The Washington times., 1902-10-05
THE FRATERNAL CONGRESS

! The National Fraternal Congress is
now excellently officered, ]. A. Langfitt,
of the Royal Arcanum, being president,
| Edwin o. Wood, of the Loyal Guard, vice
president, and NJ. W. Sackett, of the A.
o. U. w. secretary and treasurer. The
congress at its recent session reaffirmed
its previous action touching the desira-
bility for uniform legislation; rein
dorsed the congress table of mortality,
but voted to eliminate from the bill pre-
pared by the Congress that clause fixing
July l, 1905, as the date when all orders
| must put in force rate schedules based
on such mortality tables.
The annual report of the committee
on statistics and good of the order says
The average number of lives exposed
during 1901 and reported was 2,SG6,630
The expected number of deaths by the
standard of this Congress was 19,303.
The actual number of deaths reported by
the thirty-seven orders under observa-
tion was 1888, the actual being 1888
per cent of the expected. These condi-
tions," says the report, seem to show
in most remarkable degree that the
Congress is quite fully justified In Its
action adopting this standard, We are
companies using other standards does
not so nearly approach the expected
that there is a very much greater mar
gin. Our observations during the past
two years quite clearly indicates that
our standard is none too high. We shall
probably have further report on this
subject to submit before the session
closes. During the year 1901 several of
the orders represented made radical
changes in their rates. and so far as VIC
are advised none have suffered seriously
as result. In some cases there were
temporary losses, but all now report
conditions vastly improved-not only 50
far as their finances are concerned-but
IN tho matter of new members as well.
Your committee, as we'll as the whole
fraternal world, has noted with genuine
interest and approval the advancement
by such orders as have made changes In
the right direction, our only regret In
most instances being that such changes
did not 20 farther; that they did not go
to the full limit of requirements, thus
avoiding tie necessity of further changes
in the same direction in the near future.
In the Judgment of your committee,
the most important event IN the frater-
nal world. since last we met, was the
of the plan OF read1ustment.
adopted by the committee appointed lor
that purpose, by the Modern Woodmen
of America
whether we may agree with the COM
mittee as to the plan submitted or not
whether we think the step rate, modi-
fled as nroposed. is better than level
rate or not. we must all agree that the
order. through its present administra-
tion. is moving In the right direction,
and we believe that we voice the sentf-
ments of this Congress when we COM
mend the action taken by the present
oficiaI management OF that order, and
AT the same time earnestly express the
hone that such action may result in
of It's conditions to the ex-
tent needed TO place 1t in every respect
as IT is today, in some respects the
greatest example of successful and sub
stantial fraternal cooperation In the
world
We note with great satisfaction the
progress so many of these
orders are making; that the great work
of tbis congress in its efforts to impress
mon The orders here afiiliated-not only
the necessity-but the wisdom as well,
nf adjusting conditions so that contribu-
,ions will be both equitable and ade-
ruate TO the risk assumed.