The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-02-27


success unless the ranks can be
kept full. Granting that the pres.
ent members of any given society
could be thus maintained - an
event exceedingly improbable-it
is almost self evident that the ay.
erage age, aud with it the death
rate, must increase. If of 1000
members, whose average age is 10
years, ten die during the year, then
the aggregate age of those remain.
ing will be greater by 900 years.
To neutralize this and keep the
average down to As would require
ninety-nIne new members of aver.
age age 10 years younger--an In
crease that cannot be expected to
remain constant. However, ire.
spective Of theory, that the aver.
age age of tho membership and
death rate, with consequent in.
crease of assessments are steadily
increasing is already a matter of
experience with most Of these be-
nevolent orders, though, as yet, In
their infancy. Moreover, the ad.
vance in the death rate is even
more rapid than the advance in
the average age, as may be seen at
glance from the following NOR.
tality table; From 81 to 80 years
of age the mortality is 5 per 1000
annually; 3lto 40, o; Al to 45, 10;
4G to 80, II; 81 to So, II; so to 60,
"a; 6l to SO, "a; &C to 20, 80; II
to 75, so. Ii we take an equal
number of each, aged 80 and COZ
spectiyely, their average age will
be 40, and their death rate II per
1000, while according to the table,
the death rate at the ago of 45 is
only II per 1000. The apparent
discrepancy is due 10 the fact that
the advance in the death rate ut a
high, is much more rapid than at a
lower age. The steady advance
In the death rate will therefore not
be prevented by any probable con
tinued additions of uew members
To prevent the increase Of tn,
death rate, 1t is necessary to as
; sumo that about nine per cent. vii
lapse and one per cent. die annu
J ally, and that their places be file,
: by young memOers, 80 that III tel
years none of the original men
bers shall be left resulting IN tn
one.tenth reaping all the benefit
which the other nine-tenths sacr
Gce. This, then, is the basis of th
guarantee. Now, when once tn
death rate shall have reached t
!. II per 1000 annually, or probabl
!, long before, entailing Hpon eac
4 member q yearly payment of 80
to S3i for a $1,000 endowment, th
young will be deferred from join
ing themselves with the old. VIII
I, should they' That the latter hav
}. paid large amounts into the treas
A ury is ne benefit to future mem
bers. Look at the table-the dealt
rate from 81 to 40 is only ., Will
from 81 to 65 it is "a per 1,OOt
!, The present old are provided fo
!, the young carry them on thei
i. shoulders. From the foregoing
considerations IL needs now n,
prophet to foretell the end. Tn
h very essentials of success do no
: look very equitable, to say moth
D ing of benevolence.
+ Besides the foregoing there 1
another feature, though not o
equal effect, Fastening the pro
gress towards failure, as may b,
!, learned from the following OK
tracts taken from a recent repor
! Of the committee of physicians o
!, the supreme lodge of one Of th,
strongest of these orders. "Ou
. present laws are unbnsiness lik,
!, and conducive to the assuming o
i. many risks that would otherwis,
be declared uninsurable.
The perpetuity OF our order dc
pends almost entirely upon tb'
skill and integrity of the medca
examiner. Lodges ar,
G not competent judges of the pro
!. fessional ability required of thei
medical examiners too often Sc
? lecting the social doctor.
When the examiner rejects on,
o who is the picture of health sn'
a never was known to be SICK tn
lodge soon complains that 'DI
Careful Is too strict, and, at tn
. next election, they select q NOR
}, subservient man. Med
ical examiners should be In q pc
sition where they know their az
o pointmeDt and retention does nc
. depend upon the caprice of
!, lodge; then they could rende
= their services to the order withou
u fear or favoritism, and CAREFUL
I scrutinize all risks" The abov
It is full of meaning to the fefiectin
m mind. What is implied is of grave
, import than what is actually sait
: The committee proposes as rem
Is edy. the appointments |x<Il@d
the election Of the =