Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-10
COURT OF HONOR
MAY RAISE RATES
Supreme Body Called to Nest
Next Month at SPRING
field.
MUST FOLLOW OTHER ORDERS
Society in Fine Financial Condition,
But Officers See Necessity for
Action Approaching.

\ call went out from national head
quarters in Springfield yesterday for
la special session of the supreme Court
Iof Honor to be held in that city We'd
nesday, Dec. :.
The call specifies three subjects for
the meeting to discuss. the first two
being of relatively small importance
compared with the third. which pro-
vides for the consideration of the
question of equalZing the assessment
rates.
The call comes unexpectedly by the
rank and file of this prosperous order.
though it is not by any means the re-
suit of hasty action by the officers.
IFar-seeing members have realized for
some time that this order. as others of
its character have done, must sooner
Ior later meet and solve the question
of rates. but few have known that it
went out yesterday signed by every
,sIpreme officer.
Delay Not Favored.
The supreme officers at first were in
favor of delaying action until the next
regular meeting, but that is a year or
more in advance. Other questions
will come up then to complicate the
session and perhaps to render an un-
impassioned discussion of this vital
subject impossible.
few weeks ago all the supreme Of
ficers were called together for consul
tatiOn and it was there agreed unani-
mously that the special meeting should
be held next month and that this one
big question should be disposed of
then without entanglements with other
issues.
Accordingly the call was prepared
and it went out yesterday signed by
every supreme officer.
This action of the supreme body VIII
hardly create a ripple. though It will
arouse discussion and general inter
est.
Ii has been known for some time
that rates are too low and that very
soon they would have 10 be raised. In
deed. at the last convention the rates
on new members were raised, but those
paid by old members remained undis
turbed. 1t IS now proposed to increase
the rates paid by the older members.
Following Other Societies.
in taking this action the Court of
Honor is but following the steps of
other fraternal orders. They have all
been proceeding on too low a rate of
assessment and one by one they have
grappled the question and solved it
after the only method at hand-simple
increase in assessment.
The mistake made by nearly all
these societies, the Court of Honor will
t. h.,
ly all fraternal orders to wait too long
before taking necessary action. The
Court of Honor. profiting by others eX-
perience, has decided to do it in plenty
of time.
AT present the order is in excellent
financial condition, it is claimed. The
increase in rates is not Immediately
necessary, but the time is only a short
distance ahead when the mortuary de-
mands will be greater than the re-
sources of the mortuary fund. The
order now has $10O,O0O,O0O in insur-
ance in force and nearly 10000 mem
bers. There is a reserve fund of $780,
600 invested in interest-bearing secur-
titles.
Little For Reserve Fund.
The assessments are sufficient to
meet the mOrtuary demands but there
is little left for the reserve funds
and it is only a question of a short
time before the income from this
source will be inadequate
The supreme officers believe that
this is the proper time to provide
against such contingency. They be
lieve that the strength of the order
will be increased whereas by waiting
until the critical hour has come, and
then applying the remedy, its strength |
will be decreased.
In this connection it will be noticed
that no increase of the rates for the
payment of current expenses of the |
order is contemplated The fund out
of which all the expenses, salaries and |
the like are paid is sufficient. This
is entirely separate from the mortuary
fund and has no relation TO it what |
ever. That it is sufficient is proven
by the expenditure out of it of the
money for the purchase and improve
ment of the national headquarters
This fund is not 10 be disturbed. eth
er by increase or decrease. by the pro- !
posed action of the society.