Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-28
WILL TALK STEP. RATE PLAN
Head Consul NOrthcott to Address Local
Woodmen Of America.
CHANGE OF ASSESSMENT CONTEMPLATED
Majority of the Fifty Ne
braska Members said TO Be OPP
posed to Plans of Head
Camps Committee.

Considerable interest centers around the
meeting OF Modern woodmen Of America
to be held at the Creighton Orphcum June
5, at which Head Consul Northcott will
speak. There are approximately $4,000
members Of the society in Nebraska and
$4,000 in Iowa, all of whom are deeply in
terested In the tour OF the head consul,
who, 1t is said, is visiting the different
cities for the purpose of educating the
membership on the subject Of a change in
the method of levying the assessments for
death losses.
At a meeting of the head camp a commit
tee was appointed to provide a change in
the method of securing the benefit fund,
w. H.. Thompson Of the Nebraska jurisdic-
ton being a member Of the committee.
Many ideas were proposed, but the COM
mittee finally decided upon the step-rate
plan, by which the rate paid by the MEM
Der for insurance advances from year to
year, with his age, and also recommended
a reserve fund to be created by an assess
ment Of 8 cents per month upon each mem
Der.
The plan proposed by the committee
meets the approval Of the head officers, but
local members Of the organization claim
that 95 per cent of the members are OPP
posed to it, believing that a comparatively
few can afford the higher rate thus re-
quired.
Member Expresses Opinion.
Said a member of one of the local camps:
M Northcott and the other head off,
GERS are very anxious to have the plan
adopted and have gone so far as to organize
a literary bureau, which has been placed
in charge of Alb. Lands, a we'll known pub
Usher of insurance papers. They claim
that 1t is their intention to educate the
masses OF the membership until they can
see the advantage Of the step rate and the
reserve fund, but in my opinion the expense
of that method will preclude its adoption.
Everyone familiar with the condition OF
the order admits that some provision should
be made for a rainy day and the only Diff
ference hinges upon the method to be
adopted. A large number are in favor Of
the creation of an emergency fund and still
more favor a plan to make a minimum
number Of assessments each year, not less
than twelve, the balance left after all losses
have been paid to be covered into an ener-
gency fund.
ut has been the boast Of the officers and
Of the members of the order that the So
ciety never made many calls for assessment
that were not absolutely necessary. Many
years they have only called ten assessments
and many more they have called but eleven
while last year they called twelve when
there was money enough In the treasury to
close the year without the last assessment.
How 10 Create Reserve Fund.
"n there had been twelve assessments
each year, regardless of the deaths, and the
surplus turned into the emergency fund
there would be no danger from that source.
as several millions Of dollars would be at
interest at this time. At the present time
about $500, 900 is raised on each assessment
and about $3.50, 900 required to pay the losses,
leaving a balance OF $4,000 from each as
sessment. D.
There is one thing peculiar about the
present agitation, and that is that it has had
no effect upon the growth Of the society.
There were about Ii, 900 members added In
March, when the last statement was pub
lished, and the increase has been maintained
in April.
1.-THE members Of the order in Omaha,
South Omaha and Council Bluffs who have
been invited to hear Mr.. Northcott will be
glad to learn the reason why he favors the
committee plan. 1t has been suggested in
some quarters that a specia. meeting Of the
head camp be called this summer to take
definite and final action upon the assess
ment question and the visit Of Mr.. North
colt may crystalline that sentiment in this
nnrouat,ntfy %