The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-06
Woodmen Observation-Disclosures
TO Be Settled.
Finally Decide to Move Away
From Omaha.
MEETING IS HELD.
Commercial Club Considering
Question This Afternoon.
Location in Topeka Is Much
Desired.

OUGAA cue
The executive committee Of the Com
mercial club met this afternoon at g.
o'clock to consider the action to be
taken in securing the location Of the
headquarters of the Woodmen Of the
World ia this city. According to a
dispatch received this morning it was
definitely decided yesterday at a meet
Ing of the executive committee of the
order that the headquarters of the
Voodmen of the World must be moved
20 a state which is not hostile to the
order.
AT present the headquarters of the
order are IN Omaha where they are
located in a building constructed by the
organization at the cost of nearly $780,
600. The contention of the head officers
Of the company is now. and has been
that the reserve funds Of the order are
exempt from taxation on the grounds
that they are collected from the vari-
Gus states Of the union in which lodges
are located and are simply held in the
state ln which the head Offices are loca-
ted. AT present the reserve fund
amounts to something over SO 5000 900 and
the taxes on this sum of money amounts
10 considerable to the lodge.
The case has been decided against the
order by the lower court of Nebraska
and they seem to have fnfOrma ti0n that
the action of the supreme court viii
confirm that of the lower courts. There
Fgill be an attempt made tomorrow by
the grand lodge TO settle the location
Of the headquarters, and it is this meet
ing that the committee consisting Of
T. III. PenWell. P. H. Coney and c. z.
Foote VIII attend as representatives of
the Commercial club Of Topeka.
Ihis committee was appointed some
time ago when the agitation first began
looking towards the location of the
headquarters of the lodge in some 9TH
er city than Omaha. There has been
but little done up to the present time
owing TO the unfortunate condition
which exists in this state. At the pres
ent time there is a suit of a similar
nature to the one in Nebraska pending
i'm the supreme court of this state in
which the Knights and L7dies Of Sc
curtty are the defendants. If when this
decision is handed down and found to
be friendly 90 the order the question of
the location of Ehe headquarters Of the
Modern WoOdmen Of the World is still
In doubt there Is every reason to believe
that the location can be secured for
Topeka.
J. w. Kaiser. who is state manager
and resides in this city. said this
morning; Topeka is centrally located
and is am ideal city for the location Of
the headquarters of our organization.
and I am confident that if the matter
of taxes were settled that there would
be no trouble al all in bringing them
here The location Of the grand
lodge i'm Topeka would mean much to
the city, as it Will bring a small colony
of people with it. There are about
two hundred people employed in the
headquarters of the lodge, which with
their families would increase the pop
uia1on of the city a least one thou
sand"
The question of the exemption Of
the reserve fund of the order is a mat
ter which has been decided by many
of the states i'm favor Of the insurance
organizations and these states are the
ones which are making herculean
efforts to secure the location of the
offices of the order.
W. A. Fraser, who IS Il vice presi-
dent of the order. was in Topeka last
summer and expressed himself as be
ing in favor of the locating of the
headquarters in this city He said.
Topeka offers many ADVANTAGES
which no other city In the United
States possesses In the first place it
IS practically in the center of the
union; you have broad streets and a
Well regulated city. suitable in every
way Ior the headquarters of our or
der We expect to expend not less than
$1VVOOu in the construction of the
new building to be used by the Off
GERS Of the order. Topeka has no
large buildings to speak Of and the
construction Of such an Office building
would attract the attention of ali Wis
itors To the city ana prove a good ad-
Fertisement, while If Il were located
IN a larger city it would scarcely be
noticed"
Continuing Mr.. Kaiser said: Half
or the states I'm the union are bidding
Tor the location of our headouarters
DuI there is every reason to believe
@aat they will be located I'm this city If
S SIe ofoer IS assured that their reserve
1unQ VIII be exempt from taxation"
Ihe Commercial club Of this cftv has
WlteQ the officers of the grand lodge
3 guaranteeing them an increase of one
thousand in their mem bershfp in this
city II they see fit to move the head
quarters here Aside from the fact
that the removal of the offices Of the
grand lodge to this city would increase
tne population Of the CITY. if would
also prlng many visitors to the city
saoh year who are either officers Of
the organization or members.
Some idea of the magnitude of the
amount OF business transacted by the
mead ofhces of the order NAV he
gained from the fact that last year the
oL4ei spent $4,000 for postage alone,
=. me Oma ha Office. There are 1000
deputies OF the order who visit head
quarters one or more times each wear.
mere are nearly a half million mem
pers OF the order whose dues would
come directly to the Headquarters of
the organization
III is more than likely that the com
mittee appointed some time ago nv the
colnaerclal club viii. leave tonight for
Omaha and make an effort to secure
the location Of the Headquarters of the
order I'm Topeka
Deering Allowed to Resign.
7aa Hrfn