The Australian Mutual Provident Society, Canterbury District; office, corner of Cathedral Square and Worcester Street. Head office, Sydney, New South Wales. Chief office for the Colony, Custom House Quay, Wellington. District Secretary in Christchurch, erected by the Society, are in a handsome three-storey building of Oamaru stone.

Mr. James Hair, District Secretary of the Australian Mutual Provident Society in Christchurch, was born in 1856 in Sydney, where he was educated. He joined the staff of the society in the Sydney office in 1874, and after serving there a number of years was transferred to various positions in other Colonies. He was transferred to Christchurch in 1894. Mr. Hair was married in 1883 to a daughter of Mr. Robert Marks, of Kiama, New South Wales, and has two sons and three daughters.

The Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society, Limited, was founded in the year 1871. It has its head office at the corner of Collins and William Streets, Melbourne, and has branches in nearly all the states of the Commonwealth, as well as in New Zealand. The head office consists of Mr. Thompson Moore (chairman), Hon. Joseph M. Pratt, M.L.C., Senator Simon Fraser, the Rev. Alexander Marshall and Mr. Alexander Dick. At the beginning of 1897 the New Zealand branch was opened, with its principal office at Wellington. It has for directors Messrs J. G. W. Aitken (Mayor of Wellington), Alexander H. Turnbull (W. and G. Turnbull and Co.), and Walter Fell, M.D. District offices have been opened in all the principal centres; the Christchurch office is at the corner of High and Hereford Streets, and the local directors are Messrs A. E. G. Rhodes, W. Reece, and W. Clarkson, with Mr. C. J. Owen as district secretary. The resident secretary in New Zealand is Mr. V. H. Baxter. The growth of the society has been very marked. The accumulated funds now stand at over £1,500,000, and the annual income exceeds £250,000. During the last quinquennium 13,137 policies have been issued, assuring £2,729,165, and producing an annual income of £106,629. The business in force at the end of the sixth quinquennium exceeds £5,000,000, and the claims by death have only averaged during that period 69.3 of the expected losses. The reserves held by the society amount to £296 15s 3d for every £1000 of assurance in force. A now system of life assurance has been introduced, exempting from payment of premiums when the assured is either temporarily or permanently incapacitated, either by accidental bodily injury, by illness, or by mental disorder. The value of such a provision to those whose livelihood depends upon good health can hardly be overrated.

Mr. Charles James Owen, Manager for the Canterbury branch of the Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society, was born in Auckland in 1860, and is the son of Mr. Edward Owen. He was educated partly in his native city and partly in England, and has been connected with life assurance from his early days. Joining the Mutual Life Assurance of Australia in Auckland in 1884 as a clerk, he afterwards held the position of district secretary in Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, and Auckland, and continued in the service of that society till 1895. After an experience of eighteen months on the Auckland Stock Exchange, Mr. Owen joined the Australian Widows' Fund as manager of the Canterbury and Westland branch.

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Mr. C. J. Owen.

Mr. Frederick Ellis Asquith, Special Agent for the Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society, Limited, was born in Christchurch in 1872. He was educated in his native city and became a compositor, serving twelve years at the “Press” office. Mr. Asquith page 268 has been long connected with the Sydenham Football Club, of which he became vicepresident in 1894. In 1893, he was appointed delegate on behalf of the North Canterbury Football Club to the Canterbury Rugby Union, of which he has been treasurer since 1894. Mr. Asquith has been a member of the Union Rowing Club since 1890. He is a member of the New Zealand Natives' Association, and is secretary of the Christchurch Cycling Club, of the Canterbury section of the New Zealand Cyclists' Touring Club, and of the Christchurch Regatta Club.

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Mr. F. E. Asquith.

Mr. Charles J. Fowler, formerly Resident Secretary and principal officer in New Zealand for the Australian Widows' Fund Life Assurance Society, entered the service in 1885 in an important position in the Sydney office. He was appointed resident secretary in Adelaide in 1896, and when it was decided to establish a branch in New Zealand early in 1898, Mr. Fowler was entrusted by the directors with the responsible duty of opening the business of the society in this Colony. Mr. Fowler was born at St. Hellers, Jersey, in 1862.

Mr. C. J. Fowler.

