Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-11-11
GROWTH OF FRArERNAL ORDERS

The rapid growth of fraternal
orders insthis country is really re-
markable. During the past ten
years it is estimated that secret
organizations Of this character have
increased their membership no less
than eighty per cent, while during
the same time the population of the
entire United States has grown
about twenty five per cent. In 1894
the total membership of fraternal
orders in this country was given at
1900, 10000, in round numbers,
while the figures compiled for last
year showed a total membership of
S,27S, 739. And of course besides
the organizations which are known
as fraternal orders there are all
kinds Of clubs, societies, and asso-
Citations, with objects ranging from
sports and past-times to SOFA.
amusements and entertainments,
and mutual protection and benefits
in trade and business. In fact the
American people are probably the
greatest nation of liners" in the
world, and the gross amount they
annually pay for the support and
maintenance OF all these fraternal
orders and other organizations
would probably be sufficient to run
the national government OF the
purely fraternal orders it is a
matter of interest to note how they
compare with each other in mem
bership at the present time, or
rather at the time of the last annual
reports of these various orders. Of
course there are many with mem
berships running as low as few
thousand each, but for the fifteen
leading organizations of this char
acter some busy statistician has
compiled table which shows their
relative strength as follows:
Modern Woodmen of America $50, 900
Odd Fellows. 449, 900
Elks. ...... 49,. 49,. .246, 900
knights of the Maccabees .2O9, 900
improved Order of Red Men 2O2. 600
Independent Order of Foresters
$4,000
Woodmen of the World. :. 1872, 900
Order of Eagles !. !. ...... 165, 900
knights of Pythlas. ... Isl, 900
Royal Arcanum. ..... 147, 900
Ladies of the Maccabees 40, 900
Foresters of America lily, 900
Free Masons. ...........1 12, 900
Ancient Order of United Norkmen
............... >....... 95, 900
Ancient,Order of Hibernians. .93, 900
It.will,be noticed that a majority
of these are so-called insurane COR
ders, and this in itself is somewhat
significant as showing the strong de
sire of the people to secure a cheap
insurance, it being a well known
fact that the rates Of insurance pro-
vided by fraternal orders are gen
erally lower than the rates of old
line companies. Doubtless a good
share of this insurance could be So
cured by the companies making a
regular business of this line of
enterprise if they would conduct
their business honestly and econom-
ically and make reductions in their
rates to correspond. 1t has always
been claimed that the rates of reg
ular insurance companies are based
on strictlyilscientifc principles and
are as low as is CONSTANT with
safety and good business manage
ment, but recent disclosures in con-
nectiOn with the Investigations 1ol-
lowing the recent insurance
scandals have seemed to indicate
there is much needless waste and
extravaganza, if not absolute dis
honesty and graft, in the manage
ment of the big life companies. A
correction of this evil through legis-
lative regulation and control is
liable to work wonders, however,
and the time may come when the
regular companies may become
active bidders for the insurance that
is now carried to such a large extent
by fraternal orders.
Won saw YOU don't want to be