Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12
after their deceass, the funds thereof to be
applied asreeably to the provisions Of this

In the fourteenth article the act provided
| that relief to which the families Of de-
| ceased members shall be entitled. may be
! tain bum Of money, OF by annuity. the
! terms OF which shall be fixed by the claim
ant and the president and board Of officers.
March z 1929 there was passed by the
| Eighteenth Congress. second session. an
act amendatory OF the act Of 1S19 provid-
| Ing for rates to be allowed by the Provident
Association OF Clerks to the families of de-
| ceased members and authorizing the prest-
| dent and board OF officers to sell the stock
| OF the corporation whenever advantageous,
| and allowing any member to designate the
person to whom payment should be made
During the first session OF the Seventy
second Congress, July Q. 1882. an act was
| introduced to extend the period to which
the charter of the Provident Association Of
| Clerks was limited. 1t was enacted and ap-
| proved that the acts previously passed on
February 10. 1919, and March 3, 1895. "shall
continue in force until Congress shall
| amend. alter or annul the same"
That the corporation was active and ade-
| quate to its object is further evinced by an
amendatory act OF the Thirtieth Congress
at the second session. dated March 2, 1S49.
| by which the rates prescribed by the pre-
vious act were permitted to be increased or
decreased with the consent OF three-fourths
OF the members. the alteration to be re-
| corded.
Furthermore. It was enacted that mem
Der removed from office might discontinue
ms payments and instead of thereby for
letting bis previous payments, as provided
IN the original act Of Incorporation. the
The widow or children or such person as
| the claimant may have delegated were
made lawfully eligible to the whole benefit
me last appearance Of the Provident As
ISOLATION Is recorded under act of May a.
1850. when the Thirty-Sixth Congress, SEES
sion l, amended the charter so that any
member by giving a months notice to the
president and board Of officers might with
OF the funds and assets of the association
such sum as might be considered Just and
equitable. not to exceed the amount he
may have contributed. with interest at the
rate OF per cent nor his distrIbutiye
share Of the entire assets If distributed
pro rata to family interest at the time of
such withdrawal.
Memorials to Congress.
Perhaps the best side light on the de-
iuhet organization which the opening of
the war seem to have obscured, is to be
obtained from Its memorials to Congress.
One OF the most interesting Is the me-
mortal submitted to the Twenty-Second
Congress in its first sessions by the then
president. Mr.. Charles w Goidsborouah
acting in virtue of special resolution
passed by the "Provident Association Of
Clerks at its last annual meeting, The
mem was read and laid upon the
Table April 70. 1882, but, as has been seen
the petition was afterward granted
u most respectfully represents: THAT.
under the charter. which your honorable
isth were pleased to grant by act dated
I iotn February. 1919, and which by its own
limitation, INN will expire on the I'd Of March.
1854, the benefits anticipated from It's nro
n's' ont nave nave, been in very great degree
mas been extended to the families of de-
ceased members in proportion to their lust
Claims, and their distresses have been
greatly mfttgated
THE association at this Tina oo,s,.. -
SIX SIN nine members. whose contributions
.s--W each quarter annually now amounts
70 the sum of 5000. go
mat, IN the course OF their operations
after paying to deceased members "a 3a0
ana oerraying every expense incident to its
ADMINISTRATION. the association has gained
s@,4u ". making the amount of their capt.
viz: Ao''"S'
I'm stock Of the Bank of the Metropolis.
nominal amount, $3.50; Farmers and Me-
Bank. nominal amount s1.315; Patriotic
Bank, nominal amount. 1910: Bank of
washington. nominal amount, 500; a loan
s1o,425. -''''''f'' ''''oun'' 'So''' 'o'ai
The dividends and interest which have
nence accrued to the association amount to
10, and the fines arising under the
charter amount to $25S: total, a. AS. TO-
These sources Of income exceed the
amount which has hitherto become due to
the families OF deceased members. the sum
confidently adduced as evidences of the
prosperity OF the association. The whole
amount paid in by deceased members is 81
81, 1920 while the sums which have been
paid out by their families, above stated
amount to 81, 800.
1.-The expenses OF administration, and
every contingent expense OF every descrip-
ton, from the commencement of the asso-
citation in 1919 to the present period, amount
to $2SS. 49,,
IF petitioners may be allowed the privi-
lege of ch?ice your memorialists would
with great Difference ask that no definite
period be assigned for the continuance of
the association; but that it's existence may
be made dependent upon the pleasure of
Congress Such provision would, 1t Is
respectfully conceived, insure durability
commensurate with the faithful administra-
ton of its concerns and the benefits ex-
tended to bereaved widows and orphans.
Your memorialists, as in duty bound, will
every pray, ETC., etc.
This was signed by Oh. w. Godsborough,
president of the ton, and T. H. Gill
lis. Enoch Reynolds, John S. Nevns. Geo.
Sweeny, William Morton, William James.
George ellis and John ID. Barclay. the
board of officers.
Second Petition.
A later memorial dated January IA, 1885,
begs for grant Of land.
January 1S, 1886. the Twenty-fourth Con-
gress, at it's first session, referred the me-
mortal to the committee for the District Of
Columbia, and evidently the government OF
the United States declined to support or as
sst the charity. for no enactment follows
and the organization evidently recovered,
for 1t was not until April. 1853. that me-
mortal was again presented to Congress.
Then the organization prayed for dlsso-
luton.
Mr. Scales. for the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia, made report that Con-
gress had no right to authorize the DISCO
Iution in such manner asked by the pc
tIrIoners. and could not without violation
OF the charter. 1t was resolved therefore,
that the prayers Of the memorialists be not
granted.
The final statute Is dated May "a, 1860,
and there is no evidence to show that the
statutes standing at that date have ever
been repealed.
1t would seem. therefore, Is declared
by the officers of the Treasury branch. that
Congress has considered insurance
scheme for government clerks. This has
been no expense to the government The
question at once arises, Why, II properly
administered financially within the organi-
cation. Congress should not pass bill
dealing with retirement on superannuatio 2