The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-07-27
TO DISCUSS RATE
Special Meeting Of the Grand
Council Of Royal Arcanhm
Called for August Il.

A special meeting of the Grand c5ua-
ell of the Royal Arcanum Of New Jersey
has been called by the grand regent
James Rogers, of Crawford. 10 be held
in Columbia Hall, New Brunswick. Aug
ust II. II will probably be two days
session, and is for the purpose Of taking
action upon the procedure of the su-
preme council at its May session at Ak
lantic City. increasing the INSURANCE
rates Of the order. A special session of
the grand council is most unusual and
shows the gravity of the crisis confront
ing the organization.
The representatives of the Grand
Council win be the same as those attend
ing the regular annual meeting al Lake
wood, as they are elected for one-year
terms.
There are in the State 122 subofdi-
nate councils. an of which will be repre-
sented and it is expected that New Jer-
sey will express its disapprobation. OF
the proposed increase. The whole mat
ter of rates viii receive thorough air
ing.
The announcement was made yesfer-
day BY a member of the order Eho is
prominent in the Grand Council and who
appended the opinion that beyond a
doubt the Supreme Council would be
convoked in, special session TO consider
the protesta of subordinate councils
throughout tne country.
The convocation Of special session
of the Grand Council is not altogether
unprecedented, but it is most unusual,
and the action of the Grand Regent and
the Executive Committee, which is made
up of the FIVE principal officers Of the
Council shows that men of prominenee
in the Royal Arcanum realize that the
emergency is a serious one and that the
|
increase in INSURANCE. rates adopted by
the Supreme Council at the annual meet
ing in May at Atlantic City has brought
the organization face to face with eEi.
sis in its affairs.
A member who is prominent in the af-
fairs of the organization spid:-
..Whatever may -RbSs1he mathematics
facts in the discussion as TO rates: t i
generally recognized that the rank and
file of the membership. in New Jersey
at least. is opposed to an increase in the
rates so drastic as that projected, The
statement of the Supreme Council that
now we have system ana tabs of
! rates that will insure absolute success IS
received with the comment that this
claim is exactly the same as that msdps
made and the reserve method improved.
and they suggest that in few years the
claim of to-day may he proved delusiye
just as to-day the supreme Council adj
mits the hollowness of the claims Of the
past.
''Then, too. there is the argument that
the increase in rates will drive out Of she
order every man who can get insurance
elsewhere at anything like the same
rates. leaving behind only the poorest
risks. those who hold on to the order be-
cause there is no other resource avail
able. AZ
4 am not prepared TO say that New
Jersey will suggest TO the Supreme Coun-
Gil a solution of the problem, but am
certain that if the sentiment of the sub
ordinate councils is correctly reported.
the special session of the Grand Council,
August II, win record an unmistakabls
repudiation of the Supreme Councils ac-
ton in increasing the rates"