GOVERNMENT LIFE ASSURANCE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 605, 21 November 1873, Page 3

GOVERNMENT LIFE ASSURANCE.

Although there is no other social subject deserving of greater attention than that of life insurance ; yet. strange to say, there is not one to which it is more difficult to indune men to pay regard. No matter how plainly the advantages may he shown —however ably the cause may he advocated —yet all other topics will command interest save that. On Tuesday evening last, Mr Henry Clapcott, who has received the appointment of Travelling Suh-Commissioncr for the Government Assurance and Annuities (lately held hy Captain Baldwin) delivered a lecture, on the subject, in the Town Hall, Clyde, on the evening of Tuesday last. We regret to state there were not more than fifty persons present. It may he advanced as a reason for this poor attendance that the evening was wet. To this we reply, that the unpleasantness of the evening would not have prevented a good attendance for almost any other purpose. In the presi nt case, we were in-vited-without cost—to hear a matter in which we all should be greatly interested explained, and we Hi ad the guarantee of those who had previously heard Mr. Clapcott that his lecture would lie an able one. Besides this, it was advertised that, at the close of the more serious portion of the business, Mrc evening would {be brought to conclusion hy Mr. Clapcott 'giving selections from his readings which last winter became so popular in Dunedin, and with which all who have heard him sneak so well. Yet, notwithstanding all this, the audience was miserably small. Mr. Clapcott pointed out that the end and object of life assurance is to secure, at the least possible outlay, to the family of the insured or others having claims upon him. in the event of his death, however soon it may take place, the payment of a fixed sura of money which shall in some measure compensate them for the loss of the earnings of him upon whom they were accustomed to rely. That the reason the Government had undertaken the scheme was that, by offering, advantages which no insurance company whose object was the declaration of a dividend could tender, to induce all to insure, and thus provide maintenance for thousands who otherwise would become burdens on the State. The great wish of the Govormtnt is to persuade all married men in particular, or those likely to become so, to insure, and hy this means make provision for those dependent upon their father’s or husband’s labor if it should ha that he should be taken away from them. The lecturer pi anted out that to gain this end, a man might insure for any amount from 100/. up to 2,000/. for the benefit of himself, or for (he benefit, after his death, of his wife and family, and that the cost of making this provision would he at the rate of one shilling per week for each 100/,, a penny or two more or less according to age. The lecturer dwelt strongly upon the two following advantages : 1. If amaninsures for the benefit of his wife or wife and children, and causes this to be inserted in the propose! foim, the policy is protected immediately and absolutely from loss under (he Bankruptcy Act, so that, in the words of Mr. Clapcott, “aman, no matter what happens, who has effected a policy for' his wife and children, has secured them a blessing ■» hich not a soul can t ike from them 2. Policies are not forfeited or become void by the non-payment of a premium after the completion of its first year as long as its surrender value will insure -the amount of the policy. For example, a person aged forty, insured under a policy on which five annual payments had been mate, would not forfeit it on account of non-payment of premium until the expiration of five years and ciglitv-six days from the date of default, and that the policy could he renewed at any time within such term on paying up arrears, with interest at the rate of six per cent Or should rhe insured die while the policy is being I.cpt open, it would he paid just as though the premiums had been regularly met, the Government simply deducting from the amount of the policy the arrears, with int rest. Thus, if a man had been insured for only one year, and could not }iay the second year’s premium when due, even in this case, the policy would he kept open for him to recover himself for the space of one year and three davs. No policy need therefore be sacrificed in consequence of the pressure of any temporary loss of employment or monetary embarrassment. The Lecturet mentioned that now the insured were at liberty to travel when, where and how he pleased, and with the exception of the tropics, to live in any part of the world he might select without having first intimated his intention to the Commissioner, and without having to pay an extra sum—and that if away from this country, the annual, or half yearly, or quarterly premiums could he paid by tiro insured taking out an Order at the Post Office nearest to his residence paya’Me to the Post-master .at that office from which he first secured his Po'icy. Many other ad vantanes were spoken of, as no fees of any kind, other for entrance or medical examination haafing to he paid hy those insuring —hut our space will not admit of our mentioning more. Persons desirous of making themselves acquainted with the Government scheme have only to arplv a t an y Post Office, and they will hepresonted with a pamphlet con'aining all particulars. Mr. Clapcott at the close of his Lecture invited all to whom he had failed to make the matter clear to ask him questions,|the more he was called upon to [explain the greater pleasure he would feel, as he was a perfect believer in the benefits to be derived from insuring-nothing was more agreeable to him than to advoeate and advance to the .best of his ability the cause of Govemrridnt Life Assurance. Mr. Clapcott then read some of his selections, the first being an extract of Mark Twain’s called, “ curing a cold, then a most pathetic piece descriptive of the death of a young officer in the Crimea-these werefollowed by other read-

iirgs,'concluding with one of the ever amusing Caudle Lectures. Mr. Clapcott’s character as a Reader is too well established to need much remark ; we only regret that the Clyde people did not pay him the compliment of a larger attendance, and evince more interest than they showed in the matter of Life Insurance. On behalf of those who were present we thank our worthy Mayor for presiding, and Mr. Clapcottfor his Lecture as well as his Readings.