The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-08-04
ARCANUM ASKS
SUGGESTIONS
Subordinate Councils Are
Requested to Prepare
Plans for Consider
alton.
SUPREME COUNCIL TO MEET
Three Plans Are Ready for
Discussion Perpetuity to
Be the Guide
SUPREME COUNCIL TO MEET

A call to the officers and members OF
the subordinate councils. of the Royal
Arcanum has been issued by Grand Re-
gent of Pennsylvania Frank B. Wicker
sham, asking for suggestions to be sub
mitted to the supreme council when it
reconvenes this month.
The object of the reconyention is to
hear and consider suggestions for
change in rates from both the present
tables and those adopted at the Atlantic
City session, and which become opera
tive October l. So far there are three
plans submitted, as follows
/ First. Table A, at assessed ages, and
not at attained ages for all present mem
bers.
Second The Massachusetts plan,
| namely, the calling of extra assess
ments, if necessary, in accordance with
the plan Of rates in force prior to July
| 1, 1905, or the use of the emergency
| fund, or both, for the purpose of meet
ing any deficiency that may arise land
! that any permanent readjustment Of
the rates shall be submitted to the sub
ordinate councils for their consideration
at least six months prior to the final
action by the supreme council
Third.-The Carlisle, of Millard F..
| Thompson plan-that of constant rate
at the assessed age. limiting the mem
bership to the full age of 49,
That some plan other than that adopt
| ed will be chosen seems most probable,
though what it will be cannot be fore
told. Other plans than those mentioned
above have been offered, but none SO
| fair.
The action Of the supreme council
caused the greatest indignation through
| out the order. Not that the members
objected to a change, but to the form
| the change assumed.
The chief, in fact the only, objection
to the rates chosen that has been urged
is the advancement of members to their
| attained ages. thus driving out many
lold ones, and practically forming a new
order. This is urged as an injustice
| ~ ~ X Ill .+;,,,a,,e ,xhaSa xuarl- has m ada
| the order what it is, and they hope that
! one table of rates will be adopted which
i will apply to all members at their as
sessed ages.
But change from the present sys-
tenn and rates is imperative. There has
| heen a vast amount of talk by the cham
pions of the new rates. in which numer-
| Gus explanations have been given as to
why such action was taken by the SUI
preme council but the unanswerable
argument is given in few words by
Supreme Representative William H.
Shoemaker
TN a nutshell. says Mr.. Shoemaker,
'sthe situation is this: The Royal Ar
oanum members are carrying about
$3.50. 600, 900 Of insurance, and it is safe
to say that all this must be paid out
in the next fifty years. Now, if the
acquisition of new members to take the
| place of the old results in keeping the
membership and income at their present
| figures, our total receipts in the fifty
years will be but $3.50, 100000
/ III a recent statement. on insurance
conditions. the insurance commissioner
IIof Massachusetts, one of the best posted
I actuaries in the country. said that the
Royal Arcanum, if the rates adopted BY
Ethe Supreme Council were maintained.
would be the ideal insurance organiza7
|.tion, and that it would be safe and per-
petual.
There is a growing disposition on the
par VI LILO OpP0AANAAt, N-.s- ~ y sNtS1t
to accept the conditions if it is found
that no other permanent plan can be
adopted Among them the Massa
,shusetts plan finds its strongest advo-
oates. as it would give time for discus
.Iion and consideration. Against this
the argument is made that whatever
The rates may be, they should be adopt
id finally this month. as the uncertainty
fIffects the acquisition Of new members
The greatest boom IN the history of
the. order occurred after the adoption
de the present rates in 1898, and it is
believed that firmly fixed table, actu-
ally assured Of pelananency. will have
the same result in the future The de-
fections 80 far have been lighter than
yFas expected, and it is not believed that
The great strength and power Of the
order viii be materially Affected