Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-14
B'NAI BIRTH.
The Conventions Third Day.
Many Ladies in Attendance--The
Most Important Question
Yet Discussed.
Earnest Feeling to Keep the En-
dOwment Fund Unchanged
Success of the Meas
ure, Etc, Etc.

among them being the brightest-eyed
and handsomest among the JewesseS
of our city, attended the meeting Of
she Seventh district grand lodge con
vention l.. 0. B. B. this forenoon
The ladies apparently manifested an
earnest interest in the proceedings
and watched the speaking members Of
the B'nai Birth closely. The CON
vention was called to order shortly
after 8 o'clock, when it resolved itself
into a committee of the whole,
Mr.. Max Dinkenspeil, of New
Orleans, in the chair, the
subject under consideration being
THE ENDOWMENT FUND
and the report of the committee
thereon, recommending that it be
kept up to $500, its present amount.
This is the most important question
yet discussed by the convention. The
president, Mr.. Ullman, in his ad-
dress to the convention at the time it
assembled, recommended a reduction
to $1,000. The Rev. NJ. Samfeld ad-
dressed the convention in an able
manner in favor of the reduction. Mr.
Haas, of Mobile, argued with equal
fervor inkeeping it up to $500. Secre-
tary Ullman favored a reduction. Mr..
Ferdinand Marks, of New Orleans,
spoke eloQuently in favor of keeping
it at $500. He claimed hat
the poorest members of the order
were strong advocates of increasing
the assessment of members SO that the
endowment fund may be retained as
at present. 1T was useless to deny
said the speaker, that the order was
not, in some sense, a life assurance
company. 1t had among its members
rich and poor alike, and all we're in
favor of keeping the endowment at its
present standard
Mr.. Labatt, of Galveston, said he
would see the thousand dollar men
and go them five hundred better. A
member asked that he show his hand.
The gentleman claimed to have an in
vineible sequence that could not be
beaten. He claimed further, that any
member could pay as much as fifty
cents a week, as an increase from $3.50
to $3.50 per quarter is all that is nc
cessary to keep up the fund to fifteen
hundred dollars.
Mr.. Florence, of New Orleans; Mr..
Joe Hermann, of Yicksburg; Mr..
Happck, of Memphis, aud others
advocated the $500 endowment. Mr..
Wolf spoke in favor and said that he
regretted to see that the convention
since yesterday had seen fit to con-
vert itself into a lot of wrangling in
surance agents. He continued to
speak until his time was out.
Mr.. Max Sax, of Nashville, spoke
in faysr OF a reduction to $1,000. The
debate finally became tiresOme to the
chairman and many others except a
few who were anxious to air their
oratory. After some confusion and q
lot of discussion the committee of the
whole rose and reported in favor Of
adopting the report of the committee
Under the call Of the previous ques-
ton the report of the committee ia.
Voring the retention of the S15OC
endowment clause was carried by E;
decided majority. The vote, as re.
corded, stood IS ayes, II nays.
Section 3 Of the committed report
fixing the quarterly endowment due.
Of the members at $3.50, payable il
advance, after the first meeting il
each quarter, was adopted by a vot,
of 63 ayes to II nays. This is exclu
sive Of regular lodge dues, and tn.
opposing members complain hat tn
expense to each member will approach
$50 annually. Others, however
assert that it is the cheapest life in
~surance in the country. This close,
the proceedings up to the hour @
noon.
YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
The proceedings of the convention
yesterday afternoon briefly summed
up were the reading of an invita-
ton from Mobile to hold their mex
annual convention at that place tn
fixing of the hour of four o'clock to
day to confer the grand lodge degree
on several past presidents the grant
ing of the privilege of having tn
ritual translated into French for tn
benefit of certain citizens in Ne.
Orleans should they desire to have
done-at present the ritual is onl
printed in English and German
a return Of thanks to the general con
mittcc for its laborious service
it was decided to send a brother
Eoliciana Lodge, in Louisiana, to il
yestigate certain troubles and confer
tons prevailing there. Rcgardir
. illegal proceedings in Feliciana Lodg
5 it was determined that the informatic
, was indefinite, aud the petition W
z ordered 10 be returned, with instru