White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-11-30
ANY INSURANCE RISK
INTERESTS BRITISH
Many Queer Policies Are
Written by Firms.

often called upon to issue policies
that are hardly distinguishable from
bets, and this is nowhere truer than
in London, where the example of
Lloyds, noted for being willing to
quote premium on any possible fll-
tnre event, is followed by many other
companies.
The only stipulation most of them
make is that the person taking out
the policy shall have a genuine insur-
able interest, which means that he
will lose money If the event insured
against occurs.
Under this system London the
atrical promoter recently took out a
policy insuring the lives of the royal
family, on the ground that a period
of national mourning would cause the
closing of theaters. Insuring against
twins is fairly common, while breach
of promise, loss of bets on horse
races, bad weather during vacations
and elopements cause the writing of
many policies.
Figuring Premiums.
Insuring the stability of foreign
governments gives the political ex
perts in an insurance company a
steady job figuring premiums. The
life of the late czar of Russia was
insured for more than $5,OO0,OOO by
various English business men with in
terests in Russia. Hundreds of pol
icies were issued to Anglo-Germ
traders when German finances sky.
rocketed so suddenly. One policy has
even been issued insuring the finan.
cial solvency of the British govern
ment, but the company which issued
it considered the premium paid more
or less in the nature of a gift.
Sometimes the underwriters are
hard put to calculate the probaJili-
ties of an event occurring, on Which
the premium rate is based. How.
for instance, did they figure out the
chances of three barrels Of altar of
roses on Bulgarian estate which
were insured against possible destruc-
tion by the invading Serbs? How did
they compute the possibilities of sui
eide when a creditor asked to be in
sured against losing his money If his
debtor took his own life? Policies
we're issued to cover both these con
tingencies.
Insurance against election risks is
common. The insurance companies
will make money If the government
chosen at the next general election
has a good majority; but if it is re
turned with so slight an advantage
that a new election will have vto b.
called soon, the Underwriters will!
have to pay for the losses that al
ways occur in the business retardatiOn
that goes with elections. Failure of
electric current is Frequent source
of business for insurance companies.
but records of generating stations
make it comparatively easy to figure
the probabilities when theater pro
prietOr asks to be insured against his
light failing him.
About once q month we read tales
of dancers insuring their legs. film
stars their weights, or pianists their
fingers. Sometimes these tales read
suspiciously like publicity, and we
feel that the actress who insures u
particular di1np1e for an absurd
amount, or who seeks some still IN
insured part of her anatomy to sup
port a new policy, is activated rather
by the thought of newspaper head
lines than any real forebodings.
Hat insured Against Wind.
This would hardly be the case, how
ever, in such an example as that OF
Professor Huxley, whose eyesigtt was
insured for S25,OOO, or kubelik. who
valued his bow hand at $4,000. Per
haps one Of the oddest-and that we
should hesitate to say was not con
tracted with an eye to the newspapers
was the policy taken out by Cecie
Sorel. who insured hat studded with
diamonds and emeralds against the
risk of being blown overheard during
an Atlantic voyage. 1t would have
been cheaper not to have worn 1t on
stipboard.
Aside from the policy guaranteeing
the sOlvency of the British govern
ment, perhaps the safest on record
was the one insuring famous family
against the expiration of the family
name. When the policy was taken Out
there we're &C persons bearing thai
name. and there seemed no possibility
of a lack of heirs