GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 18, 24 August 1888, Page 18

GOVERNMENT LIFE INSURANCE.

«fr!n« \\ Go ; e «»cnt Life Insurance Department are ap. patently determine! to lose no opportunity of assailing it, whether 16th fnTT °H fO Knl'K nl ' telegr * m ' bOWCVer ' from Na P^, on th 16th instant, wh.ch was smuggled throagh the Press Association i 8i 8 carrying this sort of thing too far. In it the departmen we c Charged with refusing}* pay the claim of -'Percival BearV' poHcy On^fl ol^!^ ° mittei togivehlsflmtnanewhea Wing. On the face of it the charge was absurd. Yet it was one well calcutatedto cauße uneasmess in the minds of many who are not too well informed m such matters. We must certainly credit tbe Presa AHociationwith doing everything in their power to undo any mis chief which the untruthful telegram we refer to may have Zmci ■ince, after being satisfied that the story was an entire fabrication, they promptly circulated the correction afforded them by the claimant's solicitor, which was to the effect that he bad not yet put in a claim, and that the department retired only the ordinary proofß 0* death. Still there are doubtless many who saw the original

telegram slandering the department, who yet know nothing pf the correction, and, if this should unfortunately be the cane, much apprehension will be felt by many who are now reminded of an error or omission in their proposal. That these may rest perfectly assured concerning their contract with the offioe, we may state that no error in age, or omission of name, or, to be brief, nothing short of actual fraud, invalidates a Government policy. We doj not think a fairer on« could possibly be frameJ, and, without in any way disparaging the pnvate companies which are aeeking business in our Colony, we can without hesitation say that we consider the Government Life Insurance Department an institution we ahould be proud of in every way. In an amazingly short time it has become one of the most prominent and successful offices, not only in the colonies, but in the world. Its adherents claim that, considering the low rate of premium charged, its results are unequalled, and that on newer policies at a slightly higher rate of premium, which have been issued since October, 1885, the bonus is the largest paid by any office, although the premiums are still lower than those of its rivals. All things considered—amongst them, especially, the low rate of mortality here comparad with that of the other colonies (New Zealand about 10, average of Australian colonies about 16, in the 1000), a rising rate of interest in tbe Government Department as against a falling rate in many of its opponents, a public and pure administration of its affairs, and the local investment of its funds at a fair rate of interest on particularly easy terms— and we may fairly say that the Department has many claims for preference. Lasb year showed a marked increase in its business, and we learn with pleasure that this bids to be even more prosperous. We are especially gratified to learn that in our own district this has, notwithstanding the depression, been the most successful year the Department has ever experienced. We congratulate tbe management most cordially, and wish the office tke success we believe it to so thoroughly deserves.