The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-05
WILL ASK REPEAL
Fraternal Insurance Orders TO
Go Before the Council.
OPPOSE OCCUPATION TAX
Claim That 1t viii Work a
Hardship on Members.

E. S. Binning. supreme accountant for
the Knights OF the Protected Ark. a. fra
ternal insurance order which comes IN
der the recent occupation tax ordinance
passed BY the city council. Is sending cur
circular letters TO all the fraterEal IL
surance orders IN the city urging them
% send delegates TO a meeting 70 be held
in Woodmen hall next Tuesday night for
the purpose OF taking some action re-
garding the matter Of asking the coun-
Gil 70 repeal the ordinance
Il Is not the intention OF those inter
ested in fraternaI Insurance. to attack
the validity Of the ordinances, but they
will simply go before the council and
ask Tor It's repeal They set Up the
claim that 1t Is unlike the old line IN
suranee companies and thai Il il is not
repealed or modified, eliminating fr2ter-
nal insurance orders. 1t viii be a rank
injustice and VIII prove detrimental. 70
the city for the reason that fraternal
orders DO considerable charity work
among the members. In the argument
before the council the COMMITTEES appoint
ed Tor that purpose viii present figures
to show that with the heavy tax the or
ders win be prevented from taking care
OF unfortunate members who are out OF
work and that they will be dependent
upon the city for aid. This the lodge
men claim, viii amount to more than
viii be realized from the orders by rea-
son o. the tax. which is SIS per year,
payable semt-aanually. All OF the fra
ternal orders have united in an attempt
70 have the law repealed. the enforce
ment Of which they firmly believe will
have tendency % retard the growth
Of the orders instead OF Strengthening
them.
The following is the circular appeal
sent out by those interested In its re-
peal:
Wichita, Kan. July 2s. 1900.
ITO the Fraternal Beneficiary Societies
Of Wichita
TN accordance with a late city o-dln-
anee the authorities are demanding that
life insurance companies, including all
fraternal societies who have agents
working in the city on salary, COM
mission or any other compensation, shall
pay a license OF $3.50 for each SIX
months.
Believing that the enforcement Of
this ordinance viii have a tendency 70
retard the growth and IN a large meas
ure defeat the purpose and destroy the
usefulness OF tlesa noble organizations.
many Of the most substantial business
men OF cur city are advocating the unit
ed efforts Of the frsternaI orders az
Wichita in securing its repeal.
Each fraternal order in the city "a
requested To select. at tie first meeting.
one of its most influential members. 70
be sent as delegate To the fraternaI con-
vent'on. which viii meet in the Modern
Woodmen hall on third floor over 40
East Douglas avenue. ca wednesday
evening. August s, At O'Clock
The object of this meeting is to for
muiate 4 petition and 70 select a con-
mittee 10 represent the fratarnal orders
Of our CITY at the next meeting OF the
city council. August 3. and ask that this
ordinance be repealed
Respectfully submitted
"E. s BINNrNG."
Mr. Biuning was arrested some time
ago for failure 10 comply With the pro-
visions Of the ordnance, and the tr.aI
Is to be heard next Wednesday before
Police Judge Mitchell. The council
meets on August y.
W T. Haggart. with the Southern Kan
sas railway in Texas. was a visitor n
the city last evening. Mr.. Haggart IS on /
his way 70 Chicago for his vacation