The Citizens' Life Assurance Company, Ltd. Head Office, Castlereagh and Moore Streets, Sydney. Chief Office for New Zealand, Custom House Quay, Wellington. Canterbury branch, Morten's Building, Cathedral Square, Christchurch; Mr. R. St. Clair McKenzie, district superintendent. The local branch of this company was established in Christchurch in 1894.

Mr. Robert St. Clair McKenzie, District Superintendent in Canterbury for the Citizens' Life Insurance Company, Limited, has had an extensive experience of insurance business throughout the colony. He joined the Citizens' Life Insurance Company in 1896, and, possessing in a high degree both enterprise and pertinacity, he proved to be eminently fitted for the transaction of insurance business. After filling various offices in succession, he was appointed to the superintendency of country branches in 1899, and was promoted in 1901 to his present post, under which he is Superintendent for North and South Canterbury as well as for Christchurch. Mr McKenzie was born at Thurso, Scotland, in 1872. A son of Mr. Donald McKenzie, now well known as a builder and contractor at Timaru, he came with his parents to New Zealand in 1879, and completed his education at the public schools at Timaru, having, before leaving Scotland, attended a private school at Dumbeath, near Thurso. Prior to entering the insurance business in 1896 he spent some years in touring the Australasian colonies. Mr. McKenzie was married in the early part of September, 1901, to Miss A. E. Bilson, youngest daughter of the late Mr. Charles Bilson, of Dunedin.

Mr. R. St. C. McKenzie.

The Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, Ltd, Canterbury and Westland Branch, Colonial Mutual Buildings, 208 and 210 High Street, Christchurch. Bankers, Bank of New Zealand, Manager, Mr. C. H. Black. Head Office, Melbourne. Chief office for New Zealand, Custom House Quay, Wellington. The society's Christchurch office is on the first floor of its fine building, the other portions of the premises being well let as shops and offices.

Mr. James Taaffe, Cashier of the Canterbury branch of the Colonial Mutual Life Association, was born in Christchurch in 1855. He received his education at the Marist Bros,' school, and served six years as clerk with Mr. W. J. Byrne, and was subsequently a year with Mr. E. E. Papprill, solicitor, of Kaiapol. Mr. Taaffe was appointed to his present position in 1898. He has been a member of the Linwood Football Club since 1892, and was secretary and treasurer in 1896.

The Equitable Life Assurance Society Of The United States Of America ; Head Office for New Zealand, Lambton Quay, Wellington; District Office for Canterbury, 176 Hereford Street, Christchurch. This society was founded in New York, United States of America, on the 26th of July, 1859. Its distinguishing object is to conduct business solely on a mutual plan in the interests of policy-holders, to whom all the profits belong, and amongst whom they are distributed. From a modest beginning it has grown into a stupendous business, which now extends throughout the civilised world. At the end of 1860 there were only 268 policies in force, covering an assurance of £238,333, but in 1901 the assurances amounted to the enormous sum of £245,682,651. For the same year the assets were valued at £68,966,608; the surpluses totalled £14,797,717, and the number of policies was 409,296. In forty years the society has paid to policy-holders, or their represen tatives, over £63,000,000. As the business has always been conducted on the highest principles, success similar to that achieved elsewhere is certain to ensue in New Zealand and the Australian colonies.

Mr. James J. Nicol, District Manager for Canterbury of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, is a son of an early Australian colonist, Mr. Gilbert Nicol, who arrived in Victoria in 1839. He was born at Warrnambool, Victoria, in August, 1854, and brought up and educated at his native place. Mr. Nicol was trained to agriculture on his father's farm, where he remained until 1887, when he became a representative of the Equitable Life. Since then Mr. Nicol has been eminently successful in his business, and has written policies aggregating nearly half a million sterling. His operations have been chiefly confined to Victoria and the North Island of page 269 New Zealand, but he spent a year also in South Africa. Mr. Nicol is a member of the Amateur Sports Club of Victoria, has taken an active part in athletics, and has been a keen and promment sportsman in the field.

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Mr. J. J. Nicol.

The Government Life Insurance Office, Canterbury and Westland Branch, Cathedral Square, Christchurch; Manager, Mr. J. C. Prudhoe. The fine building occupied by the Government Life Office was erected for the department by Mr. Charles Clark, and is of three stories, in brick with facade of Oamaru and Mount Semers stone. The whole of the ground floor is occupied by the department.

