The Glenwood post., 1908-02-08
FRATERNAL INSURANCE RATES
Greater Revenues Necessary To Meet
Demands Of Policy Holders. Fate Of
Certain Organizations Show This


made to take care of this increase.
The Woodmen of the World, at
present the leading fraternal Or
der in this country, has recently
taken steps to provide greater
safety for its members and to do
so has increased the rates and the
change has met with some OppOsi-
tion from some quarters. The
Post has been of the opinion for
many years that the members of
this splendid order were getting
their insurance at too low a rate
at a rate which could not be main
tanned. This is fact which is
umdeniable to any one who has
made even superficial study of
the history and cost of life insur-
ance. There was only one rem
edy: meet the demand by pro-
viding for greater revenues or go
down as hundreds of others have
done. The Woodmen of the
World chose the former plan.
Other similar organizations have
adopted similar plan, but un-
fortunately many Of these waited
too long waited until the III
creased demands became so eX-
cessive or at least appeared so eX-
cessive to the members that il
was almost impossible to retain
the old members or secure new
ones and the organization soon
went to the wall.
What Happened to a Montana
Lodge.
This article is not an advertise
ment for any insurance company
and is not suggested by the rep
resentative of any company, old
line or fraternal, but is intended
to embody the reflections of the
editor as result of many year,
experience as an interested party.
Only yesterday in the tele-
graphic news as printed in The
Post was an item concerning an
application for a receiver in Mon.
tana to wind up the affairs of the
grand lodge of the Order of Unit
ed Workmen in that state, the
outstanding death claims being
,ver 100000 in that one state
lone. Now had that organiza
ION increased its monthly assess
ments to the cost of insurance as
demonstrated by years of expert
ence instead Of attempting to win
popularity with the masses on the
plea of cheapness that item would
not have appeared in these col
umns. Its very cheapness was
is own undoing.
1t would seem that the time has
arrived when the people should
wake up to the fact that it is un-
reasonable to expect something
for nothing or to expect to get
something for less than it is
worth.
Concerning the mistakes that
have been made by fraternal Or
carnations in fixing their rates
too low and the necessity for an
increase in monthly assessments
or some provision to provide for
the future by a reserve fund moth
ing could be more pertinent than
the following words from MIR. T..
w. Haines, head clerk of the
Modern Woodmen of America, in
report he made to the executive
council of that society only last
October concerning the need Tor
adequate rates:
within the limit of twelve assess
he present rates from Beneficial
t our future obligations; that, in
lsuring their contributions by the
' our own experience, are paying
.hole-life insurance represented by
every day our assumed obligations
es of maturity. The longer we de-
chatting inevitable conclusions, the
dividual contribution towards the
,ur losses-if we are to meet them.
e members is never available when
arm interest and make possible still
unlike the reserve invested under
led by the holders, who default on
that fraternal beneficiary socie-
cr repudiats, its obligations. Only
e society, can do this. For years
st for their protection, and when
&c their so-called "pocket reserve,
,ut. damning the society and its
liability to continue to give them
eserve fund to hold the rates rea-
M age at entry, or we must collect
: member to meet the annually in