Omaha daily bee., 1913-12-15
WOODMEN FIGHT EXPLAINED
DR.. BeghtOl Outlines Purpose Of
Movement Within Order.
MEMBERS WANT TO CONTROL
ola Line Rates Promoted by Head
OFFICERS Cost million Dollars
ana Quarter million
Meu,herr

HASTINGS. Neb.. Dee. i4.-(Special)-
That the Nodetn woodmen OF America
have lost s70ooo members as a result Of
the passage OF the chicago rate bill"
is the assertion made in a statement is
sued by Dr. James " Beghtol OF this
city. chairman OF the national Modern
woodmen OF America federation.
The defense OF these rates Dr. Begh-
tol declares. has cost the order directly
and indirectly. approximately S.OOoOOe.
Dr. Beghtoi's statement follows:
The Chicago rate bill was an admin
istration measure. IL was prepared by
the head officers together with a COM
mittee Of their selection and actuaries
from old line companies hired for the
purpose,
although II was prepared IN advance
Of the head camp meeting at Chicago.
its provisions were not published in the
Woodman paper and no notice of any
kind was given TO the membership OF the
proposed radical change in rates or plan
Of Insurance. When the delegates met in
Chicago they were wholly unprepared for
the program which had been prepared for
them Being uniformed. without leader
out experience in convention tactics, con-
sequently could not cope with the power
ful machine which had the bill in charge.
Camps Are Threatened.
The head officers went 90 far as 20
threaten camps and membership with
expulsion from the order As soon as
F.. Organization could be effected the MEM
bership appealed 70 the courts for relief.
The head officers were enjoined and pre-
vented from putting the rates into effect.
The passage Of the Chicago rate bin
cost the order 10000 OF it's best members
and 10000 more stood ready 20 go out
had the suits brought by the member
ship been unsuccessful Thus the order
would have been declmated fully 30 per
cent had the Injunction suits not been
instituted
During the years 1919 and 1913 the
head officers defended tho Chicago rates
both In and out OF court, on the platform
and in tho press Their defense has made
their names and their offices practically
synonymous with tho bill. The meeting
OF the Chicago head camp held for the
purpose Of passing the rate legislation
cost the order practically S2Oo.OOo and the
defense OF the rates has cost the order.
directly and indirectly. during the years
ial2-ieis practically sl.OOooOO and one
fourth Of its membership.
After two years OF warfare we are
now asked by the head officers ana their
friends TO separate the issues. that II,
the rates and the authors OF them. We
cannot They are inseparable, bound to-
Eether by a tie which cannot be broken.
The head officers now proclaim the rates
dead. yet they are chained to the corpse;
they cannot get away from Il; II follows
them wherever they go; they cannot hide
Il; they cannot hurry t. We cannot sepa-
rate the blIls,from thesauthors
THE Modern woodmen federation has
therefofe for its objsct: ..es Ni
object Of Federation.
a T. The repeal OF the ;. Chicago rates
q in 1914
- The restoration OF the control OF tho
order TO the membership and the election
OF an entirely, new set OF head officers,
q The head consul now Issues a cir
cuiar called the News Letter Examine
tion OF Nos. 20 shows almost the
entire space given 70 an exhibition OF
fear that the lnsurgent leaders want
office. The holding OF office is now
with him the paramount issue.
= IN aE experience Of nearly two years
work In the federation do not know
OF one single insurgent who is a candi-
date FOR any head office. I know there
are none in Nebraska. The only candl-
date 50 far nominated or seeking nomlna-
tlon with whom ! am acquainted "a tho
present head consul nominated by Mr..
Bryah and who evidently hopes 10 con-
tinue in office through Mr.. Bryan's pop
ularity.
The members or the Modern Wood
men OF America federation embrace prac-
ticaiiy nine-tehths OF the membership.
They are the patriots OF the order. They
have saved 10 the members OF the order
In Nebraska during the year 1919 prac-
ticaiiy s.0o0,o00. They have saved 20
the order 10000 OF its members and pre-
vented its threatened dissolution.
want Return 20 ola Plan.
I'VE adhere 70 the old plan OF insur-
ance uRon which our order was founded
apd which has been IN existence durine
the last thirty years We depiore the
IArase now used by the head consul.
that our plan is pass the hat plan,
a phrase calculated 70 deter applicants
nom Jsining the order rather than secur-
ihg them. The whole deputy system hal
long since departed from its legitimate
work and IL engaged solely In the at
tempt 10 save the head officers. Between
sse,o0 and tfo.oeo per month Is now being
spent from the general fund. and II this
extravagance continues until tho meeting
Of the next head camp there will not be
money enough in the fund 10 pay the ex,
penses Of the meeting"
Art Exhibit at Lexington.
LEXINGTON. Neb.. Dec iA-(special.