The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-15
THE ORDER is SOUND
SUPREME RECORDER LINN DEPENDS
THE CHOSEN FRIENDS.
Say the Attack from Chicago Is De-
sfons for the BENEFIT Of n Few.

The member Of the Order OF Chosen
Friends are much exercised i'm mind over
the publications, in the Chicago Times
Herald, Of the alleged unfavorable finan-
cial condition Of the order. The statement
Is made in the Times-Herald that the order
Is Swallowed by a cloud of financial diff
culty and that its older members are to
have their certificates reduced one half in
value. 1t Is reported that there is a
movement on foot for the withdrawal Of
a large number of councils. The imme-
date cause Of the threatened split is the
Morse plan for putting The order on a
solid foundation, the plan taking it's name
from the man who secured its adoption
at the Cleveland meeting. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
Section 2S7. A-On the first day Of Oc-
toDer, 1888, there shall be charged on the
relief fund books against every. member
then In good standing and thereafter
against every member to whom a relief
fund certificate is issued, such number of
assessments as will realize the full sum
OF 800 on each relief fund certificate for
$1,000 and pro rata or a certificate for a
greater or less sum-. and there shall at
the same time be credited every such
member the full amount paid on account
OF each assessment prior TO said date. and
every member shall thereafter be credited
with all assessments paid until such men,
- e@AaA. pa AI0 vi 7Ahll VI FTO VII a.
relief fund certificate for $1,000 and pro
rata for a greater or less sum"
The purpose or effect OF the plan, ac-
cording to the Chicago paper, is to re-
duce the policies one-haif. The paper
states that this is necessary because the
liabilities of the order in the
next two years will be over half a million
dollars. The information was a painful
shock to the several thousand members in
this city. The councils are losing men,
bers, ii is said, ON account of the assess
ments becoming so numerous. There have
been seventeen ordered this year. In a
conversation yesterday Supreme Recorder
Linn acknowledged that there would be
seventeen assessments this year, but he
believed that under the new plan there
would be only sixteen next year ana that
the number would continue 10 decrease. as
the new provision known as the Morse
plan would secure for the order a reserve
fund. He said the Morse plan is a plain
Straightforward business proposition. He
said the purpose of the new feature Is
TO stop the increase In the number OF as
an increase due to the members
growing old and dying more rapidly. He
continued:
Some of our members evidently jump
to the conclusion that under the Morse
a $1,000 policy Is worth only $500. TIL
new plan is simply this: We require each
member TO pay 500 for 81. 600 insurance.
If a man has paid in but one assessment
and should die $500 could be paid on his
policy. When a member has paid in $500
In assessments he stops paying and his
certificate is worth N,0o1. All above $50
that is paid in is added TO the amount of
his policy.
1--WE are not dependent upon new blood
coming into the order. but under the new
plan there Will be some Accommodations,
and II makes a better business proposition.
In order to get such q start every MEM
Der will be required TO keep on paying as
sessments until January. 1902. whether he
has reached his maximum amount or not.
The amount so overpaid will be added to
his certificate and when he is seventy-five
years old will be paid TO him. or II he dies
before that time it will be paid 10 his
heirs
Mr.. Linn denied that the financial trouble
was due TO the expense In conducting the
order. He quoted figures to show that the
annual expense for each member Is g.
The total expense last year was 16.4s5.R
paid in lain last year was $9l6.0O0. He
gave the number of claims outstanding on
Sept. IS as 1877. amounting to $2ss. 600. but
said full provision has been made for
these on the assessment plan. The claims
the old age liability would be paid
in the next two years, as they mature in
the same way. He charges that the con-
tention and the publication was stirred
by members of the order who a
to organize a new order with themselves
at its head. He said that one thousand
count of this attack and that the order
has stood the test of a loss Of five thou
sand in times past, owing TO assaults and
diSSenSiOnS.