The investigation, which has just been completed, concerned the causes of premature deaths in the last 25 years among the 2,000,000 policy holders of 43 leading insurance companies. The object of the investigation was to determine which types of persons could be insured safely at regular rates, which ones should pay extra premiums, and which ones should be refused. The results were given by Arthur Hunter, chairman of the bureau that made the investigation.
"If the Government of Russia carries out its present intention to abolish permanently all forms of alcoholic beverages, the saving in human life will be enormous," said Mr. Hunter. "The loss of 500,000 men as the result of the present warfare could be made good in less than ten years through complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages by all the inhabitants of Russia.
"Among saloon proprietors, whether they attended the bar or not, there was an extra mortality of 70 per cent., and the causes of death indicated that a free use of alcoholic beverages had caused many of the deaths. The hotel proprietors who attended the bar, either occasionally or regularly, had as high a mortality as the saloon keepers.
"Among the men who admitted that they had taken alcohol occasionally to excess in the past, but whose habits were considered satisfactory when they were insured, there were 289 deaths, while there would have been only 190 deaths had this group been made up of insured lives in general. The extra mortality was, therefore, over 50 per cent."
Cardinal Gibbons says: "Reform must come from within," and he opposes prohibition; but there is no question but what prohibition is the right thing as has been proved, for in some persons the only thing "within" is alcohol and ignorance.
SOCIETY is about our only hope. Lord Bacon wrote the first half of a book on this subject of an ideal society or community, and he described as a first requisite his "SOLOMON'S HOUSE," a college or school where NATURAL SCIENCE was taught.
Thomas More portrayed the same ideas in his "UTOPIA," a beautiful island where ideal laws and conditions prevailed. Campanella also had an idea in his "CITY OF THE SUN."
Where temptation is removed better conditions exist, for human nature always wavers and no one is permanently wise. The lad in the country is healthier than the one in the city. Why? Because there are less temptations in the country.
What is it that perfects animals but forcing proper rules upon them?