The importance of this subject may be indicated by the fact that more than half a million a year is paid by the British Life Offices to their assured, as surrender values on the discontinuance of their policies. Competition also, and the increasing interest which is being taken in the subject by the insuring public, have a tendency to induce companies to make these surrender values a prominent feature in their prospectuses; perhaps also it may be an inducement to some companies to offer large values in order to bid for larger patronage.