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TOPICS.

STEPHEN F. WOODMAN, Boston, Mass.

WILLIAM G. CARROLL, Philadelphia, Pa.

A. J. BIRDSEYE, Hartford, Conn.

GEORGE A. BRINKERHOFF, New York, N. Y. E. G. RITCHIE, Indianapolis, Ind.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

CHARLES E. ADY, Omaha, Neb.
GEORGE H. OLMSTED, Cleveland, O.
J. PERLEY KILGORE, Worcester, Mass.
H. E. ALDRICH, Des Moines, Ia.
WILLIAM GOLDMAN, Portland, Ore.

CREDENTIALS.

GEORGE L. ROOT, Peoria, Ill.

CHARLES L. WHITFIELD, Newark, N. J.

W. J. ROBINSON, Buffalo, N. Y.
DANFORD M. BAKER, Chicago, Ill.

F. L. CHESNEY, Kansas City, Mo.

H. WIBIRT SPENCE, Grand Rapids, Mich.

TRANSPORTATION.

J. W. FITZPATRICK, Portland, Me.
M. H. GOODRICH, Baltimore, Md.

J. A. WELLMAN, Manchester, N. H.
WILLIAM V. HOLLEY, Los Angeles, Cal.
W. J. CAMERON, Birmingham, Ala.

F. T. RENCH, Canton, O.

THE PRESS.

JOHN F. BROWN, Erie, Pa.

GEORGE A. CANTINE, Newburg, N. Y.

C. W. ORR, Ft. Wayne, Ind.

B. H. TIMBERLAKE, Minneapolis, Minn.
FRANK WOOLLEY, Wilmington, Del.
R. S. CAMPBELL, Port Huron, Mich.
THOMAS J. STEWART, Toledo, O.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LIFE UNDERWRITERS.

The sixteenth annual meeting of the National Association of Life Underwriters, held in Hartford, Conn., Sept. 19, 20 and 21, was generally conceded to be the best ever held in the history of the association, the attendance being the largest ever recorded. President Dolph's address gave most interesting information relative to the work of the year and the present standing of the association, giving the membership as 2,032. Since the last convention, he stated, every one of the thirty-one local associations had renewed its membership in the National body; four associations were reinstated and ten new ones added, making a total membership now of forty-five associations, or a net gain for the year of fourteen.

Besides President Dolph's strenuous work for the association movement, Secretary Clark, Chairman Plummer of the executive committee and the other officers did valiant service, the report of Chairman Plummer calling forth special praise from the delegates on the floor of the convention. The selection of Hartford proved to have been most fortunate, officers of the local companies showing their interest in the National Association by their presence at the various sessions.

The papers presented were of high order, and the five minute discussions, as usual, formed a most interesting feature of the convention. That this part of the program was so successfully carried out was mainly due to the efforts of the chairman of the committee on topics, Mr. S. F. Woodman, who made all his arrangements in advance of the convention for able speakers to lead the discussions. Taken as whole, the National Association was never in better shape or the local bodies more enthusiastic as to the great benefits of the association movement to life underwriters generally.

The choice of the convention of a president for the ensuing year brought to that office one of the leading lights in the business, Mr. Charles W. Scovel, who, by his tact, ready wit and intelligence has won for himself the admiration and regard of the members, who feel that he is specially fitted to carry on the good work.

FIRST DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

MORNING SESSION.

The sixteenth annual convention of the National Association of Life Underwriters was called to order by President John Dolph on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 9:55 a. m., in Unity Hall, Hartford, Conn.

President Dolph-We will now open the sixteenth annual convention of the National Association of Life

Underwriters with prayer. The convention will please

rise. The Rev. Rockwell Harmon Potter will lead us in our devotions.

The convention then arose while Dr. Potter delivered the following invocation:

Almighty God our Heavenly Father, in whose hands are all the concerns of men; who watchest over all their doings and seekest to guide them in righteousness

unto those ends which Thou hast appointed. Undertaking any business, we lift our hearts unto Thee in prayer that Thou wouldst guide our hands and make clean our thoughts and give unto us right motives and ambitions, that all we say and all we do may be in accord with Thy purposes and may transgress none of Thy laws, but may be worthy to be sealed with Thine approval. We beseech Thee that Thou wilt guide and direct our nation; that Thou wilt bless the President of the United States and all those who hold authority over us. Give unto all our rulers, we beseech Thee, the spirit of righteousness; and unto all the people a spirit of obedience to the law and a desire to do Thy will. Grant, we beseech Thee, that the great concerns of the nation may be administered in wisdom and in honor. Let those who are our wisest and best men be always foremost among us to direct our work and our way, that so among us Thy Kingdom may be established, and Thy name shall have all glory. Hear our prayer and let Thy blessing direct us to Jesus Christ the Master of us all. Amen.

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President Dolph-My friends, you are to be congratulated this morning on the fact that we have with us the highest official of this great state, who I am sure will make us all feel at home, notwithstanding the state manufactures a very large percentage of the ammunition as well as most of the needles and pins that are made in this country. I am sure I can safely say on your behalf that we are highly honored by the presence of Governor Henry Roberts of the state of Connecticut whom I now have the pleasure of introducing. [Applause.]

Governor Roberts-Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Convention: It is an agreeable privilege to welcome the members of this association of underwriters to the commonwealth, where, I assure you, you will receive a most cordial reception. Among other interests on which Connecticut prides herself, none is more held in esteem than the business you represent. We live, especially in this city of Hartford, in an insurance atmosphere, and our companies located here are evidence of the large interests involved and the investment made in these undertakings. Singularly enough the first company in Connecticut, or rather co-partnership, located at Hartford, dealt principally in marine insurance, and if you are at all acquainted with our port, which is described in old geographies as "the head of sloop navigation on the Connecticut River," you will be inclined to be amused at the statement that the early beginning of the business of insurance in our state was that of marine insurance, for we have as a commonwealth only a limited water frontage and our ports are few in number. But there was, however, at that time, a considerable import trade done with Hartford from the West Indies, and that form of insurance was the first to attract the attention of our merchants. Marine insurance has for the most part disappeared in Connecticut, and as the outcome of this early venture there were established soon after our great fire, the Hartford and the Etna insurance companies, in 1810 and 1819

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