The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-06
DEFENSE Of The SINS Bill.
WILL NOT WORK HARDSHIP on
FRATERNAL SOCIETIES..
a. n. Heilig. CAairuan Of House
Committee en- Insurance, says
Measure II Criticised I9nsraatly
-ApprsveA ~ HfgA Authorities.

censing of frayern2l beneficial associations,
rs insurance societies ard which Ii is
claimed makes restrictions on their work.
.ngs. finds - champion in A. r.. Heilig,
chairman OF the house committee on m
surarcs, who writes to the Post-Inte.li-
gerser as follows:
beg leave through the columns Of your
paper 10 correct q mistaken impression that
mas influenced the writing of an article in
your issue OF yesterday relating 10 house
oil No. ZIG. pertaining TO fraiernal benefi-
cial associations. As many of your readers
VIII know. l am melnbe@ OF the Ancient
year member Of the committe on laws
OF the Grand Lodge OF that order; / also
oeiong TO and am high counsellor Of. the
INDEPENDENT Order OF Fores;ers: l also
oeiong 10 and am past commander and at
.ofney Tor this state OF the knights OF the
For these reasons was made chairman
OF rer gesentatives. the members here be-
Mevf.G clat would carefully guard the in
UT ISIS OF these orders. ! believe / have
tIofoughly done so. As soon as the Sims
3II was introduced. l sent copy of il to
the supreme officers Of most OF the leading
Ifaternal organizations, with the request
that they carefully consider II and make
Criticisms upon the bill and return 1t as
corrected at once. 1 did nothing with the
bill until l heard from Them
Ine nrst reply / received was from II.
=. sessions. supreme master workman of
the Ancient Order Of United Workmen. He
round no fault whatever with the bill, and
SAID ne had sent a copy 10 the Hon. John
hasken Butler, who is chairman of the
NATIONAL committee on legislation OF the
National Fraternal Congress. and an emf
nent lawyer OF BCstor. well informed on
I'M. u subject | would say here that the
MoOomen OK the Wor.d belong TO this con.
ABOUT forty more. Mr.. Butler made a few
amendri tents. which put into the bil and
closes his letter with saying. With these
hell n n
the adoption Of the BILL
The Hon. ID. p. Markey supreme COM
manGer OF the Knights of the Maccabees.
answered in a lengthy letter. suggesting a
few amendments. which / Incorporated in
me bill. and says. I have examined the
bill carefully and find it substantially in
accordance with the National Fraternal
Tight. and hope you will DC able to secure
US passage IN substantially its present
McGiiiirray. supreme secretary OF the In
dependent Order of Fcresters in which he
suggests few minor amendments to the
nnl. which ! also Incorporated in i. and
concludes his letter with saying The BILL
l think on the whole. Is good one and
hope you will be successful in passing tt
A few days later / received a letter from
Independent, Order of Foresters and
everybody will concede that he is the high
est authority In America today on frater-
Considering the fact that this is in
tended to be an initial law recognizing fra
ternal beneficial societies in your state. we
consider the bill very good one. In fact
We ma that large portion of It Is copied
from bills that are now on the statute books
or many OF the states OF the Union. I am
OF the opinion that II would be a good thing
II the bill were 10 pass. and therefore give
fraternal societies legal status in Your
state
Il have letter from Richard Wheeler,
men OF the World. In which he says. Il
think the bill a very good law. and hope
1t viii pass In the form In which II has
been amended; think the part requiring
deputies 10 take out a license is excellent
and the line OF questions TO be answered
very desirable. believe Il will be a very
good thing for fraternal orders to pass this
'.As an enthusiastic member Of three Of
these organizations, / can assure your
readers that l believe II the hes. thing we
fact that II passed the house after a fun
statement Of these facts with but one dis
senting vote. and that by member who is
opposed to secret ORGANIZATIONS. demon-
strates that IN its present form the bin -
OF great benefit to these organizations.
Now. word as TO the bill Itself or
rather the objections made tn H. There IL
no euch amendment to the bill as Is shown
In the article referred to- The amendment
which made 10 section Z of the bill and
was adopted by the house. IL an addition
\ W Tue emu Oh the seCtfOn. ana feduS mus.
Provided. that this section shah not APP
ply to members soliciting membership for
local or subordinate lodge to which they
belong. The Grand Lodge of the Wood
men of the World was ir session several
weeks ago In Olympia. { met their COM
mittee on laws or legislation In their rooms
and also had the pleasure of having them
meet with the committee on insurance be-
fore whom the btu wss then pending They
there and then stsscd what amendments
they desired TO hare made In the bin and
we made them.
THE bill as II now stands Is an exceIlen.
measure VIII *~~.e~. instead OF DESTROY
these organizations that mean SO much for
our state. ans cannot hut think that the
article in ysur paper was suggested by