The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-21
DIRECTORS BLAMED.
The Pacific Endowment League
Kicks" Vigorously.
Too Many Assessments the Cause of the
Trouble-An Investigation of the Books
to Be Made Immediately

Three hundred angry men and women as
sembled in Red Mems Hall yesterday to
give utterance to their condemnation of q
society of which they are members and to
oeVlSe means for compelling its Directors to
treat them with justice.
The society of which the angry men and
women are members is the Pacific Eudow-
ment League. 1t was founded in 1888 to pro-
vide for the payment of endowment certif-
Gates In sums Of $4,000 to each of its members
during lifetime. Each certificate was di-
Vlded into ten equal coupons, the maturity
OF the coupons being computed in such
manner that the age of the member on
Joining is deducted from 70 years, and the
number of years, months and days so OBJ
tanned is divided into ten equal periods,
each period being the time required to
elapse for the payment of a coupon, the
last coupon to be paid on the day the men,
Der is 70 years old.
LAWS OF THE LEAGUE.
The laws of the league provide that
assessments shall be levied to provide for
the payment of maturing coupons. These
assessments range from 81 % per capita for
member between the ages of 16 and II
years. to 81 40 per capita for members
whose ages are between 50 and 60 years.
The constitution provides that there shall
be regular monthly assessments, to com
mence January l. 1890, and that when the
demands on the Endowment Fund require
the levy OF additional assessments they shall
be made, and special notice thereof to every
member liable therefor shall be sent by the
Secretary"
IN that provision turks the little joker 1t
enables the Directors of the league to levy
as many assessments as they please. The
Secretary is one of the Directors, of whom
there are nine. In these Directors are
vested all the authority of the League. They
elect the officers and determine the amount
OF bonds that shall be given by them. No
Director can be removed except upon con-
YIction OF charges preferred by another
Director, and this all-p0werful board fills
vacancies in its membership whenever they
occur.
HAVE THE "CINCH."
In order that TIE Directors may have
solid grip on their offices, the constitution
OF the league provides that IAN annual
meeting OF the membership (of the league)
Shall be held at San Francisco on the first
Tuesday OF May of each and every year
thereafter. At such meetings two-thirds of
the entire membership shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. In
case OF quorum being present. a vacancy
III tho Office OF three Directors shall be de-
clared, and three members of the league
elected to fill the vacancy thus created"
The league is said to have membership
OF 5000. and it therefore requires 1000 mem
Ders TO constitute quorum. The Me-
that would seat this phenomenal quorum,
and so far 1t has not been engaged for that
purpose.
TEN ASSESSMENTS.
The members of the league managed to
get along with their remarkable constitution
~ lNss,.
for extra assessments. They paid one or
two extra assessments per month without
becoming vigorous in their opposition, but
they have been notified that in January
they must pay nine extra assessments, or
ten in all 10 the youngest members this
means tax of Sl3 80, to the oldest a Tax of
S2i, and II the assessments should continue
at This rate the members would pay much
more into the treasury of the league than
they can possibly draw out
Intense indignation filled the breasts of
the members when the last assessments was
levied ana one of tie most active members
3. +. Egan, called meeting of the league
yesterday to determine what should be DONE
He was in favor of taking legal action
against the Directors, aud it is possible that
they Will yet be given an opportunity to eX
plain why they lave been levying extra as
sessments in the courts.
FREEzE-oUT GAME.
Egan voiced his sentiments in very forci-
bic language at the opening OF the meeting
which organized by eiecting John Hoesch
Chairman and c. +. Brown Secretary
Esan again addressed the meeting. saying
that in bis opinion the extra assessments
were levied in violation of law and that the
Directors were trying TO freeze out the
members.
A motion to clear the hall Of all but
holders of assessment cards was voted down
and a resolution was passed that husbands
of wives who are members OF the league
should be allowed to represent them.
Egan urged the leage to obtain an injunc-
ton from the courts f0rbidding the Direc-
tors to levy any more assessments, but his
counsel did not prevail, and after long de-
bate it was decided to appoint an investi-
eating committee 10 examine the books of
the league and report at a meeting to be
held next Sunday.
The committee is composed of A. L. Golf.
NJ. l.: McCord, c. +. Brown, j. Anderson
and j. Hoesch.
The Directors of the league are: ]. W.
Offerman, j. A. Lueders, j. Martens. p.
keyser. G. de 'rroost, c. bunker j. Meal
lister and j. II. Struckmeyer.