Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-19
ITS DUTY HALF DONE
THE WoRKMEN's CONVENTION TO
CONCLUDE IT'S LABORS TO-DAY.
Three Busy Sessions Yesterday-fropo'''
tion TO Make New Jersey a Separate
Jurisdiction Defeated.

| The members OF the Ancient oIuei
United workmen, whose Grand Lodge IL
in session here. were busy lot YESTERDAY;
This body convened in Lee Camp nan
on Broad street at 10 A. NJ. in its eleventh
annual meeting, and with three sessions lor
work the delegates had very little time iof
recreation or viewing the city.
The assemblage was called TO oruer oy
| Grand Master Workman J. w. Diefendorr'
Of Wilmington, Del. and Mayor hilysppn son
| delivered an address of welcome 10 tne
visitors on behalf Of the Rlchmon9 lougys
and our people generally. Inc MayViL ~
was a very happy little speech as was ho .ho
response of Alr. Diefendorf, VINO, VI .ho w
name Of the Grand Lodge. accepteu Vhe
hospitality expressed in the welcome OF
the Mayor.
COMMITTEES ANNOUNCED.
Az soon as the business session opened
| the Master Workman announced the Iol-
I lowing committees:
On Credentials-L. T. Dryden, Maryland;
| Samuel II. Barker, Delaware; L. u MearS'
| Virginia.
On Distribution-F. II. Colyer, New Jer-
sey; Evan NJ. Fowler, Delaware; W. D.
| Woodson, Virginia.
On Good of the Order-J. J. Gallagher,
Delaware Henry Lingenfelder, Maryi lana
| |. T. Nichols, New Jersey. ,.,,. =,
On Appeals and William NJ.
Butts, Maryland; L. G.. Bliss, New Jersey;
George NJ. Richter. Virginia.
The Committee on Credentials soon re-
ported aud call of the roll showed that
| there were III representatives, present out
| of tho 149 TO which the 1l9 lodges are en-
| titled As stated yesterday this ]urisdlc-
tion embraces the States of Maryland, New
Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia.
THREE SESSIONS A DAY.
| II was decided TO have three sessions per
day-one from A. NJ. to p. NJ. another
| from 2:30 to p. NJ, and the third from
| i. NJ. to adjournment.
The Grand Master Workman's annual re-
port was submitted and referred to the
Committee on Distribution without being
read The report WAS printed ana makes
about sixty pages.
HIS YEARS WORK.
In his report Mr.. Diefendorf says:
| During my term Of Office j have per-
sOnally officiated at the institution OF nine
| lodges. visited over forty different lodges,
and attended over sixty lodge meetings.
! have made a number of public addresses
| for organizers previous TO the ORGANIZATION
of charter list, as well as for the lodges
who have so Hospitality entertained me.
| Nv only regret is that was able TO do so
| little. Brethren, the web has been woven
and you must judge the fabric, not az 1t
may appear 10 each of us from our lndi-
| vidual view, as some may see only
| the coarser threads of error in judgment,
others the expenses, (Which OF necessity
have been greater, a. yOu should not lOr-
| get we are increasing, and let this one fact
| draw your attention. My predecessor had
| 70 lodges TO appoint deputies over. Your
present Grand Master Workman had 100
! beside the new ones added, and my success
/ sor begins with 119); some the finer tlllng
| of good intentions: others earnest en-
! deayor to advance the interests of our en-
| tire jurisdiction, and still Others the earnest
| enthusiasm of an executive officer to faith,
/ fully perform the duties of his Office, and
| to not only extend this protection to our
/ loved ones when we shall have passed
away, but to lengthen and strengthen the
/ chain Of our fraternity.
ASSESSMENT NOTICES.
One portion of the Master Workman's g
| report. which led to some discussion
| at the afternoon session, and was
| adopted. was the recommendation OF
| a change in the method of providing as
sessment-bOOks and notices. lie suggested
/ that all the notices be provided by the
Grand Iodre and furnished to the subor-
| dinate lodges at cost, and that specially
ruled assessment-books be provided in Il
| similar manner.
OTHER REPORTS.
The reports of the Grand Recorder,
Grand Receiver. and Grand Medical Ex-
aminer. all bound in one volume, were pre-
sented and adopted. All of the important
statistics given were anticipated IN yester-
| DAYS DiSDdtch.
| Mr.. Eccles, on behalf of the representa-
| tiyes to the last Supreme Lodge, which
10 Io cd a interesting
port. and all Of these papers and other
subjects affecting the welfare of the organ
| iZation were discussed at some length.
MORTALITY RATE.
In his report MEDICAL Examiner
George L. Wilkins SAYS:
"Although the mortality for the year Of
| 1889 has been higher than that of the seve-
raj preceding years, yet we can see IN 1t no
| cause for encouragement. During the
wear there were 55 deaths, or death-rate
| of s. SO per / 900 members. The death-rate
for the years of 1880. 1881. and 1885 was III
| excess of this rate. while every other year
i'm our history it has been below 1t. BE-
sides careful selection of the material for
membership in the order, a constant infu-
sion of new life into the order IL the surest
means Of keeping down the mortality rate.
! Herein lies the great secret of low NOR
| talitv and a low rate OF assessment.
4 a
examinations and proofs of death of
| those who died during the year, after the
same critical method that has heretofore
been followed in this Office. shows almost
without exception that the application Of
the ordinary human foresight could not
| have prevented any of the losses to the
order. No. 217 died of fatty degeneration
of the heart, a disease usually OF long du-
| ration. but according TO the certificate of
/ the attending physician the disease was
| only of six months duration. He had been
a member of the order for five years and
| eight months"
Ont of a total of s. deaths 13 died from
| consumption, or 23l% per cent. of the
whole number of deaths. The report of
the United States Life-lnsurance Company
shows q per cent. of deaths from this dis
ease. Consumption Is recognized as
weak point" in this as well as all other
kindred orders and associations, and for
this reason especial precautions are taken
against the admission of applicants with a
| family history of hereditary consumption.
| The large number of reiectlons on account
| of consumption in family" Will attest
the care that has been exercised on this
point.
sALooN-KERpHRs.
The order is inclined to shut its doors
against the admission of saloon-keepers.
In his report the Medlcal Examiner mas
| this to saw on this subject, and the Grand
Lodge endorsed the sentiment:
ut is a fact that the occupation of sa-
! loon-keeper is an extra-haZardous one,
and it is also true that our experience
proves that this occupation furnishes q
greater mortality, when compared with
the total number of saloon-keepers who
are members of the order, than any other
occupation This is neither social nor
moral question, but question of vital sta
| tistics Fortunately, there are not many
saloon-keepers who are seeking admission
into the order"
| WANTED TO BR SEPARATED.
The question of separate benehclary
| jurisdiction for the State of New Jersey
has been agitating the order in this iurls-
diction for several years past. There was
so much interest in the matter that Grand;
! Master Diefendorf appointed special