Mr. Joseph Cumberland Prudhoe. District Manager of the Canterbury and Westland Branch of the Government Life Insurance Department, was born in 1858 in Sunderland, England, and arrived with his parents in Christchurch in 1859. He was educated privately and at the Wesleyan day school in Christchurch, and joined the education department of the Provincial Government of Canterbury. In 1876 he entered the Insurance department in Christchurch as a clerk, and was appointed to his present position in 1882. Mr. Prudhoe has long been a prominent member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and for some years was superintendent of the Durham Street Wesleyan Sunday school. He has also acted as circuit steward, holds office as trustee, and has several times been elected a representative at the annual conferences. Mr. Prudhoe is a member of the committee of the New Zealand Bible Society. He was married, in 1893, to a daughter of Mr. Henry Manchester, of Watmate, and has one son.

Mr. James William Harington Wood, Chief Clerk in the Government Insurance Office, Cathedral Square, Christchurch, was born in India, in 1854. He was educated in England, came to Auckland by the barque “Anazi,” in 1874, and was for eight years engaged in farming in the Waikato district. Mr. Wood joined the Government Insurance Department in Wellington as a clerk, in 1882, was appointed resident agent at Napier in August, 1884, and was transferred, in 1887, to Nelson, where he remained until 1892, when he was transferred to his present position. Mr. Wood takes an interest in cricket, football and golf, and belongs to the United Cricket Club, and the Christchurch Golf Club, of the committee of which he is a member. He was married, in 1888, to a daughter of the late Mr. A. Kennedy, of Napier.

The Mutual Life Association Of Australasia, Mutual Life Buildings, Hereford Street, Christchurch. Chief office for New Zealand, Featherston Street, Wellington. Head office, Sydney. The house and building occupied by the Mutual Life in Christchurch was, for the ten years ending 1884, the head office for the South Island of New Zealand. It is a two-storey brick structure; the whole of the ground floor is used for the association's offices, and the upper storey is let to tenants.

Mr. John Robert Morrison is the District Secretary for Canterbury, of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia. He entered the service of the Association as a boy from school in January, 1884, and, after passing through various departments at the principal office, in Sydney, was appointed accountant at Melbourne in September, 1892; to the same position at Wellington, in December, 1895; and succeeded to his present position in March, 1901. Though really an Australian, Mr Morrison takes a keen interest in the progress of New Zealand. He devotes much of his space time to the support of general athletics, but rowing and gymnastics have special attractions for him.

Mr. J. R. Morrison.

Mr. Charles Hull Cotton, formerly District Secretary in Canterbury of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, was born in Melbourne, in 1870, and educated in Christchurch, where he had arrived when seven years of age. Mr. Cotton joined the Mutual Life Office in 1884 as a junior, and became cashier of the South Island branch in 1893. At a later period of the same year he was promoted to the position of accountant, and transferred to Wellington in 1894 as accountant for New Zealand. In 1895, Mr. Cotton returned to Christchurch as district secretary. He was one of the founders of the New Zealand League of Wheelmen, of which he was first honorary secretary, and was also a member of the Christchurch Bowling Club. Mr. Cotton is now secretary of the South Australian Branch of the Mutual Life Association.

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Mr. C. H. Cotton.

The National Mutual Life Association Of Australasia, with which is incorporated the Mutual Assurance Society of Victoria; Head Office for New Zealand, Custom House Quay, Wellington, Canterbury Branch, Cathedral Square, Christchurch; Mr. H. C. Satchell, district secretary. The Canterbury branch of this well-known office operates over the whole of the Canterbury provincial district, and Nelson, Westland, and Marlborough. During one year recently over £100,000 of new business was underwritten by the Canterbury agency.

Mr. Harry Carrol Satchell. District Secretary in charge of the National Mutual Life Association's Canterbury Branch, was born in Kent, England, in page 270 1861, and educated at Epsom College and at Nenweid, Germany. Brought up to a mercantile life in London, Mr. Satchell came out to Nelson in 1884, via Melbourne. In the following year, he joined the National Life Office as agent at Nelson, and was transferred in 1888 to the charge of the Canterbury district.