Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-07

the progress OF the WOrIu WOuIU not
be interrupted or injustice done to Mr..
Northcott if it went over for another
day. This explanation is made in
view of the premature publication OF
Mr.. Northcott's communication adj
dressed to THE ARGUS in this morn
ing's Union, evidently at the request
of Mr.. Northcott or his representa-
tive:
Greenville, ILL.,, Dec. i, I9O0.-Eii-
tor OF THE Rock ISLAND ARGUS In
your issue of Dec. l, on page 5, under
the head of For the Woodman
Fund" last paragraph, you say:
The expression of the meeting is in
opposition to the idea on this subject
of Head Consul w. a. Northcott, who
has for several years been agitatlng q
step-rate plan, differences over which
is claimed to have caused the breach
between Mr.. Northcott and j. G.
Johnson, and resulted in the latter's
retirement from the head attorney
ship of the order"
This is an absolute misrepresenta-
ton of the facts. In a speech deliv-
cred at the Kansas City head camp.
which is reported on page 90 of the
proceedings of said head camp,
Neighbor j. g. Johnson said: II am
in favor of the step-rate proposition.
1 believe that it is a menace of dan
ger to the society to accumulate a
large fund of money. l believe that
the stationary rate that our order
has is a menace to the order. / be-
lieve that as a member grows older
and approaches old age that the risk
becomes greater to theS society
year by year: that it increases
as long as the member lives. If
we have graduated scale of
assessment, increasing gradually as
age increases, so that a man when he
becomes 80 years of age shall pay in
proportion as the man % years of
age, that such will be a better plan.
| want to say that if thsre is any
menace existing in this society. we
will find it 10, l. or Is years from
now when these young men have
grown older and are still only paying
the Accent rate"
This is only one of many instances
where THE ARGUS has not only been
u friendly to me. but very unfair.
w. A. NORTHCOTr,
Head Consul, NJ. W. A.
True Spirit OF Fairness.
Apart from the spirit of fair
ness that would always otherwise
prompt it, The ARGUS is glad
of the opportunity to show Mr.
Northcott by publishing his commu-
nication how far he misjudges the
inclination of this paper toward him.
In this, by the way, The ARGUS has
to him a greater courtesy
than he has seen fit to show 1t in |
the matter of attention to commune |
cations addressed to him bearing
on Woodmen affairs.
Technically, it may be said, that |
Mr.. Northcott is right in his refer |
ence to the Kansas City proceedings,
yet in a general sense, insofar as the |
much to be regretted differences be-
tween Mr.. Northcott and Mr.. John |
son are concerned, the reserve fund
was used as a circumstance. at least, |
to bring them about.
On page 80 of the head camp pro-
ceedings appears the following:
Head Consul: The first thing in |
order IS the report OF the committee
on the emergency fund. AS chair |
man of that comnitte make the fol- |
lowing report:
Your committee would respect
fully report that the head camp by
laws be amended by the insertion of
the following:
e. That one assessment be levied |
each month and the surplus in the BEN
eft fund on the first day of January of |
each year be invested by the board of |
directors in United States govern
nent bonds, the principal and inter-
est to create an. emergency fund to be
under the direction of the 1
head camp"
That is the only recommendation
or an emergency fund for the action
If this head camp" said the head
consul. However, supplementing
his recommendation, the head con-
nj reported a provision to submit
hree other plans to the membership
or approval. The plans to be sub
nitted to the mem bership differed
rom the above plan which the COM
nittee recommended should be put