Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1897-10-23

ne 1Tdlu lAOuRe OF montana mas
adopted the classified form of ASSESS
ments with decided departure
from the plan of the Supreme Lodge
fer the low rate Jurisdictions, in the
nature of surplus fund, which is
intended to do justice to persistent
members, to those brothers who
stand by the Order through evil and
good report, and who have a regard
for their obligations. The PROPOSE
tion is to raise the equal of one assess
ment annually for a reserve fund to
be properly invested and disbursed,
in brief, az follows:
1. A member over fifty years of
age and ten years in the Order will
pay no more than eight classified as
sessments.
q. A member over fifty years of
age and fifteen years in the Order
will pay no more than seven classi-
fed assessments in one year.
3. A member over fifty years of
age and twenty years in the Order
will pay no more than six classified
assessments in one year.
4. A member over fifty years of
age and twenty-five years in the
Order will pay no more than five
ella ssified assessments in one year.
S. A member over fifty years of
age and thirty years in the Order
will pay no more than four classified
assessments in one year.
! s. A member in the Order thirty
five years will pay no more than
three classified assessments in one
year.
7. a member in the Order forty
years will pay no more than two
classified assessments in one year.
g. A member in the Order forty
five years will pay no more than one
classified assessment in one year.
O. A member in the Order fifty
years shall be exempt from all as
scssments.
BY the above plan Montana hopes
to remove some of the objections to
the Classified Assessment Plan. The
meeting was attended by several
Supreme Lodge officers, among them
being S. NJ. w. Robson and Bro.
Kinsley, chairman of the Supreme
Lodge Law Committee, and the latter
is credited with having drafted the
above sections.
While the propositions seem fair,
it is question whether they do not
conflict with the entire system of the
Order. Suppose that Montana Juris-
diction remained stationary for a
number of years and its mortality
rate demanded that twelve assess
ments be levied in order to receive
relief, who would pay the extra as
sessmentsp Under the above propo-
sitions assessments could not be lew
led upon the older men, and the bal
ance can not be levied upon more
than twelve times. 1t might be said
that they would be patriotic enough
to pay more, but if they refused the
Grand Lodge would be powerless to
punish them by means of suspending
their certificate. 1t will be easily
seen that if Montana's average would
reach IS years, the raising of an
amount equal to twelve classified as
sessments would be quite large and
il the last class were exempted the
burden of raising the money would
fall upon the younger men, and the
classified plan itself is designed to
bring in the young men in place OF
driving them out.
1t is question whether the Su
preme Lodge will even listen to the
plan unless-some plausible remedy
is proposed to supply the deficiency
caused by the first four propositions
and as for the balance of the "obiect
ions removed" very little need be
said, as there will not be over half q
dozen or more exempted from pay
ling.-HOOsier Watchnaan.
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