The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-23
Significance of Declaration and Election of National Fraternal Congress Dis closes War of old
 Line Companies
COMMISSIONER
 INCOME URGENT
Insurance Official of Oklaho- ma Voices the Need for Readjustment of Rates by Cheap Rate Societies to Meet Requirements of Mortality Statistics.

Chicago. Aug. 2s-A battle royal is
 on between fraternal insurance inter
 ests of the National Fraternal Con-
 gress with over four billion dollars of
 outstanding insurance and old line in
 dustrial. The election of Thomas H.
 Cannon of Chicago. high chief ranger
 of the Catholic order of B'oresters and
 a declaration adopted by the Congress
 to actively oppose group insurance"
 bills which under various disguises
 were passed by legislatures of several
 states last winter, now prove to be
 significant of a united front presented
 by the adequate rate fraternal soci-
 cities in a fight for existence against
 the new covert attacks of old line in
 surance interests.
 At the conclusion of the Boston con- ference. from which western delegates
 are returning, the firm declaration last year of the Congress in favor
 of readjustment of rates by all fra ternal Societies. on a basis that will
 provide sound insurance and assets
 sufficient to meet all outstanding con
 tracts was found to have resulted in
 gains The "cheap rate'' societies,
 rates sufficiently to provide for the
 future claims that mortality experi-
 ence shows to be inevitable, have been put on the defensive, with in
 surance commissioners of many of the states pointing out the calamity
 which confronts their membership. A letter from Insurance Commissioner McComb of Oklahoma has been made public by Carlos S. Hardy of the Knight of Pythias concerning the sit uation:
 ..I would be glad to give you any information in this department in re- gard to fraternal beneficiary associa-. tions, as I~have watched with a great deal of interest the efforts of leading societies to adjust their business to an adequate basis. Fraternal 1nsur- ance fills a. want, carrias protection in the homes Of great many people that otherwise would not be protect ed. This itself is sufficient argument and justification for fraternal 1nsur- ance not only this, the system of fra ternal insurance in collecting premi- ums or assessments monthly makes | it easire for poor people to pay than if they were requirel to pay annually in advance.
 'It is said that no one is so blind as he will not see, and hope. that
 the homogeneous of the various soci-. cities will prove themselves big. enough men to advocate and stand for sound insurance. To argue for sound in- surance does not argue against Ira ternal insurance. Those who contend l that a man is an enemy to fraternal | insurances because he advocates ade- quate rates does not correctly state the facts. In fact, the adequate rate man is the true friend of fraternal insurance and not the man that ad- yocates a continuation of business at an inadequate rate- Certainly the man who is fortunate enough to live | many years and who has contributed | all these years to societies has the right to expect the payment of his policy when it becomes a claim just as much as the man who unfortunately died early. Has not the gray-haired
 woman in black as much moral right to expect her money as the woman whose husband died in early life? Equity between policy holders cannot be maintained unless both are paid when the policies become claims, l trust aud believe that a system of ed ucation conducted by those who are big enough men to stand for the right
 will soon result in such improvements
 in fraternal insurance that the people
 who purchased policies in fraternal
 orders will do so advisedly. with a
 justified feeling that their insurance
 is as good as the best.
 'sThe insurance phase of fraternal
 societies is simply a business proposi-
 ton, no more nor less. ana should be
 treated as such. The nature or the organization of fraternal socleues makes it possible for them to conduct
 their business in a different way to a certain extent from that of insur- ance companies, in that they are able
 to make a success of monthly prem1-
 um business and it is doubtful wheth- CT or not insurance companies can
 compete with fraternals on monthly
 premium business. The expense Of an honestly. managed fraternal socl-
 ety should be, and naturally will be, reasonable and I believe that the sys-
 tenn is here to stay. I shall watch
 with a great deal of interest the re-
 suit of the meeting of your Congress
 this year, and I sincerely believe that
 a gradual but sure evolution for
 the better is being manifested among
 the fraternals."