Insurance for the Troops

In a previous post regarding 2nd Lieutenant L.C. Vogan the news article referenced “…he Oxford Patriotic Association, for $500 in the Imperial Life.”

There was a fund called the “Canadian Patriotic Fund” which assisted Canadian soldiers with benefits for those with families.

The Oxford Fund was initially independent of the Canadian Patriotic Fund:

CANADIAN PATRIOTIC FUND, OXFORD COUNTY BRANCH

Although Oxford County did not come under the jurisdiction of the national Canadian Patriotic Fund until December, 1915, the interests of soldiers’ dependants resident there were most efficiently safeguarded by the independent Oxford Patriotic Association. The activities of this body were rather wider in scope than those of the national Fund, as it undertook to insure the lives of soldiers enlisting from Oxford county. In reality this was not necessary, as almost from the first the Federal Government had a Pension Act in force, but this was sometimes overlooked or, in some quarters, regarded as not quite adequate. Consequently, when the Oxford Association decided to amalgamate with the Canadian Patriotic Fund it had to retain the right to meet the liabilities it had contracted by way of insurance premiums. This was easily arranged, however, as it had been decided to rely entirely upon taxation as a means of revenue and it was understood by all parties that a portion of whatever grants were made should be set aside for the payment of insurance premiums. The original officers of the Oxford Patriotic Association were Lieut. -Col. John White, president; H. A. Little, chairman of relief committee; J. R. Shaw, honorary secretary, and Captain M. Douglas, honorary treasurer. In addition to these officials there were several vice-presidents, which included the Provincial and Federal Parliamentary representatives, and an executive committee consisting of the more important citizens of Woodstock, the warden of the county, and the mayors, reeves and deputy reeves of the various municipalities. Much of the work outside of Woodstock was efficiently performed by the latter gentlemen. During the first year of existence of the Oxford Patriotic Association some $80,000 was raised by popular subscription. A continuance of this plan was not, however, viewed with favor and it was decided to appeal for future revenue to the county council, the towns of Woodstock and Ingersoll which, for taxation purposes, were not in the county organization, agreeing to subscribe on a pro-rata basis. This plan was duly put into effect and the county council subscribed $60,000 for 1916, $72,000 for 1917, and $60,000 for 1918. These amounts were supplemented by the two towns and the total contributions from the county to March 31, 1919, amounted to $305,881.91.