively do organize. After the organ
ization is completed all talk of fright"
disappears.
Can Meet Public.
The industrial field worker enjoys
a condition which exists in no other
industry or business. He has con-
tact with practically the entire "pub-
lic." Each agent calls at about 200
families every week. In each family
there are an average of four adults.
His customers are mostly workers
who understand the value of trade
unions, if they themselves are not
union members they are sympathetic
to unionization.
The first move towards organizing
an insurance field workers union is
to acquaint the insuring public that
such move would be in the interest
Of the policyholder.
Thrice Too High.
Every agent of the "Big -Four"
knows that the premium rates
charged by these companies are ex-
orbitant. In some cases they are
more than 800 per cent too high. !
Every agent knows that the ten year
surrender clause is murderous in its
application. 1t should be granted
after two years. If the insuring public |
were acquainted with these facts via
the agent, there would be an imme- |
date wave of sympathy in his direc-
ton.
In his own interest the gent must |
organize to abolish the 'lapse and |
charge" system by means of which |
he is penalized and fined for condi- !
tons over which he has little con-
troll.
Abolish Times" System.
When the "times" system is done
away with practically all of the evils {
to which he is subjected will auto /
matically disappear. The fear Of the |
lapse charge gone he will no longer
work at night to maintain insurance
in force which was written years ago
by other agents and on which he re-
ceived no salary.