Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-20

iDenenclarleS die before the member
does and in that case the full amount
would be allowed the member. More
than that, the member would remain
a Workman to the end of his days,
but would not be required to pay any
more dues or assessments. He would
become an honorary member with a
| vote at meetings, but no financial re-
| sponsibilities.
Fhis rule of course would be subject
to some regulations and safeguards
against imposition would have to be
provided, but it is believed that as a
general proposition it will meet with
favor in all the jurisdictions. 1t does
not cost any more to pay a faithful old
member the insurance he has carried
for years than it does to pay his bene-
| ficiaries after his demise, and in ev-
cry community are men to whom even
half of the $4,000 would mean the diff
ference between comfort and discom-
| fort, between comparative affluence
and dire distress.
Then it is not infrequently the case
that the aged and infirm find it impos-
sible to continue the payment of as
sessments. With their increased in.
ability to earn a living comes the in
crease in the assessments under the
graded assessment plan ant. not be-
cause they want to but because they
cannot help themselves the old fell
lows have to drop out and all the mon
ey they have paid in is lost to them ir-
lretrievably and it is lost to their sur
vivors. Under the new order this con-
dition would be obviated and the weak
point of the fraternal insurance plan
would be removed.
1t is understood that this question
lis to be taken UP in sober earnest at
the next meeting of the sovereign
grand lodge and the probabilities as
understood in this part of the country
are that it will be acted upon favor
ably. The proceedings will be watch
led with interest by the many thou
sands of members of the old order.
One result of favorable action would
surely be a great boom in the member
ship. 1t would mean a safeguard
against poverty in old age to the mem
bers and the money would be paid
more cheerfully where it was known
that there was a fighting chance of
receiving the benefit without dying.
Knights of Pythias.
The regular meeting of Wapello
Lodge No. -, X. of P, was held last
night There was large attendance
and work was conferred in two de-
grees. 1t is hoped to have a very in
| teresting session at the next meeting
night, as there will be several candi.
4 dates for initiation.
Invitations have been issued by
/ Wapello Lodge No. 10 for grand
| masquerade ball to be given in its hal!
Friday evening, Dec. rs. Tickets are
/ issued with each invitation, and every
4 ticket is numbered and duplicate
kept. and no one will be admitted
1 without one of these tickets The
committee also desires to announce to
those who have domino's that their
use will be allowed if SO desired. The
following are the committees: On ar
rangements, James Gray George L.
Walker, and Ernest Mitchell; floor,
1 General ]. G. Manchester q. T. Daw-
son and L. A. Gordon.
General J. c. Manchester expects to
go to Cedar Rapids soon where. he will
| assist in perfecting the preliminary
arrangements for holding the bien.
NAL encampment of the Uniform
Rank. B. Murphy, of Vinton, grand
\ chancellor of the X. of p, will also
be present and it is expected that
arrangements will be completed on
a grand scale for the meeting of the
grand lodge and also the Uniform
Rank.
| M. w. "A.
The defeat of the proposition to es.
| tablish a reserve fund in this order
has created great amount of discus
sion. John Sullivan, of Kansas City
a prominent member of this order
who was asked his views on the mat
ter recently had the following to say:
/ Order Strong in West.
f'The defeat of the reserve plan may
not be surprise to the lodges out
side of Missouri and Kansas, but II
will be to those situated in the two
states named. There are 100000 mem
bers of the order, Missouri and Kan
sas each having membership OF
l9about' 10000. Jackson county is the
banner county with 1000 members
and Kansas City the banner city with
1 5000. The Modern Woodmen, like
most other fraternal organizations
4 pays it's death rates by assessment to
meet the immediate demands. II dur
ing one month ten deaths occur, an
assessment is ordered to pay these
ten. If the next month there should
be fifty, then five times as much would
be the amount of the assessment In
actuality the rate varies seldom and
but little. but nevertheless, that is
the plan. Being no reserve fund Out
OF which to pay them, or with which
to aid the current assessment, the so
ciety had to stop doing business. Ac
cording to the Kansas City Woodmen
who voted solid for the reserve fund
the Woodmen must have reserve
fund or they will find themselves
stopped some day.
"The average age today is SO, but
that shows nothing. This average
age business is of no Importance
whatever. 1t is no more today than
it was years ago, from which may be
argued that the assessment is nc
higher. Let me show you how this
average age is nonsense. Out OF
every 1000 men aged 80 years, 144
die. Out of every 1000 men aged 20
years, five and a fraction die. The
average of these two ages, 80 and 20
/ is 20 and tha average death rate nj