Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-13
FOR STEP RATE PLAN
Abb Lands Addresses the Wood.
men Deputies on Frater.
nal Insurance.
AN ABLE ARGUMENT PRESENTED
Age Declared to be the Only
Equitable Basis for Rat
ing the Cost.

Abb Lands, associate editor of the
| Fraternal Monitor, of Rochester, New
York. addressed the Woodmen school
of instruction in the certificate room
at the head Office last evening. He
was introduced by Head Consul
Northcott, aud Endorsed as the "best
informed man in America on the sub
ject of fraternal insurance"
Mr.. Lands is an earnest talker and
his language, when warmed by en-
| thusiasm, betravs attractive evidence
of his southern nativity. His address,
which consumed an hour and a half,
was avowedly on the general subject
of the deputy and his work, but it
evolved into an argument for a sys-
tenn of insurance with the rate of as
sessment based upon and increasing
with the age of the insured; in short,
the step rate plan.
In the opinion of Mr.. Lands moth
ing could be more pleasing in The eye
of Divinity than an organic alton OF
men founded for mutual assistance
1t obeyed the divine command Bear
We one another's bIrdels.' The
motive which prompts the forming
OF fraternal insurance societies pro-
ceeds entirely from the heart and to
this fact may be ascri bed their failure
in the past to Incorporate in their
management such rules as are neces
sary to make their existence perma-
nent. The trouble is mem bers fail to
realize their individual responsibility.
ha 70, "A
their relation to each other with re-
spect TO their individual cOntribu-
tiOns.
Age Increases Cost.
Mere numbers. he said. is not suili
cient TO guarantee the perpetuity of
an order. Increasing age will bring
IA proportionate increase in cost of
insurance. and new members cannot
be relied upon to bear Il growing ex
pense. The age of man is the only
basis for the rating of an equitabl
insurance. Some societies, seeing
the ruinOus character of the Hat rate
insurance, have sorght to rem edy
matters by basing the rating of men-
bers upon their age at the time of
Joining, carrying them at level rate
thereafter. In the opir ion of the
speaker this. while aiming in the
right dire ction, missed the mark as
widely as ever.
The Modern Woodmen society is
now, said MIR. Lands, in the best pos
sible condition for a change to a safe
and equitable plan of insurance. New
mem bers, now being Disseminated
against, under an equitable system
will be more easily Obtained and the
work of the deputies will be lightened.
Morning Session Today.
The school of instruction convened
in the Carse building at 9 O'CLOCK this
morning. The first speaker was o
f Ayrshire, of Chicago, who favored
the admission of good fellowship
camps in the larger cities into full
member hip, governed. of course, by
certain restrictions. John Sullivan,
of Kansas, followed with a talk on the
future of the order, suggesting lines
along which legislation may properly
be enacted at the next head camp at
St. Paul.
Lieut.. Gov. Riddell, of Kansas, who
has recently been employed as actu-
arial expert at the head Office, draft
ing tables of mortality, etc, was
heard, and spoke in line with his
work. The morning session closed
with a few comments by Abb Lands.
This afternoon the programs that
had been intended for last evening and
this morning were hastily gone
through with in addition to the num-
bers set for the afternoon. This even
ing will be devoted to an executive
session at the head offices, in which
the directors and head officers will
participate.