The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-02-05
w0oDMEN RATE QUESTION.

WOODMEN RATE QUESTION.
Insurgent Position Strongly Stated
by State Treasurer Householder.
THAT the administration officials
of the Modern Woodmen of America
are guilty of double dealing on the
rate question, in order to mislead
the members, is only too plain when
you look into the facts taken from
the official paper, and their speeches
and other written evidence" says
w. M. Householder, treasurer OF the
Iowa Woodmen assembly. In the
official paper of August, 1913, under
the heading, "The Truth Should Pre-
vail'' we find the following: "The
head camp at Chicago made rates
which provided just enough to per-
petuate the society" They (the
head ofticers) still believed in Aug
ust, 1913, the Chicago rates were
the only ones that the society could
or should pay. Then on little fur
Their in the same article, 1.-THE courts,
through not being informed, enjoin-
ed the society from enforcing the
Chicago rate by laws. The condi-
tions have so changed that the table
of rates adopted at Chicago would
not be an adequate rate if now APP
piled to the society,"" If the rate
adopted at Chicago is the only rate
that will meet all death losses in the
society, and if in January, 1912,
and still in August, 1913, they still
believed it the only rate adequate,
why do they (the head ofticers) in
the January, 1914, official paper,
over the signature of the entire ex-
ecutive council, state, There will be
no rates mentioned in the next Head
Camp unless the delegates so desire"
Again, in the January, 1914, issue,
we find this remarkable statement.
There is no purpose on the part OF
the executive council to enforce these
rates, even if the courts authorize
it," After spending over 100000
to tell the members the Chicago rates
must be collected or the society fall.
and after driving nearly 3OO,OOO
members out of the 81 ciety because
of the Chicago rates, they come out
and tell the members they will not
enforce them, even if the courts gave
them authority Why are they (the
head officers) so solicitous about the
wishes of the members at this time?
Can it be they want to be elected
to fill the offices again? Can it be
they are willing for the sake of be-
ing elected again to say to the men,
bers, 1--WE were mistaken about the
rates, and if elected as head officers,
we will say nothing more about the
rates?" If in 1911, before the cleo
ton of delegates to the Buffalo head
camp they would have even given a
hint of what they intended to do, l
assure you there would have been an
instructed delegate sent to Buffalo.
The following is from letter sent
out by one of the head officers under
date of December Goth, 1913: DO
you want any change in our present
rates? There will be no change in
rates at the next head camp meeting
unless such change is desired by
majority of our members" Can 1t
be possible he is willing for the men,
bers to have something to say on the
rate question? Again, quoting from
his letter: cat that time stated no
far as l was concerned would not
support nor vote for any change OF
rates in the next head camp meeting
that was not satisfactory to a major
ity of the members" Why have
they concluded the membership had
some rights, if it is right for the
members to say what the rates shall
be now? Why did they ignore reso-
lutions passed by the members IN
1911 against just what they did at
Chicago in January, 1912? The
great question now is, If the Chicago
rates were necessary when adopted
and the head officers really believed
they we're necessary when they all
voted for them, and still in August
1913, believed they were necessary
and right, what has changed their
minds? Now they come out and ask
the members to re-elect them to Oh
flee after all they have said and done
We believe if they were sincere, ana
had the good of the society at heart
they would say, Neighbors, we can
not conduct the affairs of the Mod
ern Woodmen of America on the
present rate, therefore we decline to
he candidates for offices at the next
head camp" They have spent over
S5OO. 900 of the members money to
thwart the wishes of large major
itv of the membership, and have
even gone SO far in their efforts to
have their wishes followed that tn ne
have threatened the members OF the
camps with prosecution in the courts
If they gave any money out OF the
CAMPS general fund to get true
statement of the facts before the
membership. Nor is this all. IN
recent issue of the official paper they
we're so afraid that the members
would make personal donation ,1 nto to
have the facts published) they state
the rate question was settled, ana
thew could not see why the insursent
Woodmen, socalled. were asking 1or
funds. Let us look at the record
again. In October, 1913, there was
taken into the society in the entire
state of Iowa only eighteen ne"
members. In November in the en-
tire state nineteen new members
we're taken into the society There
ia one state deputy in Iowa. and
eleven district deputies Il am told1