The diamond drill., 1919-02-08
INSURANCE COMPANIES LOSSES
EMBARRAsS MANY or THEM
wooDMEN CALL SESSION
Grand Camp viii Meet to Provide
Means For Reimbursing the
Emergency Fund

luE WuI anu OPahAoh 80
combined TO injure all insurance
companies. and especially embarrass
the fraternal insurance concerns in
which so many Crystal Falls people
hold life insurance.
Some OF the old line companies are
feeling the losses OF the last year
very much while all the fraternal or
ders are more or less affected.
Provided for War Losses.
Most OF the fraternal societies pro-
vided for the war losses by adding to
their monthly assessments what is
known as the Patriotic Fund" spec
ial fund from which the deaths Of
soldiers are paid.
In some OF the orders the assess
ment for this purpose is small while
in others Il runs as high as 20 cents
on the thousand dollars OF insurance
carried.
Losses through deaths Of soldiers
are all met out OF the money accumu-
lated by these funds and in most cas-
es the money so collected Is sufficient
10 pay the soldier death claims
Flu Epidemic Hurts.
1t was the epidemic OF Spanish in
fluenza that did the greatest damage
TO the insurance orders for the extra
large death rate, coming as 1t does
at time when other expenses and
demands are great, puts a sudden
burden upon the orders that is try
ing them TO the limit.
The number OF deaths from the flu
throughout the county was very great,
much more than that from the war,
and while the war losses are all taxi
en- care OF from special assessments,
the sudden increase in the death rate
20 a mark about what even the es-
timated loss from war would be, has
jlaced the orders in position where
IL IL hadn't been for their foresight In
creating the war funds some of them
might be financially embarrassed.
MOOdmen Call Camp Session.
The Modern Woodmen is one order
that is feeling the extra burden keen
ly, so much so that the head officers
have found Il necessary to call a
I special session Of the head camp to
legislate In the matter
In the last issue of the Woodmen
the head clerk explains the call as
follows:
Upon petition OF five members OF
the executive council. in session at
the head Office January IL. head con-
sui A. II. Talbot issued a call to con-
vene special meeting OF the head
camp for the purpose of defining the
policy 10 be pursued in meeting the
extraordinary and abnormal demands
upon its mortuary or benefit fund, due
TO innuenza and pneumonia deaths.
Modern Woodmen OF America, like
all other Insurance organizations. has
experienced an average increase OF
number OF deaths since the fiu cpl
demic has been raging, and while
many societies have levied, or intend
to levy extra assessments, our so
ciety has avoided that course by
drawing upon its invested surplus.
As the number OF deaths and the
liability represented by the death
claims allowed by the board OF direc-
tors at the January session maintain
ed this same percentage OF increase.
and AS the prospects point to a con-
tinualioa of this high death rate for
the next two or three months, Il was
deemed wise TO reconvene the dele
gates who composed the last Head
Camp held in June, 1917. TO meet in
special session.
In response TO this petition. and
to meet these emergency conditions.
Head Consul Talbot has issued a
call for special session OF the Head
Camp to convene at Chicago. Tuesday,
March 20, next. Any change in the
assessment rates that may be pro-
posed by the Head Camp delegates is
subject to referendum vote OF the
membership. as required by the laws
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