St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-06
them have lapsed, failed to pay their dues
oc coucp,an4 aod Rzn houo N, orriad ~

HcFes InlS gentleman wants 10 KNOW
about the expenditure of the initiation fees
and dues; can you give an accounts"
II will make it out, the bookkeeper said,
land have it ready tomorrow"
BOOKS OVER YEAR IN ARREARS.
"a look at your books will satisfy me-"
suggested the reporter.
IF Mr.. Tuly orders a statement, / will
prepare 1t. - stiffiy affirmed the man of fig
ures.
but you announce that your books are
open 10 Inspection interposed the reporter;
why can't you show them."
Because the expenditure of this money"
the bookkeeper said, ''does not concern the
members of the public''
That will be- news to them.'' the reporter
SAID. You have received SIS, 900 on the as
sessment collections, $50, 600 in initiation
fees, perhaps 900 in dues, total of
900, all to collect S137, 75O for benefits
and divide it among 60 persons, less than
$500 each, showing that the 1880 will have to
contribute $500 each more if they expect to
get $500, as did the go who have received
benefits, and yet you say the whole ques-
ton OF expenditure don't concern them,'
But my dear SIR" chimed in Mr. Tully,
1.-THE question whether our insurance is
cheap or not is one for the members to con-
slider. Still you may see the books, for really
we have nothing to conceal.''
The book-keeper accordingly produced his
cash book. ''It is not quite written up" he
remarked as he opened its pages, shut it will
| do. You see, up to March l, 1888, we re-
cejved $37, $50 for initiation fees.''
''And how much since then''
''Oh have not entered the book up since
then. But l can do so easily.''
| ''Only one year and four months figures;
that certainly is not far behind. How much
in dues did you receive up to March, 1SS32n
''We received from California dues S12,-
645.''
''How much in other dues?'
s'The returns are not quite in. can give
you everything else up to March, 1888. We
paid S3,065 for advertising So, 800 for post
age, 50, 573 for expense, So, 1888 for wages,
81, 432 for printing, $27, 720 for agents fees,
and so on.''
AN OPEN SECRET.
"How many memberships have you issued
up to March, 1882"
''We issued $685.
And you pay no salaries to the president
and other otficers?''
II will tell you about that" interrupted
Mr.. Tully. cit is an open secret that if
there are no debts outstanding against the
associations funds, we may divide the bal
ance among the officers instead of salaries.
That is well understood
Mr.. Tully did not volunteer to tell how
much had thus been divided, and, as the
books have not been written up since March
1, 1885, and have never been balanced since
the date of the associations organization, it
can only be presumed that division was
had whenever there was money enough in
the safe and no bills to be paid.
But going back to the figures In the books
as written up to March l, 1888, several of
them require no explanation. The amount
of initiation fees from 6269 memberships is
given at S37, $50. Each members initia-
ton fee for single membership is So, and
for a double membership S12. Granting
therefore, that all the members up to that
time had taken out the double, initiation
fees should have amounted to S37, 500. But
there were confessedly some single ones,
which would increase the amount by 50 for
each such, making quite discrepancy. The
next peculiar item is that of dues of
which only S12,64 was paid in during
eighteen months by 1896 memberships, which
at the lowest figures, had to pay SO y year in
advance, for the bylaws provide that ''the
annual dues must be forwarded by the mem
Der Immediately after he has received his
certificate of mem ership, so that it is rea-
sonabe to suppose that every member paid
at least one years dues. 1t is
one Of the peculiarties of these bylaws that
| its provisions are much more stringent about
initiation fees and dues than assessments
the former being payable to the head office
only. Thus the matter of assessments is so
poorly regulated that the members who Joined
|
times the amount claimed from those who
joined in 1883.
TRIPPING ASSESSMENTS.
''This is quite fair,'' Mr.. Tully explained.
''They are not assessed any more than the
new members, only they are assessed three
assessments in one and at once.''
''But why!'' asked the reporter.
"Because," Mr.. Tully answered, Sin 1881
and 1882 there were not so many marriages
as there are now, so they got off easily. That
is why we assess class 1881 triple and class
1882 double"
''But have they not paid all the claims
which accrued against them in accordance
with the by-laws." asked the reporter.
"Oh yes, they have; but they were small
in amount, SO we have them make up
now"
''You Odon't assess them triple because
they, having paid long and patiently, can't
draw out, while the new members can2"
suggested the reporter.
''No. indeed not. We think it fair and
that is the reason we doubled up on them
when we had to- 1t is one of the things we
had to do"
An attempt to have Mr.. Tully explain
where the money to pay the benefits of the
assessment paying members is to come
from when their certificates mature, as they
will begin to do under the bylaws in 1885,
failed completely, except in so far as he
held that assessments were to do it. That
means in 1886, the possible thousand mem
beers will assess each other and pay each
other 81, ZOO or $4,000, as the case
and paid the same sum,
nobody awinner and nobody loser, except
in trifing amount of initiation fees, annual
dues and the preceding assessments. Some
thing like this must have dawned upon the
Universal Benevolent peoplc-a most appro-
PIRATE title-for In their last statement they
say: 'sThe association to be prosperous
must have q constant accretion TO member
ship;'' or, in other words, with slight varia
ton, the plan Is "assess Peter 10 pay Paul.
with a constant secretion Of coin in fees and
dues and ten per cent. for collection, to be
divided among the officers If there is no debts
outstanding. 1t is hardly necessary to add
that the members, or rather the assessment
and due payers, have no voice in the govern
| ment of this mutual concern. 1t is their
proud privilege to pay and the privilege OF
the Universal Benevolent association to re-
ceive and to divide.
The Future Queen nj Spain.
Madrid Letter to the American Register
| The heir to the crown even assumes the
title Of Prince Asturias-thus we have a
sweet little girl, the Infanta Mercedes, who