The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-03-15
FOR MINERS BENEFIT.
Mutual Insurance Department Of
Iowa Unior.

members OF the union. The necessi
sty of protection to the unprepared
widows and orphans of miners who
meet sudden death in their employ
Eent was pointed out by President
John P. White in his annual address
Z to the convention of mine workers at
Des Moines, when the President said:
THE books of your secretary-treas-
uIer show our organization to be in
excellent shape. We have approx
mately 1890 members, with a sur,
Plus fund of over $4,000 on the first
day of last February. This is graft
lying indeed and speaks volumes for
the progress, self-sacrifce and THRIFT
Of the miners of district 13. The re-
port Of the secretary-treasurer and
auditors will give you all the informa-
ton in detail on this question.
Il desire to cali your attention to
a few recommendations. First the
Death benefit. The events Of the past
few years have demonstrated very
clearly the necessity of affording
some protection to the unfortunate
families, of our deceased members.
Hence would recommend that this
convention provide ways and means
to formulate some plan of insurance
or death benefit fund. In my iudg-
lneAt we should provide minimum
rate Of at least $500 for the widows
CT legal heirs of our deceased mem
bers, same to be paid out of the gem
erll fund, after proof Of claim is fur
Iiished the district officers from the
LEGAL union, under seal, same to be
raid the legal heirs as designated by
tie local union, in which. the deceas-
cd held membership.
Twice during the present calendar
year has the board been called upon
to depart from the rules laid down
by the proceeding convntions and
have assumed the responsibility Of
donating in two instances an aggre-
gate sum of $500 to the families OF
the Riverside calamity in the city Of
Des Moines, and 800 to the Shep-
card family of Hooking, that were un-
fortunate to lose two sons as result
Of premature explosion Of a shot in
the Hooking mine. And | sincerely
hope that. this conyentlon will give
this matter serious consideration and
/ hope devise some plan of relief"
In his Recommendation, which
would place the organization on even
higher plane as an organization
than that which it now occupies,
President White had the hearty sup,
port of many of the delegates, who
saw the force of his plan. Vice. res
ident w. w. White also urged the
plan. In his report he said:
Another question that has Impress
ed itself upon my mind is the neces-
sity of affording some protection to
widows and orphans of our deceased
nembers. In my judgment, this con-
vention snuold appoint committee
to devise some method of insurance
or death benefit for our deceased
members. In my judgment the funds
of the organization could not be used
for any better or more commendable
purpose. The amount of death bene-
fit / am wholly unprepared to say
how much it should be, but the con.
yention could better determine lat
Point, after thorough discussion Of
the question pro and con-"
This was the most g-ral recon-
mendation of the officers, to an out
slider, yet in pursuing the same line
of work the President recommended
an appropriation of money to assist
in the fight against tuberculosis in
which the mine workers are also
greatly interested.
The reports Of the officers were
comprehensive. They urged the mem
bers Of the body OF delegates to use
every consistent effort for peaceable
solution of the difficulties that came
up. They discussed thoroughly the
matters which concerned the miners
in their work. The reports showed
the efforts of tho executive officers
to secure the passage Of the law pro,
viding shot firers at the expense 1
the operators, and other propositions
of remedial legislation.
Secretary-Treasurer Edwin Perry
made a strong showing of tee
strength of the organization financial,
ly in his annual report. 1T is given
herewith.
Our last financial report showed a
balance on hand to the
amount Of .....y... Sl3l, 1880
Received by tax to Feb. l.. 15,751.3C
Received by assessment. S,54O.sl
Received by defense fund. 71,61S.SS
Received by fines. 1880. 614.95
Received by interest. ... 9,991.Ss
Received by refund. 1890. 3i.0t
Total ......... 1927, Az
Total disbursements 1890. 16,965.07
Balance on hand ...... .$210, 376.S6
So great is the volume of financial
business of the district that in order
to get better returns for the money
on hand, President White in his an