The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-15
POSTAL CLERKS MET
Wichita District Meeting TO
be Held This Week.
PLAN OF INSURANCE.
Originated by Wichita Man Is
of National Importance.
OF INSURANCE

The Wichita district association of post
al clerks will hold their annual conven-
ton in this city on next Saturday. About
twenty-five or thirty clerks from out Of
town besides those who live here, will
attend the convention and will elect del
egates to the Seventh Division conven-
ton which n Gets in Kansas City, May
End. The Kansas City convention elects
delegates to the National Convention
which will meet in San Antonio, Texas,
in June.
1t is said on good authority that the
railway mail service is the most highly
organized and most efficient establish
ment in the world. The national associa-
ton follows out the same lines of organi-
cation as exists in the service.
No important actions are taken at the
district conventions. They merely instruct
their delegates and recommend actions
to the higher associations. Owing to
this peculiar organization it is a fact
that nearly all the matters that come be-
fore the national convention have their
origin in some of the district conven-
tions. And the Wichita district has the
honor Of championing the most impor-
tant measure that has ever been adopted
by the national association. This
measure was the establishment of an ac-
cident insurance department
The direct cause for this action on the
part of the postal clerks was that about
three years ago the old line COMPANIES
reduced the amount of the policies grant
ed to postal clerks from $1,000 to $4,000.
and maintained the rates previously in
force. The clerks naturally resented such
action, and some of the Wichita clerks
decided that the porper thing to do was
Tor the national association to establish
an insurance such as had been in sue
cessful operation in the u c. T. Lodge
Tor many years. One of these gentlemen
was d. e. Barnes of this CITY who was
and is now the president of the eth di-
vision association
When the next district convention met
IN Wichita, the idea was brought before
the assembled clerks who recommended
the plan to the division convention and
instructed their delegates to work for thu
measure. The division convention recon-
mended it to the national association
which adopted it. A committee compris-
ing D. E. Barnes, Wichita; N. l.. Nor
rison, HOrnelville n. Y; and George A
Wood, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, were
appointed to meet in New York City to
formulate plans for this department
When the committee met It, for the most
part, Endorsed the ideas which Mr. Barnes
had already formed on the subject.
The next step in the organization was
to get the pledges of four hundred clerks
to take out insurance. The first policy
was written in December 1897. Now more
than 1000 Of the 5000 clerks in the United.
States hold policies. There has also been
a large reserve sum accumulated and vet
the assessments have only been 60 per
cent. of what the old line companies have
charged. The clerks are very proud of
their scheme for mutual protection and
the ones who live here are particularly
interested on account of the plan hav-
ing originated in this city.