The Saint Paul globe., 1902-10-08
WOODMEN WROTH
TWO HUNDRED OF THEM GATHER
AND PROTEST. AGAINST
NORTHCOTT'S PLAN
MAKE, MANY SPEECHES
AND PASS RESOLUTIONS
Harry Franklin and Others Back Head
ConsuI's Step-Rate Plan, But Ma
jority Is Against 1t and Campaign Is
Started for an Anti Delegation.

A joint meeting of Modern Woodmen
at Copeland camp, Payne avenue and
Wells street, attended by over 200 rep
resentatiyes Of the order in st. Paul,
last night adopted resolutions opposing
the readjustment of rates proposed by
Head Consul Northcott and condemn
ing the unauthorized expenditures Of
the general fund Of the order by the
board of directors for the purpose Of
securing a change to the step-rate
basis. The meeting was in the nature
of a reply to the Northeott lecture de-
livered in st. Paul last week and is the
first of a series to be held weekly dur
ing the winter at the several camps in
the city. 1t was attended by represent
atives of all of the lodges in the city.
The resolutions adopted by the meet
ing embodied a spirit of intense op-
position to the plan and were some
what acrid in tone. They reviewed
the proposition of the head consul for
a change to a "step-rate" basis Of in
surance holding it to be a "freeze-o out"
plan for getting rid of the old men.
Do Some Denouncing.
They denounce the use of the gen
eral fund of the order for the purpose
of forwarding the adoption of the plan,
holding that the money could not right
fully be used for such a purpose. They
declared that the Woodmen of st. Paul
were not to be fooled" by the aban-
donment of the literary bureau and
the withdrawal of Abb Lands, who has
toured the country in advocacy of the
"step-rate" plan; and that the. inau-
gurators of the plan were on a "still
him tn
manded the instant disuse of the fund
for that purpose and petitioned the
next meeting of the head camp to so
safeguard the fund that it could not be
used for the purpose of fathering any
propag ganda.
Many Speeches Are Made.
The resolutions were adopted with
out much opposition, although advo-
Gates of the proposed changes not only
from ST. Paul, but from other cities
were present. Harry Franklin, of
New York, and A. e. Bates, Of Mime
apolis, both argued in favor of the
the West Side camp assisted them.
In opposition to these speakers there
appeared State Consul III. A. Monroe,
M. A. III. Hooper, Of Unity camp; c. ].
Lund, of Capitol City camp; George
Daley, North Star camp; William
Garaughty, North Star camp; c. H.
Pringle, Minnehaha camp; John Cope
land, Copeland camp; A. G. Johnson,
Arlington camp; c. Nyquist, ST. Paul
camp, and A. Heidenreich.
The sentiment of the meeting was
manifest at the beginning. The argu-
ments of the speakers approving the
proposed change met with respectful
attention. while those of it's opponents
were loudly applauded. The argu-.
ments at no time were permitted to
become heated, as the programme of
speeches was interspers&u with songs
by the Minnehaha camp quartette,
which had adiverting effect.
No Other Plan Proposed.
The tactics of the opponents of the
step rate plan seemed to be TO keep
the Northcott men on the defensive.
While they admit the necessity of some
change in the present method of as
sessment which brought forth the
plan proposed by the head consul, they
plan to keep it's advocates entirely on
the defensive by proposing no change
of their own.
They argue that # the assessments
are graded on rising scale, according
to age, not only will the old men drop
out, but the young men who see What
is coming will also abandon the order.
The next mass meeting Will ,be held
at st. Paul camp some time next week.
A campaign will be carried on for the
purpose of sending an anti-step rate
delegation to the next grand encamp-
ment, which takes place in 1903.