A.M.P. SOCIETY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 23 August 1901, Page 4

A.M.P. SOCIETY.

It is with pleasure that we chronicle the fact that the New Zealand branch of this society has on Ist July last attained its 30th anniversary. During the whole of this period Mr E. W. Lowe has been connected with the branch, first as Accountant and after a few years as Resident Secretary, and we heartily congratulate the local Board and himself on the magnificent results which have been attained through their able and energetic management. To these results the other members of the staff, both at the branch office in Wellington and at the various district offices throughout the colony, have also largely contributed. The hi« tory of the branch has been one of phenomenal and uninterrupted progress in spite of the keenest competition. So far back as the year 1854 a local agency was established at Auckland, and others subsequently in the other provincial centres. On Ist July, 1871, however, a branch of fice was inaugurated in Wellington with a Board Of local Directors. The total business in force throughout tho colony then consisted of 1,045 policies and assuring £496,790, with an annual premium income of £17,189. Since that date the business has proceeded by leaps and bounds and up to the end of last year there had been issued in all 51,145 policies Assuring £14,278,737, with annual premiums amounting to £469,037, while on 31st there were existing on the branch books 26 996 policies, assuring £7,428,138, irrespective of bonus additions, with annual premiums of £236,783. The invested Funds of the branch are now over £3,182,000 and tho total annual income, inclusive of interest, amounts to over £385,000. In view of the wonderful results disclosed by tho above figures it is insernsdng to recall tho following incident related by Mr Lowe, who states that when bidding farewell to Mr Ralston, the Sectetary from Head Office, Sydney, on the Wellington wharf after the establishment of the branch, he asked fdr some clerical assistance in consequence of the rush of new business, to which the reply was “Oh, the rush won’t last long. You know we shall be very plcascd'it you can send 25 completions every month.” Needless to say tho rush has continued ever since and shows no signs of slacking. In fact it is not too much to say that the Society’s name is a household word throughout the length and breadth of both islands, and that it occupies a foremost place among tbe financial institutions of New Zealand. A striking illustration of its wonderful progress may bo found in the fact that, with one exception, no ordinary British Life Office established within the last hundred years has ever amassed so largo a premium income at tho end of its thirtieth year as has been done by our Now Zealand branch alone within that period. Our local directors are, as everyone in Now Zealand knows, the Hon. Morgan S. Grace, M.D., C.M.G.. M.L.C., Chairman, the Hon. C. J. Johnston, M.L.C., Deputy Chairman, A. do B. Brandon, Esq., the Hon. E. Richardson C.M.G., M.L.0., and John Duncan, Es q.