The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 95, 24 April 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1877.

Dk. Watts of pious memory has assured us that— - Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do. The truth of this is so generally acknowledged that it would be as useless to question it .13 itis unnecessary to say a word ia its support. It may, however, be as well to state that it has recently received practical recognition by a body of men, who, of all others, we should have least expected to be exposed to the attacks of the great enemy of mankind on account of their hands or heads being idle. What with the inauguration of a new system of Government, the conduct of native aifair3, and the grave question how matters are to be carried on in the face of a revenue falling at the rate of £80,000 a year, one would have thought that the New Zealand Executive had quite enough to do to keep them out of mischief, but such does not appear to be their own opinion. Evidently they have some unoccupied time, and dreading the consequences of idleness, as foretold by the worthy Doctor, they have formed themselves into a Tract Society, and now devote their spare moments to the compilation and distribution of pamphlets, the subject of which is Life Insurance. We regret being compelled to offer unfavorable criticism upon the result of well intentioned work, voluntarily undertaken, but we must say that in looking at the little publications before us we are much struck with their lack of originality. The style is partly that of the religious tract, on the title page of which is some startling enquiry such as " Where are you going to?" " Who's your father?" and so on, and partly that adopted by a celebrated advertiser, whose name has of late been constantly before the public. Thus, for instance, on the cover of the two little works at present under notice we find in big type the words "Be Wise In Time!" "Looking Toward The Future!" which it must be admitted are sufficiently sensational to attract the attention of the most indifferent. They are published by "James Hughes, printer, Lambton Quay, Wellington," and there is nothing at the outset to show that they are issued under the auspices of any particular Company or Department. The first twelve pages are devoted to anecdotes bearing upon, , and arguments in favor of, life insurance generally, and it is not until the last of these pages lias been turned tbat the real object of the little tracts is ascertained. Then do we experience ihe same surprise that has so often awaited us at the end of an interesting little newspaper paragraph, where we have been unexpectedly met by the now wearisome words " Udolpho Wolfe's Aromatic Schiedam Schnapps." So here on the thirteenth page there suddenly bursts upon us the announcement that the "New Zealand Government Life Insurance Department" does so and so. Then for the first time do Aye find that we have been tricked iuto reading a meretricious advertisement by that august body, the New Zealand Government. The contents of these tracts may be briefly summed up. 'I hey consist of some forcibly written paragraphs on the advantages of life insurance, some very wishywashy anecdotes showing how people bave been induced to insure and the great benefits that have been derived by the widows and families of those who have taken out policies and quotations from Scripture which, scein^ that the object of the pamphlets is simply to bring money into the Treasury chest, might have been omitted with advantage Of the latter, the following is a fair sample- — " The great Apostle, St. Paul, gave as a reason why certaiu things should be done that * None of us liveth to himself.' This was a noble utterance. The very genius and essence of Christianity is living for others. The same writer declares that ' if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own hou.e, he hath denied tbe faith aud is worse than an infidel.' " The writer then proceeds to apply this to the subject of life insurance. One specimen of the little anecdotes with which the tracts abound, and we havo done:— <■' Iv 1818, ia an eastern city,

a clergyman was solicited to insure his life" He was thirty-two years of age, received a fair salary, and had two children, both sons. He had never thought of the subject until the agent accosted him, and then, as he afterwards expressed it, it seemed as if such an act would be expressive of doubting the divine providence. Consequently he declined; but, on opening his Bible a few days afterward, his eye fell on the words, 'A good man leaveth an inheritance;' and he became so impressed by them that he determined to deliver a sermon upon improvidence, using these words for a text. The agent referred to was present and listened to the sermon. The next day he sought an interview with the clergyman, and tried to prove to him that providing an inheritance for children partook of the nature of a command. The result was the insuring of the clergyman's life to the amount of £1400." This merely shows what a smart agent may do with a weak man who professes to have made up his mind on a particular subject without giving it full consideration. Any further value that the little story may possess we are unable to see. Now we do not wish any of our remarks to be construed into an attack upon life insurance, the advantages of which we in no way undervalue, but we do object to the Government of the^ colony touting for business in this undignified manner. No one believes for a moment that the Governnientare one bit more anxious that a man should insure his life merely for the benefits to be derived by bis widow and children, than is the most importunate agent of a professedly money-makinc Society or Company when he- button-holes and worries some unfortunate individual without the slightest regard to common decency or propriety. What the Government want is to get hold of the premiums, but the manner in which they have set to work to secure the coveted money is not calculated to raise them in the estimation of the people of the colony.