The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-09-09

The following circular has been sent the representatives of the A. O. U. W.. lodges which met in this city August 29. AS soon as possible the members of the order generally will be sent copies:
 fThe Convention of Representatives Of
 A. 0. U. w. Lodges in Connecticut.
 JOHN J. HOWARD, Chairman,
 t'24 Arch Street.
 FRANK P. TYLER, \ Secretary and Treasurer,
 "95 Crown Street.
 tNew Haven, Conn.,, Sept. 9, 1903. 'gTo Our Brothers:
 'The statement has been made that the plan of the committee of informa- tion loads the young man, and that the old man or the member over fifty-five gets the advantage.
 Let us see how this works.
 We are making use of tht rates es- tablished by the Supreme lodge, A. O.. U. w, and they stated that in the ope- ration of the same they demonstrated ''The fraternal principles of the order. taThis plan insures security, perpetuity and prosperity" You can invite your friends to join an order having an equitable plan. s.s ss-t.-..
 "The above is sample of what has been published by the Grand and Su- preme lodges about the rates proposed by the committee.
 Before quoting figures we would like to ask which is the better plan, for tn member to pay little more during his younger and most productive years, or to have payments put upon him in the later years that are prohibitive.
 The new rates as proposed by the Supreme lodge do not lessen the burden for the young man, but slightly in creases them until the age of fifty-six, but it does provide that a larger pro- portion of the amount collected be sent to the Supreme lodge, leaving smaller amount to apply to the benefit fund in Connecticut After the age of fifty-six the assessments are more than doubled. Is it justice. equity or fraternity to freeze the old man who when his certifi- cate which he has kept in force So many years is most likely to become a claim? It may be cheaper for an or ganization to do this, but is 1t frater- nal?
 .'The National Fraternal Congress is an organization composed of the older, larger and better known orders. They have employed actuaries and have ta- ken the experience of the fratefnal plan since it's inception and made de- auctions therefrom which are the basis of the National Fraternal Congress rates. These rates are conceded by ac- tuaries and insurance commissioners to be ample for the requirements and suffi- cient to pay the claims as they mature, but to make them good for all time, the member should pay the full amount sta- ted each year, saving II that is not re- quired to pay claims, and investing the same at compound interest on the un- used portion will help -out in the later years, and lessen the burden for the old man. ....- ..
 '.The expectancy of life is found by averaging one hundred thousand lives and what is called the expectancy is the average time of death from given age All should have died when ninety-siS years of age is reached; some will die the first year and so on to the age ot ninety-six.
 ''TIe expectancy at the age of eigh- 4 teen is A years, which carries the mem Der to 62 years; at twenty-five it is g years making expected death at GA; al thirty it is 35 years or age of 65; at thir- ty-five it is 32 years or at age of 67; al forty it is 28 years or at age of 6S; al forty-four, the highest age at which ar applicant can join this order, it is 2e years or at age of 70. .5
 We find the present rates provide an excess of payments over National Fra ternal Congress rates from the age ot joining until the age of sixty-one is reached, with twelve assessments per year, as follows: .@s =.
 ssAge eighteen, $222.7S; age twenty five, S1S4.05; age of thirty, $167.s5; age ot tfirty-ffve, $144.9O; age of forty, $126.o5; age of forty-four, $9S.S5.
 At the age of thirty -one, the average age of the members who joined in Con- necticut during 1902, we find that he will pay in during his expectancy $56.32 more than the National Fraternal Con- gress rates require. Of course there will be a loss on those members now over sixty years; just how many there are we do not know; for example let us call it one thousand members; average annual loss as per National Congress rates on one thousand members sixty one and over sS0,970. Average annual gain on eleven thousand members un- der sixty-one years $56, 100 or an excess of s25, ,130 over the loss on the old men in one year. (Present membership in Con- necticut 12,3S7.) .~s
 .'The excess is large enough to con. vince any unprejudiced person that the present rates applied to the membership \ in Connecticut are safe and will con tinue to pay our claims for all time The mortality element of the premium paid to an "Old Line" company, one thousand dollars at the age of forty four, is $11.05 per year; this is the amount they set aside to pay the death losses of those who insure at that age The death rate for Connecticut A. 0. U w, 1902, was $S.S6 per one thouhand dollars insurance in force.
 .sThe great bug-a-boo about all get. ting old and all dying at once is noth. ing but hot air; if this were true in g fraternal association it would be equal. ly true in the old line company and they could not pay their losses. Tht membership in Connecticut is in good shape to apply the plans of the com.