A. M. P. SOCIETY.

Grey River Argus, Volume 57, Issue 10520, 23 August 1901, Page 4

A. M. P. SOCIETY.

NEW ZEALAND BRANCH. It is with pleasure that we chronicle the fact of New Zealand Branch of this Society having 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 heartliy 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 been largely contributed. The history of the branch has been one of phenomenal and uninterrupted progress in spite of thekeenest competition. So far back as the year 1854 a local agency was established at Auckland, arid others subsequently inj the other provincial centres. On Ist July, 1871, however, a branch office was inaugurated in Wellington with a Board of local Directors. The total business in force throughout the colony then consisted of 1,045 policies assuring L 496,790, with an annual premium income of 117,189. 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 L 14,278,707 with r V annual premiums amounting to \J L 469,037, while on 31st December last / there were still existing on the branch books 26,996 policies assuring L 7,428,138, irrespective of Bonus additions, with annual premiums, of - L 237,783. The invested Funds of the branch are now over -L 3,182,000 and the total annual income inclusive of interest amounts to over L 387,000. In view of the wonderful results disclosed by the above figures it is interesting to recall the following incident related by Mr Lowe, who states that when bidding farewell to Mr. Ralston, the ■:.- Secretary from Head Office, Sydney, on ' the Wellington wharf 'after the establishment of the branch, he asked for 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 pleased if you can send up 25 completions every month." Needless to say the rush has continued- ever since and shows no signs of slackening. 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 the financial institutions of New Zealand, j A striking illustration of its wonderful progress may be found in the fact that, with oneexception, no ordinary-British Life Office established within the last hundred years has ever amassed so large a pi-emium income at the end of "itsthirtieth yearashasbeen doneby our, ...New Zealand branch alone within that period. Our local Directors are, as everyone in New Zealand knows, the Hon. Morgan S. Grace, M.D., ■Q.M.G., M.L.C., Chairmanj the Hon. C. J. Johnston, M,L.a, Deputy Chainnanj