THE EQUITABLE NEWS AN AGENTS' JOURNAL No. 34 NEW YORK, OCTOBER "DO IT NOW." It That is the motto hung under every clock in a big factory in America. would be a good motto to print on the dial of every watch and clock in Christendom. Half of life's sad omissions, half of its regrets would be saved if we did things the moment we are reminded of them. Sometimes, to be sure, it is impossible to do a thing on the instant. In such cases our duty is to bear it in mind until the earliest possible moment when we are at liberty and then go and do it. But fully one-half of the obligations we think of, but do not fulfill at once, are among the things that might have been done immediately. Our postponing them is not for a better opportunity, but simply for readier inclination. "Do it now." You will save time-you may save deep regret. So much of life's ever-accumulating duty will have been discharged ere it has become a reproach and a subject of dread. The joy of duty promptly done is worth all that it costs. No habit is better worth cultivating. Is there any task undone for which the present moment, unless otherwise employed, affords a fitting opportunity? Why, then, postpone that instant duty? Do it now! STICK IT OUT. 1902 However dark the path you view, night Without a welcome ray of light, O'er every obstacle advance The spirit with inherent strength However dark the way you view, NOTHING LIKE OIL. "In dealing with man, remember that a spoonful of oil will go farther than a gallon of vinegar." Mother-Tommy, a little bird tells me that you helped yourself to cake while I was out. Tommy (aside)-I'll wring that parrot's neck. An DIVIDENDS MAY BE TOO BIG. editorial in the Insurance Press says: "A remarkable volume of statistics, compiled by a master hand, is B. F. Brown's book just issued. Mr. Brown notes the reluctance of life insurance companies to cut down dividends, and intimates that this reluctance has led some of them into extravagances. He says: The exhibits of seven companies, mostly of the lesser rank, show that within the short space of five years they have paid or apportioned dividends to an amount exceeding by more than $2,700,000 the combined earnings of the five preceding years (1896 1900); and, further, that should the dividends of the present year aqual in amount those of the last, they will exceed the entire apportionable earnings of 1901 ($2,171,879) by no less than $1,074,000. On the other hand, these companies stand credited with offsetting gains to surplus by appreciation of securities, etc., to an amount which as a whole considerably more than covers the combined actual and possible over-payments. Making all due allowance for the last-named fact this is obviously not a showing upon which congratulations are in order. In effect it amounts to the substitution of an intangible and unproductive asset for so much hard cash; meaning, of course, impaired strength and decreased earning power-a sort of burning the candle at both ends, as it were. It requires no critical eye to detect that more than one of these companies are subjecting their resources to serious strain. The logical ending if the process were continued long enough needs no pointing out. These views of Mr. Brown, endorsed by the Insurance Press, are sound. Those charged with the management of life assurance companies have grave responsibilities; and when dividends are paid on the old-fashioned annual dividend plan, the officers should err, if at all, on the safe side. But in this connection it must be remembered that one of the chief advantages of the deferred dividend plan of apportioning surplus is that at the end of the Accumulation Period each policyholder may safely be given his full share of surplus profits, whatever that share may be, even if with lower interest and changed conditions the tendency continues to be steadily downwards. The reason each policy can be given its full share under this plan is because out of the hundreds of thousands of policies outstanding, comparatively few reach the dividend period in any one year; and a very small portion of the surplus is needed to pay these few dividends. Thus matters can be readjusted from time to time according to the experience of the company. Meanwhile no real encroachment is made upon the strength of the institution. The surplus earned compensates for the comparatively small amount paid out each year. WHERE THEY FALL DOWN. Smith-Women are rapidly assuming all the posi tions formerly occupied by men. Jones-Yes, but there is one vocation in which they fail to score. Smith-What is that? Jones-Soliciting life insurance. They invariably talk a man to death before getting him assured.— Chicago News. We respectfully beg to take exception to the above piece of jocular newspaperism. Some of the most efficient producers of the Equitable are of the gentler sex, and neither before nor after the applications were secured have we noticed any excessive mortality among their assurants. Such shining lights as Miss Law and Mrs. Ray Sundelson, of New York; Mrs. Shaal, of Boston; Mrs. McCready, of Pittsburg; Miss Thurston, of Spokane, Wash., and many others are living examples of the successful twentieth century life assurance woman. Someone once asked an old soldier about the most dangerous time in warfare. "Well," he said, "a great many lives have been lost because soldiers have concluded too soon that they had won the victory. The enemy is likely to rally more than once after he has been hit." In the warfare of getting applications (and in most cases it is a veritable fight), the greatest danger of losing the battle is when the agent almost gets the application and then goes away, to "close" the deal some other day. The fight is never won until the premium has been paid and the policy delivered, and the only sure way to cap the climax of an interview is to close the case on a Binding Receipt. Some men are like the moon, they can only throw out a reflected light; others, like the sun, shine with a radiance all their own. It is better to be sometimes deceived than always suspicious. Paley. TWO FORCED SALES. Sale No. I. In December of last year I canvassed Mr. H., of , and induced him, greatly against his will, to take out a $10,000 limited payment life policy. He believed the