mall comparative cost, and the ease with which payments
can be made in small amounts. More than sixteen hundred thousand of the
citizens of this country are now availing themselves of its advantages,
as against about six hundred thousand in level premium companies while
the former represent more than thirty-seven hundred millions of
insurance, as against about fifteen hundred millions represented by the
latter.

The disbursements of assessment companies to families of deceased
members reach the munificent sum of more than twenty-two millions of
dollars annually. The national organization of Mutual Benefit Assessment
Associations of America is exerting a most healthful influence in
elevating the standard of those companies that comprise its membership.
It embraces organizations from all of the principal States of the Union,
and its influence is strongly on the side of scientific and conservative
methods and practices.

To be eligible to membership, a company must have its rates of
assessment graded according to one, or the combined standard mortality
tables, take proper precautions in selection of risks, protect new
members at any time in its history against an excessive number of
assessments, either by increasing the rate of assessment with advancing
years or by accumulating a fund in lieu of advancing rates, will make a
full exhibit of its policy data annually to the Convention. This
standard upon its publication, compelled favorable recognition upon the
part of level premium journals.

Thus assessment insurance has gradually placed itself upon a higher and
more scientific basis, until it has commended itself to the most
intelligent and thoughtful, and in its wonderful growth outstripped its
older and less popular rival, until its obligations to the families of
the insured exceed those of level premium insurance to the amount of
about two thousand millions of dollars.

A Bureau of Insurance has been established under the auspices of the
National Organization whose object is to gather and compile statistics
relating to all phases of assessment insurance, such as the experience
of companies with agents and medical examiners, the comparative cost of
carrying various classes of risks and in short, everything in the
practical working of the business by the companies comprising its
membership, that may furnish data for a more scientific basis, and more
satisfactory results in the future.

Many assessment insurance comp