Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-03-26
SUNBEAM TELLS OF THE FAIL
URE OF THE NSURGENT WOOD
MEN TO ORGANIZE

In answer to a letter from s. e..
Vasalv, J. L. Sundean, of Minneapolis,
state consul Of the Modern Woodmen
of America of Minnesota, and who re-
ceived an appointment from Head Con-
sui Talbot as state deputy, writes in
relation to the Northwestern Plains
men, which was to have been organized
by the insurgent Woodmen. It will be
remembered that Little Falls invested
$4,000 in this venture. The letter may
be of interest to some Of the "mourn-
ers'' and other citizens so we print
the letter, which is as follows:
Minneapolis, MINI, March %, 1915.
Mr.. Stephen G. Vasaly.
Vasaly Building,
Little Falls, MINI.
Dear Vasaly:
I have your letter of the 18th inst,
and take pleasure in replying to same.
There is bill pending in the legis-
lature to permit outside orders confined
to the membership Of particular
church to do business in this state on
rates less than the N. F. G. If you
can get your members Of the house and
senate to so amend this bill, that So
cieties can be organized in this state
under similar general provision, we
perhaps could change the plan Of the
it over yet.
With all the influence which people
at Little Falls could have exerted at
the capitol, there is no reason why
they should not have secured a con-
struction of the Emancipation bill, that
members could belong to both orders,
and done so in time to make the state
order possibility.
In the fall of 1918, I called meet
ing of the people at Little Falls and
had them appoint committee to wait
on the governor and insurance commits:
sioner and secure correct interpreta-
ton of the law. I don't know why the
committee failed, but the first part OF
the following March, after continuing
without interruption, my demands fol-
reversal of the ruling, that those who
Joined the state order would have tc
quit the Modern Woodmen of Ameri
ca, I finally secured a correct ruling
that members could belong to both
but We were so long in getting this rul
ing that the campaign for state or
| der had almost worn itself out. How
ever, I sent by mail to $4,000 Wood
men, application blanks and notice Of
! the new ruling, but [ guess it came tc
close to the time for holding the next
head camp.
AS no action was taken against ou1
state order at the head camp, we con
sidered the change better than ever
and I mailed to 5000, to those who
had signed for the state order, a spe
cial offer Of 25c cash, which I under
took to pay myself, and in addition
soc, when the state order should be or
ganized, for each new application. We
got about 20 applications as result
My firm belief is that if leading citi
zens of Little Falls had demanded with
the same frmness and determination
that I did, that we have a correct rul
ing on the Emancipation bill, we wou'@
have received that ruling five months
sooner and would have organized.
I wish you would please communicate
these views to any interested citizen
there, and if you get the bill now
pending in the legislature amended
above indicated, I think it will be
easy to so revise the rate plan of the
proposed Northwestern Plainsmen that
a society may be organized witt head
quarters at Little Falls, though the
movement would not be anywhere SO
much like session movement.
Yours fraternally,
John L. Sunbeam.