The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-10-20
A. 0. U. ". MET HERE.
ASAPH II. HALE MADE GRAND
 MASTER WORKMAN.

Loss in Membership of Over Nine Hun-
 dred Men-Treasurer's Report Shows
 Small BaIance-Pcr Capita Tax Raised
 to s2 by Unanimous VOte-Degrees
 Conferred-EIection of Officers.
 The grand lodge of the Ancient Order of United Workmen met in this city yesterday in annual meeting. The ses- sion opened in Music hall at 10 o'clock, with sixty-three delegates present. There are seventy-three lodges in the state entitled to send representatives to the grand lodge.
 The first business of the session was the consideration of the annual reports of the officers. The report of the grand recorder, J. A. Knox, of this city, show ed a total membership on August S1, 1905, of 6,256, a loss of 976 members dur ing the year.
 Grand Master Workman Asaph H. Hale, of Portland, read his annual re- port, in which he said in part:
 "A lesson that has been emphasized is the futility of the attempt to retain membership in our order by members who engage in prohibited occupations more particularly the traffic in intoxi- eating liquors. Our laws are plain on this matter, as are the laws of most of the fraternal societies, and attempts to retain as members those engaging in this business can result in no good to any and is, bound to cause much trou- ble to many.
 Financially the year has been a suc- cess. Fly that I mean that we stand better financially than we did year ago. But ill some respects the year has been failure. We have neglected to grasp opportunities and have lost a year that should have been profitable. There have been no workersin the field to gather the harvest that should have been ours. The solemn affirmation made by representatives at the last grand lodge session that our member ship could be depended upon to do the extension work of the order have prov ed unwarranted; and the equally sol emn promises that certain lodges would do their part have not been kept. Lit tie or no work of this kind has been done"
 The finance committee has not made any request for an appropriation this year and the discussion of raising the per capita tax came up at the after noon meeting, when it was unanimous ly voted to increase it from $1 to $2 per member.
 The election of officers resulted as follows:
 Grand matter workman-Asaph H, Hale, of Portland,
 Grand foreman-W. G. Hard, of Nau- gatuck.
 Grand overseer-John c. Trent, of Hartford.
 Grand recorder-James A. Knox, of New Haven.
 Grand receiver-J. R. Sloane, of Mer- iden. .
 Grand guide-F. E. Clark, of East hampton. ,--. :,.,
 J. H. Morehouse, the present grand foreman, declined reelection and Mr. Hard was nominated and elected. The rest of the officials were all reelected.
 Thirty-eight representatives had the grwand lodge degree conferred on them at the morning session. ,
 c. F. Curtiss, of this city, was elected a member of the finance committee to serve three years.
 H. A. Keenan, of this city; Asaph H. Hale, of Portland, and R. G. Dem- arest, of Southport, were elected su- preme representatives.
 The chief topic of discussion was the large loss in membership, but it is be- lieved the order has now reached rock bottom on suspensions. The meeting, was a very, satisfactory one.