Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-08-31
isos HALL

naturally be -hy Of entering into saeh an
unequal bsrzais. They know veil the help
iessness of attempting 10 get new
neasher. nov that public confidence
Is shaken, aud that without the
proper proportion Of new members
they would Inevitably he assessed 90 pay off
the old members a. they rlatured and at the
wind up get nothing thefnssiVes. The Old
membership il the iglsufansautaid@ obstacle
In the way Of rehAbiIita;ing the Iron Hsn,
though no Doubt a rev order could be
rearsd from is ashes with all new members
ami 90 all equal on the start and without
any inayeaIing detfs.
Now lastly cenles the all important aaes-
ton Of whaa il IL best to 10 Eitir our funds. /
.First let III glance At the situation and /
t.len at the decree ~ the court IN order the /
more inteIiIgeaiiy to consider the pFopriety /
Of complying or refusing To do.
The Supreme Sitting il the only part Of |
the Iron Hall which ever bad any corporate !
s.Ei.teace and that only By force Of the laws
Yf fi,e state Of Indiana, in consequence Of
> HEB the courts Of that state have Iaris'iic- )
uoa in the present proceedings
to cut short its existence :
and appoint a rceriyer 10 wind up is affairs.
The central membership never constituted (
any part Of ,lie corporate bo'lT anil today .
simply star,{ III the position Of creditors % 4
Tia, supreme Sitting. Neither do the local /
bgaarlsrs constitute corporations, but are .
mere voluntary associations for the purpose
Of convenience in the Transaction of bust
nes. between the iniiqiIail members and .
the Supreme Sitting
There is in Indianapolis of the
flnds Of the Supreme Sitting, ami .
81, e
court. about four hundred Il onsanI dollars .
~hiie the greater portion of the benefit
fund. some seven hundred and thirty thou
,anI dollar. y locked up in the defunct
ifllaielphia bank and the cntire reserve
fnsiI aggrcgating nearly million ard
quarter j. ~ the hands Of local brauches.
Nov ha, is ihe decree Of the couf. and
how Toe. Il bear On this .tatr Of facts,
The cont was not satisfied 10 conhac is
lrcrre To matter. AMI fund. within it,
jurisdiction hut has subjected 10 universal
ami unbouuaeB f43Cul. b. assuming extra
territorial jurisdiction anil issuing bonn
ba.tie decree th, greater part of which IL i.
impossible for that " any other court IN
Chri.trnlom to enforce. Doubles. IT l.
highly gratifying TO the legal profession to
learn of one tribunal IN the world which
ha. at lat arrived at such simple solution
Of ~ the knotty problems arising under
conflict Of laws Hereafter il will only be
necessary in -nch eases 10 apply Ia th"
Superior C0urt Of indianapolis To obtain
world aidc Injunction or mandamns.
In view of ihe action already taken hS
thu courts of a number Of the states IN APP
pointing rcc,-i1er- for the Iron Hall in TIER
respective -tttcs aul in granting lnjnncions
rDstrlnin. the officers Of local branches
from complying with .indge Tal lors cncy
ci,'ral tecree, it Is hardly necessary To say
that the settled rispruienrc of ths ruuu-
try since thr .lnY- Of Chancellor hrnt sup #
ports thu action Of thc-. state courts IN
the interests of their own
citizens was ia ctr decision
o. ocr own bar ani supreme court sustain
ing the doctrine. Hunt vs.. Columbian
ln.urance Company, %, Me, 2nO. When
Judy II, Tor Included in his his decree the
AUTHORITY for thr receivers 10 commence
suits in all the states for possession Of the
general aud reserve funds h., or his all
,i-ors If 'nuns.i for the petitioners. who a.
a matter OF fact draftrd the decree, anticl-
Igtrl the struggl. winch the local hrtnchc,
.s"nld make to Retain control Of these
fund.- tfter pur-uug the eA,cn-
.itr course of litigation FORE
,hAtoNed in the decree. how much
hoes guy on, imagine thcrp VIII l.. left of
he : 400 Oun now IN tn. receiver bands 10
be- cycntually diyidcd among the general
and how many wears viii It
take To arrive at conclusion of such pro-
2, ering,! For my part, ! nave rrnuuuCcl
al hope of ever receiving Il cent from tin
receiver IN indianapolis. and cannot be
fuoloi into wasting time and money in such
= futile attempt W. only hope of re-
irving any returns from the nov
Irfnnct order lies in the deter
mined action of my local branch
n returning its general and reserve funds,
IF which confidently expect To receive my
pro rata part ia final distribution either at
he, hands of the branch or through the
IL need he, of a receiver FOR this
state
lna.much A. these funds are wholly the
product of the mcmbers of thi, branch and
arc now in our possession, how absurd il
= puA b, IN Voluntarily par. with them as
hrs are the ouiy security we have for cur
'lamz against the supreme Sitting. We
have a moral as well u. legal right 10 them,
,nt ran ours, Ives make an
.qutahlc distribution with much
r.s trouble aud EXPENSE than tn" IniiHnap-
pliS court to say nothing of thu unavoidable
lolay and the probability of receiving little
lr nothing in return in ease VIC should b"
oiiglng enough to recognize .lndgr Tay
nrs authority.
II ANYTHING more were needed Ia cap the
hmps of this folly it appears ia luig'
Iay tors further order that We not only
.yud on our general an reserve
funds AMI the two August assess
upnt~ still IN the custody ct
.h- locqt branch hut that we must go step
further and pas from our individual paok
-t- t., one local branches and they s"uh to
.hc indianapolis rrvcNer the two Sept"m-
.; ,l>-c> sr,culs, ON, PAYABLE ON She first
and the uttrr ON the fifteenth of next
month This is altogether too absurd.
resent Judge Tavlnr's evident assumption
that the members Of the iron Hall are all
fools. Why not order ~ to keep on paying
him assessments until our certi
,ates mature. Docs he levy i,
these two assessments for the
purposes of eventually paying them back
la rs. II So would not the more simple and
less expensive method be 10 let the cash re
main where it now Is. IN our pockets: Bn
If it Is for the purpose of diyeFting or
money 10 the payment of other claims We
should IN Iced bc foolish TO respond, Take
aittc- view and certainly the hest place for
unpaH assessments is in our own pockets.
hp,c the Maine membership of thu Iron
Hall will not hc lnped intn attempting 10
th' order for the benefit of
others. that all the Maine
branches VII hold onto all the
fun in their possession for security of
their own members and that ultimately it
hc found feasible for the local branches
tn make just and legal distribution of the
fRn.l. without the expense of 4 rcceivcrship
fer 'll1 order in this STATE, 81
Very truly yours
\. NJ. GODDARD.