UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 840 



Contribution from the Office of Farm Management. 

 H. C. TAYLOR, Chief. 



Washington, D. C. 



April 27, 1920 



A SYSTEM OF RECORDS FOR LOCAL FARMERS 5 

 MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES. 



By V. N. Valgben, Investigator in Agricultural Insurance. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Systems now in use 2 



System recommended 2 



Policy register 3 



Increases and cancellations 8 



Cash receipts and disbursements 8 



Page, 



System recommended — Continued. 



Annual report 9 



Index of policy holders 15 



Periodic summaries 16 



Conclusion 22 



INTRODUCTION. 



There are nearly 2,000 farmers' mutual fire insurance companies in 

 the United States. Most of these farmers' mutuals are strictly local 

 concerns, confining their business to a single county or at most a few 

 adjoining counties. Many even limit themselves to a fraction of a 

 county. These companies, generally speaking, have been very suc- 

 cessful, and they are saving the farmers of the country a large sum of 

 money every year by reason of the relatively low cost at which they 

 furnish insurance protection. 



One of the greatest needs of a large percentage of these companies 

 is a system of records which is simple and sparing in its demands 

 upon the time and effort of the secretary, and yet makes readily 

 available all necessary information concerning the business of the 

 company. This need has been emphasized on many occasions by 

 officers of farmers' mutuals. The desire for greater uniformity in 

 the records of these companies has frequently been expressed also 

 by supervising State officials as well as by the companies' officers 

 gathered in conventions of State or national associations. 



Note. — Acknowledgment is due Messrs. G. A. Nahstoll and A. V. Swarthout, in- 

 vestigators in market business practice, of the Bureau of Markets, for suggestions em- 

 bodied in this bulletin. 



150641° — Bull. 840—20 1 



