Inasmuch as the object or aim of a local underwriters' association is to cultivate a more intimate acquaintance and friendly relationship among the members, and thus enable them to co-operate in an endeavor to eliminate the evil practices that have attended the growth of the business, it would seem that every man and woman en

gaged in the profession should be considered eligible to membership.

On reflection, however, one will soon discover that such broadminded liberality is not practicable.

The time allotted (five minutes) to each one for the discussion of this topic gives little opportunity to go into details, therefore, I will state briefly my own conclusions (with which doubtless many of you will dissent) and leave it for those who follow, to point out where I am in error, and at the same time, better and more clearly

define the "indispensable qualifications.

The first essential qualification, I believe, is, that the member represent a legitimate life insurance company; you know what I mean; a level premium, old line company, that is fairly entitled to the respect and confidence of insurance officials, fieldman and the public.

The man who connects himself with one of the too numerous class of companies or associations that operate under questionable plans or methods which must eventuate in disappointment to patrons and the shattering of the confidence of the community in life insurance to some degree, should have no place in a life underwriters' association.

The members of the association cannot pretend to respect the company he represents; he surely is not comfortable and certainly he is not useful to the association. Much more might be said on this line.

The second essential qualification is, to my mind, a reputable man; one whose character and personality entitle him to the respect of his fellow members and the community in general; but, one member may not or should not be expected to measure up to the standard of

some other member who is hypercritical in his requirements.

If the righteous only are to be admitted, then I fear that the membership of some of the associations is too large already.

I may be permitted to suggest that a life underwriters' association is neither a school of reform nor an exclusive social club; it is, in fact, in part, a combination of both and more, and so long as evils exist in relation to the character of insurance companies, or their method of doing business, either as to officials, general agents, superintendents or fieldmen, our organization, composed of members that measure up to the standard indicated, will continue to be a necessity to the insurance world. Edmund R. Ward, Pittsburg, Pa.-Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: "What Qualifications Should Be

Considered Indispensable in a Can

didate for Membership in a Life Underwriters Association."

Let me answer in one word, character; and by character is meant something which while difficult to define, is very real, I might say almost tangible; it is what is demanded in the presi dent of a bank, in the teacher, and in the college professor; it is what society demands in the judge in the court of justice; it is what society demands of the clergyman at the altar.

Character means that a man shall square by every just measurement of civilized society; it means self-respect, with respect for the rights of others; it means honor, and a clean life.

In that splendid code of ethics given by old Polonius to his son Laertes, which is unequalled for brevity and wisdom, he puts at the very head and front, character.

In life insurance, ladies and gentlemen, it is our duty to demand that a candidate for admission into our association shall be a man of character. The man who enters into an agreement with me, to fulfill a trust to my widow and orphans is making a sacred contract, and he

should be a man of sound judgment, good character and well versed in his profession.

The banker must be skilled in finance; the judge must be trained in law; the teacher must have something to teach, and the clergyman must be trained in religion, and in like manner on this foundation of character; the agent must be trained, and a lawful member of his profession.

An underwriters' association should be so conducted as to aid in raising the moral standard of our business, but only to that degree in which it is careful in the selection of its membership, will be successful. The member who lacks character, exerts an unholy influence upon those about him, lowers the moral standard of the association, and creates in the minds of the laymen an impression that the whole business is degraded to the level of the bad agent.

The man who draws an advance from the general agent who teaches him the business, then when he has learned enough about it to enable him to make money, leaves that general agent and goes to another without first repaying the advance to the man who taught him the business, and was his benefactor, should not be admitted to membership in a life underwriters' association. "An honest man is the noblest work of God"; therefore, I shall not attempt to fully define him; but my candidate must be commercially honest enough to pay his honest debts, and especially the advance made him by the general agent who went to the trouble and expense of teaching him the business.

A life insurance company to be successful must be careful in the selection of its risks; so a life underwriters' association, to be successful, must be careful in the selection of its membership.

John W. Schell, Philadelphia, Pa -Mr. President and Gentlemen: "What Qualifications Should Be Considered Indispensable in a Candidate for Membership in a Life Underwriters' Association?"

Before attempting to give an answer to this question, I would ask you to note the condition of the life insurance business previous to the starting of these associations and what have been considered the necessary qualifications for membership in the past.

If we can believe the reports which have come down to us, nearly every man then connected with the sale of life insurance was an Ishmaelite. "Get business,

was his motto, whether by fair means or foul, no matter, and if he failed to get it he did not fail to so blacken the reputation of every other agent and company that the prospect came to believe like the psalmist that "All men are liars."

The selling of life insurance as a business had sunken to such a low level that the very name of life insurance agent had become one to be sneered at. It was at this critical stage of the business that a few of the better agents joined hands for the correction of these gross evils and organized the first life underwriter's association.

Their task was one almost herculean, and it was justifiable that they at that time admitted very few besides general agents, and those only after the most searching inquiry as to their character and the character of the company they represented.

With the condition of affairs which then existed even the most sanguine were skeptical of accomplishing much and it is not suprising that they had failed utterly to conceive the great possibilities for good of life underwriters' associations. But, as the years went on and it was found that the lamb could lie down with the lion without fear of being eaten up, efforts, I believe very weak ones, were made to increase their numbers by trying to get more general agents, those who were congenial and who had never been very aggressive to become members.

Taking into account the small field in which they have tried to work it is indeed remarkable what great results have been accomplished. I use the term small field, because no apparent effort has been made to get into these associations all the general agents and least of all effort has been made toward getting into them the real, live, active force it is necessary for them to control, viz.: the men in the field. When I say that every general agent

has under him ten or more fieldmen, I think it is well within the average, so that we witness the strange spectacle of an army of generals and but few privates; and yet it is these very privates who are causing nine-tenths of the trouble life underwriters' associations are trying so hard to remedy, and without whose co-operation at most, but partial success only can be attained.

But a new era has dawned, and it is now generally admitted that the work of life underwriters' associations will not be fully accomplished until every man carrying a rate book and representing a legal reserve company is enrolled as an active member of an association. It is the dawning of this new era which has brought forth this question, "What Qualifications Should Be Considered Indispensable in a Candidate for Membership in a Life Underwriters' Association?"

I believe the mission of life underwriters' associations are not unlike that of the Christian church in the sense that they should be organized for the purpose of converting the bad man into a good man, or at least into a better man. The prime requisite today for membership in the Christian church, is an open declaration on the part of the individual that he at least is going to try to live a better life, and he joins the church, not that this act alone will make him a good man, but that he may have the power of a good example always before him and enjoy the bnefits of meeting men who are known to lead upright lives and profit by their example. It would be a strange church today, which would restrict its membership to those only who are perfect, and it seems to me it is a strange life underwriters' association which restricts its membership to those only whose past conduct from an insurance standpoint has been absolutely above suspicion. The fundamental principle of the church today is to save that which was lost, and the fundamental principle of life underwriters' associations today should be to gather within their folds every man connected with the sale of old line life insurance. Until such principle becomes a living fact we cannot expect_rebating, twisting and maligning to become obsolete. I am firm in the belief that we can do more with a man in an association than out of it, and it seems to me here is our opportunity to show just what these associations are good for. So,