The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-08-28
OLD MEMBERS OF woRkMEN
WIN THEIR FIGHT.
RAISE IN GUARANTY FUND
Assessments Are Permitted to Stand
As Before-supreme Lodge
Partly Successful.

A winning fight was made by those
who opposed the increase in the insur-
ance rates required to be paid by the
older members of the A. o. U. w., and
the men of IS years and older will be
compelled to pay only slight advance
above the rates that obtained before
the supreme lodge of the order adopt
ed the recommendation SO strongly
fought by those whom it affected.
The grand lodge of Montana has re-
enacted it's old beneficiary rates, re-
jecting the new rates adopted by the
supreme lodge, but adopting the guar
anty fund rates as promulgated by the
supreme body. This action was taken
at the session of the grand lodge last
Wednesday.
Tuesday evening the question Of
rates was before the lodge and after
considerable discussion was referred
to a committee composed Of e. G..
Worden, H. s. Hepner, P. Carney,
Clinton H. Moore and Messena Bull
ard, with instructions to make a re-
port on the following morning. The
committee submitted two reports. The
majority report recommended that the
proposed beneficiary rate be not adopt
ed but the supreme lodges guaranty
fund rate be put into effect. The
minority report favored the adoption
of both rates.
When the matter was put to vote
the majority report prevailed almost
unanimously. A resolution authoriz-
ing the change in the laws of the
grand lodge was referred to the COM
mittee on laws for incorporation into
the laws of that body.
By it's action the grand lodge adopt
ed in part the recommendation of the
supreme lodge and rejects it in part.
Under the rate now in force slight
advance is made in the guaranty fund
rate, leaving the insurance rates as
they were The entire new guaranty
rate proposed by the supreme lodge
was adopted, and to it is added 80
cent rate on each $1,000 insurance held
by members of 55 years of age or
more. No such guaranty rate was
provided by the supreme lodge for
members of IS years or more.
Effect on Old Members.
The rate proposed by the supreme
lodge for members of 55 years and
more was 1920 per $1,000, or $S.4O for
each $4,000 of insurance, the usual
policy carried by members. Under the
rate actually adopted the members OF
SIS years or over will pay the old
rate of $3.50 month for every $4,000
insurance carried by them, to which
will be added 81 each month for the
benefit of the guaranty fund, making
the new rate $780, as against $40,
the amount proposed by the supreme
lodge.
For Younger Members.
For members younger than 55 years
the old rates will be the same for
insurance plus the following guaranty
rates, which are somewhat higher
than those in force until the change
was made:
From 1S to "a years, Is cents; from
Is to 90 years, 20 cents; from 30 to
"a years, 25 cents; from 81. to 81
years, 80 cents; from 40 to A years,
35 cents; from As to 40 years, 4O
cents; from so to 81 years. SO cents.
Under the old rate the guaranty fund
for members 55 or more years OF age
was Is cents per $1,000. making the
total rate $500 month on eacn
$4,000 insurance carried by them.
These members will, under the new
rates adopted by the grand lodge, pay
70 cents more than formerly.
officers' Reports.
All the officers of the grand lodge
made their anual reports. The one
Of the most interest was that OF the
grand recorder, R. H. Howey. he
showed that the total receipts OF the
grand lodge during the fiscal year end
ing July 81 were $134,571.2S. OF this
amount $121, ,44295 was received from
subordinate lorges. During the year
81 death claims amounting to $13s, ,ooo
were paid.