The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-19

the military cantonmentH OF the ordsI
present In the city, arrived In 'front.' oil
the theatre, the Patriarchs Militant stood
in line with swords at present, while s0l
umbrella bearing sovereign ana state
officers, delegates to the sovereign grand
lodge and to the Michigan grand lodge
filed past in pairs and entered.
The proceedings opened with orchestral
music. Gov Pingree vas unable &c
appear, owing to illness, and Mayor May.
bury welcomed. the visitors on behalf Of
the city and state. OF Odd Fellowship,
the Mayor said:
''Is was one OF the first, IL not-the first,
society to make men brothers, and to
make my neighbor the man who needs
and is deserving of my help"
Hon. Alfred S. Pinkerton, grand sirb,
responded to the welcomes, after which
the sovereign grand lodge representa-
tives proceeded TO Harmonic hall where
the first business session was held.
Grand Sire Pinkerton made his annu-
al report to the sovereign grand lodge.
Mr.. Pinkerton said:
The evidence of the work of the agrees
sive, progressive force OF Odd Fellowship,
is refutation of the false assertion that
present citizens of the world are not as
good as were their fathers. Welcome
every agency that lends a helping hand
to those who need It, December 31st.
last, our subordinate lodge membership
was $685. and the number of sisters
enrolled In the Rebeksh lodges numbered
1e0,007. These figures enabled us for the
first time to honestly claim fraternal
affiliations with over n million persons.
Referring to the finances of the order,
Mr.. Pinkerton said: 1.-THE great source
of our financial life is the Income derived
from the sale of supplies. 1t has never
been our policy to accum ulats money.
neither has Intentional extrayngance been
INDUCED in, still as rule our expsnai-
lures exceed our revenues and contin
uance of such condition can havs but
one result. Idon't know that the bien-
nial session of the sovereign grand lodge
or a fixed place of meeting, will solve the
problem. The seeming remedy Is a re-
duction in the sum paid for mileage"
Tine grand sire gave an epitome history
Of the order and its growth, referring to
the relation existing between the Ameri-
can order and those of foreign countries.
He reported that affairs in diverseJy stu
ated aud widely separated brotherhoods
were generally in prosperous condition.
Appended to the report were reports on
the condition of the order in Europe,
Japan, Hawaii, South America. Alaska
and Northwest Canada.
Grand Secretary Grants report was
very yolumlnous. The secretary gave the
following summary of the condition of
the order December 81, 1898.
Sovereign grand lodges. l.; independent
grand lodges Australia, Denmark. Ger.
many. Sweden anu Switzerland), 5; sub
ordinate grand lodges, 65; subordinate
grand encampments, 55; subordinate
lodges, II, 796; subordinate enoampments,
a,64l; lodge members. $50, 929; enoamp-
ment members, 12s, 267 Rebekah lodges.
SOL; members of the Rebekah lodges,
slS, 1853 The whole increase In all branch
es of the order for the year was 30, 2s5.
Treasurer q. Richard Muokle. submit
ted his report.
After committees had been appointed
many resolutions were offered. The
mosb important one was introduced by
Representative Young of Maryland and
is aimed at the mileage paid representa-
tlves to the sovereign grand lodge At
present 10 cents per mile Is allowed for
delegates living east of the Rocky noun.
tains, and IL cent west. 1t orders the
figures reduced to s and 10 cents, respec-
lively. A resolution is pending from last
years. meeting reducing the mileage TO
and cents. Both these were, after
discussion, referred to a committee of five
with request to report as soon as possi-
BILE. That the mileage allowance will be
reduced is believed certain as a cut must
be made in the expenses. A resolution
ordering the abolishing of visiting
cards" was referred to the resolutions
committee.
The visiting card is now necessary to
enable a member of one looge to visit an
other. 1t is proposed instead to make
the receipt for dues sufficient. There
win be no election of officers by this con-
vention, since the terms of the incum-
bents of the sovereign grand chairs do
not expire for another year.
The matter of admitting negroes to the
I. o. o. f.. is. expected to come up at
this session as it has done for a mum her
of years. EResolutious providing for adj
IN ission of negroes have always hereto
fore been voted down, and the sentiment
among the present delegates CAUSES pre-
diotions of similar fate for any intro
duoed at this session.
The Rebekah branch is working to OBJ
tRln representation on the floor of the
sovereign grand loage. but there is much
opposition to such an innovation. .
Today the visiting ladies were enter
tained by the Union Rebekah. degree staff
of this city. Sixty-six ladies, the largest
degree team in the history of Odd Fellow.
ship, exemplified the Rebekah degree.
AN ANTI-IMPERIALIST TICKET.
Louisville. September l7.--On the eve
of President MoKfnIavSs Wait IL, the Mast