The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-02-28
Com nlGnt
WORTHWHILE AND
OTHERWISE, ON MAT
TIERS IMPORTANT and
UNIMPORTANT


In the past one hundred years there
have been 10000 deaths in marine dis
asters in the whole world But in the
past three years there have been $4,000
deaths in auto accidents in the United
States alone. Some $4,000 were killed
and $4,000 injured during the past
year. Fog, rain, snow, and wet pave
ments are just excuses, for 81 out OF
every 100 auto accidents occur in clear
weather, and "a out of every 100 on dry
roads. TWo-thirds of all driving mis-
.haps involve driving errors, but pedes-
TRANS pay the highest price in loss of
life, some al out of each 100 fatalities
Some SIG per cent of drivers in ac-
cidents were under the influence of
per cent in 1883, an increase of one
third. Three out of four cars involved
in accidents are in poor mechanical
condition The rate of death during
darkness is several hundred per cent
greater than in daylight The hour be-
fore midnight is the most dangerous,
that between 10 and II a. m. the least
hazardous.
If you think our cities are up-to-
date, consider the results Of recent
survey by the A. T. and T. Of some
two and half million homes in SIS
leading cities One-half the homes had
no central heating One-quarter had
no bathrooms. One-fifth had no indoor
toilets. One-quarter of the homes had
neither gas nor electricity for cooking.
and almost one in ten did not even
have running water
: = :
During these dismal years since the
great prosperity boom broke, one line
of business has made a very favorable
showing. 1t is that of life insurance.
During 1884 the life insurance com
panies Of the United States paid or
credited to policyholders and their
beneficlaries the sum Of S2,7OO 900 900
under the various benefits provided by
their policy forms. Of this total no less
than $1,000 100000 was paid to living
policy holders. One report covering this
subject says;
These figures indicate what a tre-
mendous factor the business Of life in
surance is in the economic life Of the
nation. They do not represent the ac-
cumulations Of the rich, but the in
dividual property of the ordinary citi-
zen-the average policy amounting to
approximately $4,000. These funds are
the savings Of the thrifty classes Of
the nation and represent what is to
the individual probably the most i'm
portant single investment that he has,
because they have been created for the
protection Of his family, the educa-
ton Of his children and the security
Of his and their old age That these
individuals are willing to make these
present sacrifices for the sake OF future
benefits speaks well for the Character
OF our citizens. In the development Of
these ideas of protection and old age
insurance the business of life insurance
may, | think, take some credit for its
contribution towards the building I'D
OF the greatest asset that any nation
can possess, namely high standard of
character among its citizens as evil
denced by sense of individual re
sponsibility."
Here are some interesting figures to
ponder over when you are considering
the question Of old age pensions.
During the past 10 years the number
OF persons 65 years or older in the
United States has doubled, there being
100000 Of them at the time of the last
census. BY 1870 there will be $1,000 900
Of this age group, and by the year 1000
almost 20 million, according to ex-
perts who figure out those things. IT
is estimated that the country will at
tain stationary population in 20 or rs
years and that by the end Of the CEN
fury we shall have stable distribution
OF age groups--one-eighth of the popu-
lation being 65 or over. Dry figures.