The Waipawa Mail, Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tuesday, September, 11 1900. COLONIAL PRUDENCE.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXII, Issue 4102, 11 September 1900, Page 2

The Waipawa Mail, Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tuesday, September, 11 1900. COLONIAL PRUDENCE.

hie prevailing idea or a uolomai is that he is a thirsty, reckless, gambling individual, who enjoys himself to the top of his bent and has no regard for what the morrow will bring forth. We are a young nation (says the Review of Reviews ), planted on a new continent; and it might be supposed that under such conditions the faults of youth, in a somewhat exaggerated form, would exist amongst us. The typical Australian might be expected to be a somewhat effervescent character; with little prudence and much imagination, given to take risks lightly, and to have an unwise scorn for the more prudent virtues. But this does not seem to be the case. Mr Teece, an expert of high authority, shows, in an article in United Australia, that “ the colonial life offices operating in the various colonies have policies in existence covering assurances (including bonusos) for upwards of £100,000,000 and their accumulated funds probably amount to about £30,000,000.” Now a life insurance policy represents an effort of far-sighted and self-denying prudence and these figures seem to show that this virtue exists throughout Australia and Now Zealand in a very active form. The average of life insurance for the entire population of the colonies is something like £25 per head for every man, woman, and child ! It may be doubted whether in any other community, a similar average obtains ; and the life of the typical Australian is financially “ assured ” better than that of any other member of the human family. Is it possible that in the Australian character quite unlike virtues meet, and the gay audacity of youth dwells side by side with the meditative and anxious prudence of advanced years ? Or is it that the characteristic delight of the Australian in a gambling transaction sways him in the matter; and he regards his life assurance policy as being of the nature of a “ bet ” against his own life, by which, if he wins, not he himself, but his heirs, will profit?