George King

On Legislation affecting Life Assurance Companies, more especially with reference to the Life Assurance Companies Acts, 1870 to 1872 , and their Amendment

When I agreed to prepare a paper for the consideration of the Institute of Actuaries, on the Life Assurance Companies Acts, 1870–72, I did not do so with a light heart. The task in any case would have been onerous, and events which have since transpired have not tended to increase my confidence. It has become a matter of public knowledge that the Council of the Institute had under consideration the laws relating to life offices, and that it was intended to take an early opportunity to debate the question. Moreover, it has been surmised that Government had in contemplation to take action in the matter, and, possibly in next session of Parliament, to bring in a Bill for the amendment of the law. I, therefore, cannot help feeling that a great responsibility rests upon me in opening a discussion of such importance, but I am emboldened to proceed, because, even if I fail to produce anything new or important, there are many here of far riper experience than myself, and a debate in such an assembly cannot but be instructive and useful.

On the alleged increase of cancer

During the last few years the minds of medical men and of the general public have been exercised over the rapid and striking increase in the mortality from cancer, as shown by the statistics contained in the Registrar-Generals Annual Reports. The following table, taken from these reports, shows how great this increase in registered mortality has been. The registered death-rate of males from this disease was 2·7 times, for females 2·0 times, and for both sexes together 2·2 times, as high in 1891 as in the average for the decade 1851-60.

The New National Life Tables

The Council invited me to open at a Sessional Meeting a discussion on the new National Life Tables, and I was glad of the opportunity thus given to set forth in a little more detail than heretofore the objects which had to be kept in view in preparing the tables, and the bearing of these objects on selecting a method of construction. At first I had intended to open the discussion by an unwritten speech, but on looking at the subject from this point of view it was found that a mere speech would hardly meet the necessities of the case, and that it would be better to write an informal paper. This I have now the honour to submit.

On a Short Method of Constructing Select Mortality Tables.

An apology is scarcely required for explaining an easy method of constructing select mortality tables; and it is hoped that the method now described and illustrated will prove useful to others, and that they also will find that it gives results sufficiently accurate for all ordinary purposes. Hitherto, select mortality tables have been constructed only by very elaborate processes; and the amount of labour involved is practically prohibitive in such cases as occur now and then in actuarial practice. Possibly many actuaries do not often require special tables of the kind, but occasions do arise where it is of real importance to construct them. This happened to me in respect of the experience of the female annuitants of the Royal National Pension Fund for Nurses, and hence the method which I now suggest was devised.