{97}
CHAMBERS’S JOURNAL
OF
POPULAR
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.
CONTENTS
HOW LIFE-OFFICES PAY THEIR DEATH-CLAIMS.
BY MEAD AND STREAM.
FAMILIAR SKETCHES OF ENGLISH LAW.
TWO DAYS IN A LIFETIME.
A PEEP AT THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
MISCHIEF DONE BY GOOD-NATURED PEOPLE.
SIX LITTLE WORDS.
No. 7.—Vol. I.
Price 1½d.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1884.
HOW LIFE-OFFICES PAY THEIR DEATH-CLAIMS.
The difficulty and delay in obtaining payment of the sumassured, when death occurred, was at one time urged as an objectionagainst the system of life-assurance; but of late years the percentageof cases in which this objection could hold good has been reduced toa mere fraction, and offices now vie with each other in facilitatingprompt and satisfactory settlement. This and other materialimprovements in the practice of life-assurance which have been recentlyintroduced, have tended to obviate many popular objections, and greatlyto increase the number of the assured. While it is sadly true thatthere are thousands of homes in our country without adequate protectionagainst the suffering and distress which the death of the bread-winnerwould entail, it is gratifying to find that by means of existingpolicies a provision has been made to the extent of four hundred andthirty-five millions sterling, for the maintenance and comfort of thewidows and orphans of the future, and this amount does not include whatis known as industrial business. It is difficult to realise withouta strong effort of the imagination what a vast alleviation of thesum of human misery is shadowed forth in the fact just stated. Thehumble cottage of the artisan, and the stately hall rich with heraldicemblazonry, are alike destined to draw comfort and solace from thisbeneficent treasury.
We do not propose to give the history of life-assurance, or, at thistime of day, to demonstrate the great advantages of the system, butto give some information which may be useful and interesting to thevast brotherhood of persons who have already availed themselves, orwho intend to avail themselves, of its benefits. Notwithstanding thevigorous efforts put forth by more than a hundred competing officesto give their terms publicity, there are still men to be found whohave very crude ideas of what life-assurance is and does. One manin all seriousness proposed to join one of our Scottish offices,thinking he could draw half the sum at