Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1898-05-07

mas SHOWN that Wnen the increase
of assessments due TO this fact pass
ed beyond S2oo per month, that the
younger members of the Order,
among whom the death rate was
low, withdrew from it and left the
older members, who, by reason of
their age, could not withdraw and
go into other institutions, to bear the
entire burden alone. The Jurisdic-
tion of Missouri has realized this eX-
perience the same as other .Jurisdic-
tions. Beginning our existence with
an assessment rate of SI3 a year, it
gradually increased with the ad-
vance of the members into the high
er ages, until in 1896 it reached more
than S2.oo per month. From this
time forward, until the Grand Lodge
session just closed, it was found i'm
possible to induce young men to
Join the Order, and equally impossi-
BILE to hold the young men who had
already become members of the Or
der. AS a consequence the heavy
assessment rates in the latter part
of the year 1896 ran the annual cost
from S24 in 1895 up to $40 for 1896,
and in 1897 it reached S3I. In the
face of our inability to secure young
members, and the rapid loss of that
class, the assessment rate was jump
ing in great strides, and it was easy
to see that it could be but few
years at best until the protection OF
the members above so years would
be imperiled by the loss of the mem
bers below that age and the incrcas-
ed cost resulting from their with
| drawal.
| The Jurisdiction became an appli-
Ecant for relief for the first time in
its history in 1897. The continuance
of the level assessment system made
| it absolutely certain that it would
be an applicant for relief in 1893 and
1899, with a largely increased death
rate incident to the withdrawal of
younger members, and largely in
creased demand for relief. Under
the laws of the Supreme Lodge we
could not receive relief on the level
| plan after the third successive year,
which would have been 1899, hence
| by the year 1900 we would have
reached situation where our NOR
tality would have required assess
ment costs in excess of the highest
rate known to the Classified Plan,
and could have received no relief
from the Supreme Lodge. In such
situation, without the hope of Sc
curing new membership or ability
to retain the younger ones we had,
! the speedy dissolution of the Juris-
diction and the loss of the protection
of the older members would have
been inevitable.
The Grand Lodge has averted the
possibility of such disaster to the
Jurisdiction and to the old members
by the change Of the assessment
plan. 1t has secured to them less
cost for the balance of their life than
they could have possibly realized on
the level plan, and has made their
protection absolutely secure. They
must see, therefore, that the Grand
Lodge has acted wisely and that it
has acted in their interest.
Another fact should be taken into
consideration by this class OF mem
bers. The death rate being the fact
that determines the cost, is higher
at the ages they have attained than
at the lower ages. They have had
their protection in all the years that
have gone before for less than the
cost necessary to carry them
through their lives, and for years
that are to come are secured by the
Classified Plan assessment rates be-
low what it costs the Order to main
tain their membership. The Classi-
fled Plan, by stopping the increase
of rate at age 81, does not stop the
increase of liability, but shifts it
from men in their old age to the
shoulders of others 1t is not true,
therefore, as many stigmatize it, {.
scheme to freeze out the old mem
bcrs, but is distinctly designed to
protect members in their old age in
fhe lowest cost that it is POSSIBLE to