Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23
STIRRED UP A ROW.
Lively Meeting of the Me-
chanicS' Benefit Branch.
UNTIL LATE In THE NIGHT
A Discussion Lasts, That Ends in a
Very Close Vote.
A PHILADELPHIA RING ON TOP

The Funeral Benefit Association, suxili-
sry to the Order Of American Mechanics,
met in ninth annual national convention
yesterday forenoon in the G. A. r. Hall al
No. 7S Fourth avenue. President G. Ar
thur Howell called the convention to order,
and said that it had been decided 10 adjourn
until the evening, in order to allow the
members of the association to participate
in the cornerstone laying and the parade.
The session in the evening was long and
exceedingly warm. There were spirited
discussions over.the reports of the Secretary
and Treasurer, over the election of officers
and over the time of meeting.
MUCH INTEREST EvINCED.
The hall was filed, at least 200 delegates
being present. Mr.. Arthur presided. Sec
retary Deemer read the report of the Board
of Directors, which was, in substance,
the indorsed report of the Secretary.
The receipts for the year were $751;
$40 SO, made up of 19 assessments
During the year 2O2 death claims were paid
of $3.50 each, aggregating S5O,5OO. During
the year 1888 there were only 113 death
claims paid. The balance on the books
December 81, 1885, was S., 344 81, and at the
last day of 1889 this had been reduced to
S3,263 81
The secretary's salary was $500, the rent
of an Office in Philadelphia 500, the
printing of proceedings of the Junior
Order S251, postage SOS. a roll book S13. and
other small items making up the total
sum of expenses.
THE ORDERS GROWTH.
During the year 1889 the total member
ship of the association increased from %, ,O79
to 1896. OF that number Pennsylvania
has 20.555 members, New Jersey 1888,
Maryland /, 40, New York 264, Massachu-
sets 217, Ohio LAG, Virginia 1,196. Illi-
nois 1876, New Hampshire 1873, Delaware
Is, Washington Sc, West Virginia So, North
Carolina As, Wisconsin, SO and Missouri %.
The report contained statement that the
Board of Directors had decided that the sec
retary should make a monthly settlement
with the treasurer. This stirred up a
rumpus. The reports of the secr=tary and
treasurer, which agreed, had been, previous
to the meeting refer i 20 the Auditing
AN ODD PREDIcAMENT.
The condition of this committee pre-
sented an odd question to the association.
One of its members had resigned about
four months ago. SO that only two members
were left. One of these gentlemen presented
q report completely commencing the seere-
tary's accounting, white the other gentle
man objected to several minor items of ex-
penditure and presented a forcib.e protest
against the monthly accounting. A long
debate ensued on these two reports,
the Philadelphia delegates main
tanning that the report presented by the
chairman of the committee was majority
report. The association finally voted to
send the two reports back to the committee,
and, after electinl: third member of the
committee, nominate by the Phil dslphia
wing of the order, dir ,N'sd the committee to
formulate report au& send it to the Seere-
tary to be incorporat ID in the published
pamphlet of proceedings and finances. Sec
retary Deemer smiled.
ANOTHER BREEZE STIRRED UP.
A Pittsburg member then stirred up
another breeze by moving that the Board
of Directors be instructed to order the Sec
retarv to make a weekly, instead of a
monthly, settlement with the -treasurer.
Another long debate ensued, the result be-
ingsthe defeat of the motion on a close viva
voce vote. Secretary Deemer smiled again.
The election of oficera was then taken up.
The Nominating Comm ttee had prepared
ticket, which ha1 been printed. 1t was
handed around the hall. The ticket
was as follows: President. G.. Howell Ar
thur, Philadelphia; Vice President. Lewis A.
Harmer Philadelphia; Secretary, Edward
S. Deemer, Philadelphia; Treasurer, Harry
A. Heisler, Philadelphia; Directors, D. A.
Reese and c. L. CadwallAder, Philadelphia.
ALL DEBATE SHUT OFF.
No organized opposition to this ticket was
prepared. The only fight made was on
secretary. Several gentlemen attempted
to make speeches against Mr.. Deemer.
but were shut off by President
arthur, as being out of order Personal
tiles, he said, could not be allowed. There
were loud complaints of gag law, but the |
ticket went through. There were, on most |
of the officers. only three or four dissenting
votes, but on secretary the vote stood IS TO |
49. Secretary Deemer smiled again.
The question of place for the next annual |
convention was taken up. A cordial in |
vitatiou was presented from the city of
Washington, y. c., and it was accepted |
without opposition.
Then ensued a fight over the time for |
the convention. A motion was made by |
a Pittsburg delegate to hold the an
nual convention on the first Wednesday |
in April On this there was a |
long contest 1t was argued that the con- |
vention ought not to be held on the day of |
annual parades, February %.
TOO MUCH FOR ONE DAY,
The example of yesterday was cited to
show that parade and q convention of the |
Funeral Benefit Association on the same |
day were inconvenient and seriously in |
terfered with the transaction of business. |
One delegate pointed to the clock and said: |
''It is now 1 20 O'Clock. We are doing busi-
ness on the Sabbath day, when we |
should be sleeping" The vote for |
a change of time resulted, after |
a tedious call of the entire roll |
of delegates, A yeas, 46 nays. The change |
was not adopted. 1t was then voted, viva |
voce, to meet on February %, 1891. Secre- |
tary Deemer smiled again.
at 1:3O o'clock this morning the associa-
tion adjourned.