The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-29
IRON HALL MANAGEMENT
What the Omaha Convention Wrought
in the Way of New Regulations.
A Series of Charges Affecting the Integrity of
the Order, and Vigorous Denial by the
Supreme Sitting in This City.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
BosToN, July 2s-Stormy times are appar-
emily approaching for the Order of the Iron
Hall in New England, and in Massachu~
sets in particular. There is a spirit of re-
volt abroad against the Indianapolis head
OF the order, and already the aid of the
State has been invoked to interfere. and
from present prospects such a course is
very probable. The main cause of discon-
tent seems to have been the new regula-
tions adopted at the late convention in
Omaha, and the charges are freely made
here that these same regulations were in
stigated by the supreme justice +. ID.
Somerby, and his comrades in authority, to
prevent large number of members from
receiving their anticipated benefits. The
malcontents charge substantially as fol-
lows:
During the next two years the term of
seven 20 years Will expire for many of the
Massachusetts members, and they will be
entitled to the $1,000 which they expect to
receive for the three hundred dollars. or
whereabouts, which they have paid in. 1t
Is claimed that to meet this exigency the
out as many of the old members as possible.
and that If any pretext can be found for
debarring these members this obligation
will consequently not have to be met. In
support of this IL Is stated that the district
charters which were held by the Massa-
chusetts branches have been forfeited,
leaving the branches directly responsible
to the Supreme Sitting at Indianapolis,
thus bringing the members more than ever
under the personal authority of the
particularly complained Of. One of tho
principal complaints is founded on the Holt
embroglio. Mr.. Holt resides in Lowell and
has hitherto been the delegate selected
by the State branches to represent them
II, IN. Il the he, Supreme ssittings They were
they received q communication from Mr..
Somerby declaring that Mr.. Holt could not
DC received again because charges had been
preferred against him which were being
1nvestigated. The charges turned out to
be that Mr.. Holt was reported, among
other things, to have spoken disrespectful::
~ of Mr.. SOmerby in calling him GEAR"
and this was directly the cause of the con-
vention amending the bylaws, by which
any, member who referred disrespectfully
to the supreme officers should lose his men,
berehip. The Massachusetts branches, re-
sentlng what they considered an interior
ence with their rights. insisted on sending
Mr. Holt to Omaha. He had to pay his
own way on and expenses while there, but
was not admitted, and indignation has
been running high here ever since against
Somerby. Quite number of members in
this State have since then publicly and in
print referred to the supreme officers in
terms anything but complimentary. and
latter body will take this as means of ex-
Polling the Massachusetts branches bodily.
and thus get rid of paying the large sums
which will soon be their due.
This with other causes, it is claimed,
will result in a disruption of the order
InI0nVl0nf least
opponents are making their main fight on
official circular No. 1. which has been
issued since the Omaha meeting They
claim. that this shows that the bylaws
have been changed in many respects so as
to really centralize the sole governing
power into the hands of the central body;
that regulations have been adopted regard
ing the payment OF money which Will un-
doubtedly increase the number of lapses.
and will make it difficult for members to
comply with them; that the promised add
vantages have been cut down, and that
the central body must have much more
money at its command than it now has.
The passage of the official circular re-
lating TO the reserve fund is quoted TO
show the straits to which the order is
alleged to be reduced, and it is urged that
this justifies the criticism passed upon it
by the Springfield Mass.) Republican.
The order has now reached O point in its his
tory when 1t needs TO use its reserve fund for
its proper and legitimate purpose, which was TO
form breastwOrk against overtaxatiOn, and for
no other purpose. The maturing certificates are
increased beyond what the present scale of as
scssments. as now presented, will meet in good
time and it being for the good of the order, after
Sitting ordered that two-sevenths of the entire
reserve fund be drawn to the supreme treasury
in the call of 1889. and in the call of
1890. We have now about 100000 i'll reserve,
which will accumulate during the balance OF the
year the rate approximately of $2S. 900 per
month, forming an amount which Will aggregate
T.. cLo.,t No. all 90 Sln
will eliminate from the present amount two
seventies for present purposes. and this, accord
ing to our original plan, that il may be made the
them from being Overwhelmed with
ments. This was the original purpose OF the reserve
fund and by passing this order the sit
will be easily met without OvertaxatiOn, and
absolute equity to all will be thereby attained.
The old systems of insurance hold their reserve
fund always, and tax the policy holders forever
to increase 1t, rolling up into the millions and
hundreds of millions this product of excessive
taxation, without benefit to existing producers.
We divide orr earnings at such seasons and
times when 1t will best benefit the order to do
The Republican says: THE one point of
this is that they must draw on the reserve
fund because the assessments are not
enough for the expenses. But 1t Is said
that one-seventh On OF this reserve has
been called under an order of 1883. There
fore, within period of eighteen (1S) months
the order will have called in four-sevenths
t4-1 OF It's eDClTc IeScTNc. MS TeScrNe Is
held by the local branches under prOvis-
ion that 90 per cent. of the receipts from as
sessments are to be held for q reserve. By
this call the several seventies are to be for
warded by the local branches to the CEN
trail body" 1T is furthermore claimed
that the assessments of the order are in
creasing and that, whereas, in the sched-
ule which was presented before the Legis-
lature last year when they were trying to
get foothold in Massachusetts. the pro-
gramme included fifteen (15) assessments
for 1889. up to July 1 thirteen 49, had al
ready been ordered. and the prospect is
that there Will be about twice that num-
Der before the end of the year.
Another cause for complaint here is that
the members of the wOman's branches are
cut Oft from any benefits for certain disa-
bilities to which they are liable, and the
general regulations have been changed to
cut off disabilities for other diseases, in
Guiding chronic rheumatism, lumbagO,
arthritis and varicOse veins, so that any,
one who has joined with the expectation
of getting relief when suffering from these
not uncommon complaints, will be ruled
out of the order with no appeal. Then,
again, the statement is made that promised
relief of twenty weeks has, by the Omaha
convention. been reduced to four weeks.
Gus to mention, and are principally over the
new regulations, particularly those which
change the time for branches not promptly
forwarding their reports. and the addi-
tional slowness and red tape that materially
delays all adjustment of claims. The re-
suit has been appealed to the State Insur-
ance Commission to investigate the order,
and such will probable be shortly done.
an ~