Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-11-15
fRATERNAL INSURANCE.
Some Facts and Figures Interesting
and Instructive.

city. These yield some very interest
ing and instructive figures. This
is what may be called
statistical clearing house for The
principal beneficial fraternities Of the
country. 1t permits an interchange
of experiences and the formulation of
new plans, to be discussed and sifted
out by the respective memberships.
Reports in detail were received dur
ing the year from some three
associations, representing total bene- /,
fit membership December 81, 1903, Of
3,929,658. This great number, Of |
course, does not include those associ-
ated in the purely fraternal socities.
A mere survey of these figures causes |
feelings Of wonder. First and fore
most the idea of these associations is
to afford some measure of financial
protection to members and their
families in the events ut sickness,
misfortune or death. But member
ship in any of these is far more than
a mere business proposition. The
mutual duties are not circumscribed
by payment OF SO much money and
the receipt of certain benefits. In
the lodge rooms of all these orders are
inculcated constantly the elementary
lessons Of human brotherhood. In
sensibly this influence is going out
into the world, as an Offset to selfish
ness and greed. The larger and little
thought of part of all fraternities is
in this influence, working with all
other good elements toward the
distant ideal of cooperative effort
with perfect exercise of individual
endeavor. Slowly through the gener-
ations that is being wrought out as
practical things for mems lives that
precept of the Nazarene, which we
term the Golden Rule.
MILLIONS ARE PAID OUT.
For the class of fraternities here
referred to there was added during
the year 1903 total of 651,53l new
mem bers-a number of men sufficient
to populate one of the greatest cities.
Only by study of such figures can one
appreciate the scope and power of
movement which brings active work.
ing humanity into chosen bonds. The
financial measure Of protection in the
net gain Of the year reached $3.50, $780,
40, and the cost of such protection at
the close Of 1908 aggregated IS. 1851, 1885,
l622. Within the period covered by
existence of these societies over $780,
000,0 900 have been distributed to bene-
ticiaries. Nor can these figures at all
express the full measure of good.
Divide, If you will, this immense sum
into amounts of $1,000 or $4,000, dis
tributed among families, from which
death has taken the bread.winners.
Estimate, even approximately, the
number Of modest homes built the
children kept together and educated
to lives of usefulness, where otherwise
there would have been extreme of
poverty, the despairing agony of
helpless ones, and lives of ignorance,
sin and shame.
Considering this feature the presi-
dent of the congress might well say:
"a system which has distribut ted
about nine hundred million dollars to
the widows, orphans and beneficiaries
of its deceased members, and in
which today approximately twenty
million people on this continent are
directly interested, and which has
educated hundreds and thousands of
orphan children and sent them out to
fill the highest public positions in our
government, and to become our most
useful citizens in all the walks of life
throughout the length and breadth Of
the world, need have no fear when
thoroughly organized and working in
harmony"
| 1t is further indicated from the
figures that the amount Of protection
now in force, based upon the constant
contributions of this vast army of
workers aggregates more than one.
halt OF all the capital invested in
manufacturing, and more than one
third OF the amount invested in rail-
roads in the United States.
A MILLION A WEEK.
During the year 1908 these societies
paid out to their benefciaries the
sum of s53.l77 ,see.4e, more than a
million dollars each week. This, too,
provided at the minimum cost, and
thus within reach of the laboring and
artisan classes. Further fgurfsss, OF
interest show that there weref jSfity
deaths reported for the year, seyill ZIG
a death rate for all ages Of 8su per
l 1000, based on the average member
ship. In this respect the experience
is practically the same as for 1902,
when it was 8.73.
The total average membership of
forty.seven societies reporting is 81
37e,904, or sSt per cent of the average
membership of the congress for the
year. The number of deaths reported
is 20, $50, or SO per cent of the number
reported by all here represented.
The number Of deaths Expected" by
the table OF mortality is 20, 76l, while
the actual" number, being %, $50, is
$500 per cent. of the expected"
Combining the experience of the