premium of $383 to be so much money wasted, and if it had not been for the urgent request of his wife, in addition to my solicitation, the policy would never have been taken. Within six months afterwards Mr. H. died of pneumonia, and left practically nothing outside of his life assurance. His wife, however, will now be comfortably provided for throughout the remainder of her life. Sale No. 2. A short while after I closed the above case I interviewed a Mr. S-, in a neighboring town. Mr. S was a retired manufacturer and considered pretty well to do. He had a wife and three daughters, all dependent upon him, but he was not carrying a dollar of life assurance. I tried to convince him that it would be to his advantage to take out a policy, especially as all his money was tied up in real estate and long term farm mortgages. He was obstinate, however, and ridiculed my strongest arguments. So I left him. Three months had not elapsed before I read of Mr. S's sudden death. Since then, an interval of only a month or two, I have learned that a large part of his real estate has been sold at a tremendous sacrifice in order to raise the funds necessary to hold the remainder of his property together, and pay the expenses incidental to his demise. Of these two forced sales, which was the best for the parties interested? A. R. STUDY IN GREEN, A green little boy In a green little way, Ate a green little apple One hot summer's day. Now the little green grasses Tenderly wave O'er the green little apple boy's Green little grave. -Buffalo News. A. UHLFELDER. Mr. Augustus Uhlfelder, whose picture we reproduce above, is the Society's manager for the State of Alabama, with headquarters at Montgomery. Having never lived anywhere but in that city Mr. Uhlfelder not only feels at home in his field, but feels that his field is his home. Before entering the profession of life assurance Mr. Uhlfelder engaged in the dry goods business, in which vocation he rose from an office boy to the position of cashier and afterward salesman for one of the largest concerns in the city. Not satisfied with his opportunities, however, he decided to enter business for himself, and in 1887 formed a partnership with his brother in the real estate and insurance business. Owing to the death of his brother a few years later Mr. Uhlfelder engaged exclusively in the life assurance business, and has continued therein ever since. His first contract with the Society was made in April, 1897, when he assumed the management of the Montgomery agency. From that date until this the business from his agency has shown a steady increase, and his business for 1902 promises greatly to exceed that of any preIvious year in the history of the agency. Mr. Uhlfelder is highly respected as a citizen of Montgomery and takes great interest in that city's welfare, being a leading member of several local organizations and a prominent factor in all social movements. DIARY OF R. PEPPER, OUR IRASCIBLE AGENT. August 1.-G. Rockwell has been elected President of the First National Bank. [Get strong introduction and make appointment.] August 3-Appointment with Rockwell for the 5th, at 4 P. M. [Fill out application and miniature policy for $100,000.] August 5.-Sent John Jacobs with letter and proposition to Rockwell. August 6.-John Jacobs reports that Rockwell has all the assurance he wants. Jacobs failed, of course, to find out how much he carries. Told him he wasn't worth his salt, and advised him to find a job on a horse car. Called up Rockwell on telephone and said: "I must apologize for not keeping my appointment yesterday. Gout in left foot-can't leave my office. Sorry you didn't care to consider my proposition, but you're the best judge about your own affairs. However, I haven't called you up about that; I want to ask you a favor. I'm getting up a list of patrons of life assurance. I only want men of prominence who carry large amounts. Can I use your name?........ You only carry $5,000? Jacobs told me you had all the assurance you wanted-but he's a fool. By the way, is that furnished house of yours on Jay Street insured?...... For $10,000? Good! And you rent it for $500? And if it should burn up you'd be fully protected by the insurance?........ Well, that's all right, anyway. And if you should burn up-I mean if you should die-your family would be fully protected by your $5,000 policy, which would yield an income of $250 a year; and as you are worth to your family about half what your house is worth to you, you ought to feel perfectly satisfied, and "Oh, you hadn't looked at it in that way? Of course not-I knew that young man Jacobs couldn't carry a straight message. I knew you needed more assurance, and that you'd be afraid to go to bed without it after the matter had been properly brought to your attention... "Yes, sign the application that Jacobs left with you, and send it with your check for the amount of premium stated in the blank.... "No, it doesn't make any difference what kind of a policy you take, so long as you are assured. If you don't like the one you get I'll change it. But you will like it, because I've picked out the form that'll suit you best.. "Yes, I'll send our doctor round this afternoonyou're sure to pass-and if you die to-night your tamily will receive $100,000 sure........ No, not at all, thank you. Good by." After finishing up with Rockwell, I delivered a short lecture to John Jacobs, who had heard my end of the telephone conversation. Here are some of the things I said to him: "Feel a little mortified, don't you? The trouble with you is that you're dead! You've got to come to life if you're going to be a life assurance agent; and you've got to have more nerve than a rabbit if you expect to succeed. A life assurance agent assumes heavy responsibilities. If they make you tired, get out of the way, and let some other man do the lifting. Suppose I had taken your word for it that Rockwell had all the assurance he needed, and suppose he had died and left his widow and orphaned children unprovided for? Who would have been to blame for it? You-you, John Jacobs-for neglect of duty!" KEEP A-TRYING. Say "I will!" and then stick to it- With your sighing. Stand erect, and like a man Had Columbus, half seas o'er Nixon Waterman in Saturday Evening Post. |