The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-29
MAKES REPLY 10 SMITH
Local Lodge Of workmen Appointed Com
mittee To Make Reply to Ex-Grxnd
Master smiths Letter
To the Master Workman,
Mitchell Lodge. A. O.. U. W..
Mitchell. South Dakota.

10 luC M g.
Mitchell Lodge. A. o. U. W..
Mitchell, South Dakota.
Your committee heretofore appointedf for the
purpose of DIR fling a sta EN- mt in reply to the
published letter of Ex-Gr"nd Master Workman
Fred B. Smith. which was published in the
Daily Republican of Mitchell. S. d Deem
Der 10, 1903. respectfully submit the following:
In said letter Fred B. Smith made use of the
following language:
The law relative to the reserve portion OF
the beneficiary fund will go into effect Janu-
airy 1, 1904, and is for the purpose of taking
care Of the old age deficiencies accruing after
that date.
This jurisdiction m st pay its own death
los .es. AS it always has. and owing to the crea-
ton of the above funds it must raise in addi-
ton thereto approximately 90 per cent more
than that amour in order to contribute the
necessary amounts to the above funds"
Upon an exhaustive examination of the laws
adopted by the Supreme Lodge OF the A. o.
u. w. at its session at ST Paul, MINI June,
1909. your committee finds that said statement
above quoted in its spirit and intent is wholly
false. At said session of the Supreme Lodge
laws were adopted which provided for a CLASH
6ed plan of assessment for raising the amounts
due on the beneficiary fund by which d. ath
losses were paid to the members of the Order.
This plan was left to be adopted by each state
working under separate jurisdictions. In
South Dakota the Order may or may not adopt
this plan, and the same W II be brought before
the Grand L dge for its consideration at its
next meeting. 1t is found that the general
sentiment of the members in the Order m this
state is decidedly again t adopting this plan at
the present time, and there seems to be no
doubt but what the assessments against the
members of the Order will be left as they now
are for many years to come.
In addition to the assessment for the death
losses, the Order has had as part of its plan
for many years a qua anty fund by which each
state under a separate jurisdiction paid to the
Suprem- Lodge a certain amount each year
according to its membership, for the purpose
of creating a general fund, out of which relief
was granted to those jurisdictions whose as
ses ments in any one year became a butden.
The Supreme Lodge at its last session adopted
a law increasing this guaranty fund. There
seems sstoSbes a question whether this increase
of the guaranty fund is optional with South
Dakota jurisdiction or not.
The Grand Officers of South Dakota will not
make this as essment for the increase until
another session of the Supreme Lodge has
been held and the question again brought to
the attention of the Supreme Officers.
The Grand Officers of South Dakota state
that this guaranty fund which has been sent by
the South Dakota Grand Lodge to the Supreme
Lodge amounted to between 81 and Sc per
capita of the membership in South Dakota,
and that under the new law passed by the Su-
preme Lodge the increase. if it applies to our