The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-06-02
FraternaI Insurance.


 To the Eultor of the Journal and Courier:
 In the Connecticut Insurance report, Part 3, for 1897, we find the following remarkable statement concerning fra ternal societies and their payments to benefciaries: Pages and g. This business may be divided into two classes. CD Those in which the insur- ance given is so small as only to amount to a mere burial fund not ex- ceeding S100 and small indemnity in case of disability or sickness not eX- ceeding $5 a week for limited periodi CD and those in which the insurance or indemnity greatly exceeds these amounts In the first, which includes such societies as Masons, Odd Fellows, and the like, the insurance feature is so small as to be mere incident at- tached to the main purpose of social and educational gatherings. The bene- fits are in the nature of charitable con- tributions of small amounts made to the less fortunate members and it matters very little upon what princi pies these contributions are collected and maintained" (On the same ground the young woman is said to have remarked that 'her baby was such a very little one that she saw no occasion for people to make such a fuss about it.'D Report says further, such societies are exempt from state super vision in Connecticut by virtue of an act passed January, tS97," and this
 
 Now as to the statement about Ma sons, Odd Fellows and the like" what ever this last order may be, let us in- vestigate a little It is no secret of the order but is published broadcast that the Masonic Mutual Benefit association of New Haven pays benefits of S1,000 | $2, 900. and s3,000, and in spite of the public scandal in the New Haven press concerning it's former management it is now on a perfectly sound basis and no Mason who is eligible need hesitate to join it. But all this scandal might have been avoided if all insurance and benefit business had been under intel- | ligent and competent State supervision | for twenty years past. Another Mason | ic Benefit society which had members | in this state for many years, and still l has, if it is in existence, paid in one year five benefits of $5,0J0 each. a still l larger number of $3,000 each, and enough more of $2,000 each to make a total of about $170,000 for the year. | Still another one which did business in this state paid each deceased member ! $2 0O0 as long as it held it's member ship. Not much like the ''mere burial fund not exceeding $100," which the re- l port passes over so tenderly. The l writer believes in fraternal insurance on benefits, but as every one of the so- cieties is likely to answer at the bar l of our courts to- some claimant of it's benefits it would seem that the conduct l of their business should be subject to | the same supervision as the N. E. o. of ! P, the Knights of Honor, the Golden l Cross or any others of the more than | two score fraternal organizations, none | of whom pay any larger benefits than l the ones to whom special reference has l been made. If the author of the report l ever gets into a Masonic, Odd Fellows l or the lilxe'' association he will find | there is business point in them that l is as devoid of sentiment as the pay 1 ing of tax bill or a note at any of l our banks, and that the men who con- l duct them successfully for the members, 1 their widows and orphans must fol- low business methods or like so many old line insurance companies of former | days, go out in disgrace for its mis- | managers. Fraternal Benefits.