The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-29
Members Protest Merger, Rate
Increase and Change of Name.
Claim Officers Raised Own Sal
aries and Changed Bylaws.
WORK OF SELECT few, CLAIM
J. W. Kirkpatrick, Father of
President, Among insurgents" :"
Charges Executive Committee
Shredded Action With Secrecy.

Members of the Security Benefit as
sociation-formerly the Knights and
Ladies of Security-were today up in
arms over the merger of the associa- :
ton with the National American OF
Kansas City, the change of name, a
raise in rates. a hike in officers sal
aries and the rewriting of the con-
stitution and bylaws. all of which was
done. they claim, without their knowl-
edge or consent.
At a meeting of Capital council No
1, of Topeka. Thursday night, resolu-
tions were adopted condemning the
actions of the executive council and
demanding a national convention in
sune. 1920. Preparations are being
made 10 fight the new regime and de-
nand the complete wiping out of all
the recent changes made by the eX-
ecutive officers and committeeman.
Among the insurgents is J. w. kirk
patrick. organizer of the order ana
father of J NJ kirkpatrick, present
president. He declared today that the
salaries of his son and of the national
secretary. John V. Abra hams. were
raised from $4,000 to $4,000 a year
that the rates were raised from to
10 per cent and that the price of the
dfsa bilIty clauses was made so pro-
hiibtive as to force aged members
from the order.
"Wlthout Members Knowledge"
The former organizer declared the
action was taken by the executive COM
Irittce of seven and the representa-
tives without the knowledGe or con-
sent of the members. Letters from
executive officials to representatives
in Portland, he declared, urged secrecy
until the change was consummateq
The action was Illegal, he said.
The terms of the representatives
elected at the Toledo convention were
to expire next year when the next
regular session was to have been held
in Fort Worth: merely holding over
nosv to be called only by the executive
committee in the event of special ses-
sion. kirkpatrick declares the new
constitution and bylaws extend the
office of the representatives for three
years, and leave the executive com NIT
\tee the privilege of raising rates when
ever they see fit. This destroys the
principle upon which the order was
founded. he asserts.
Change Disability Clause.
The disability clause under the. old
rule provided that members reaching
fhe age of seventy could draw out 10
per cent of the value Of their polcy'
Under the new ruling, he says, on a
$4,000 policy, in addition to the regu-
lar raise in rates. s21.90 a month is
charged additional on the disability
benefit. Thus. he points out. the mem
her over 10 would be paying in more
thrn he is drawing out.
J. NJ Kirkpatrick. president, de-
clnred today the rebellion was started
H. Dcrsons holding a grudge against
the order. pointing out that the mer-
ger and raise were approved by the III.
suranee commissioners OF missouri
and Kansas The resolutions passed
nj the meeting of Capital Council
m~rabers wete not representative OF
either the council or the order. he as
serted.
Action BY Capital Council.
The resolutions follow;
whereas. the national executive SVia- Sa
r,ittee Of the Knights and Ladies or Se-
curlty were surreptitiOusiy called togethet
in n circular letter gotten out for Seiect
And whereas said executive committee
thus called together. did. without c"nSultins
the various eOEnclis thruont the Jurlsurc SUI
tlon rewrite the constitution anu mWS.
raising their own snlnries sud by master
stroke of alleged lodge politics, arbitrarlly,
Illegally. and unlawfully. change me hhIne i
of The knights and Ladies OF Security.
and Mt the snme time change the tlHe LOT
the regular aundrennial meeting OF the
national council thas automatically extend
ing the terms Of the officers of the moving
spirits of said committee: -,
And whereas the sthte laws and the laws
and the constitution of the snid hnlghts
and Ladies' of Security. provide for repre-
sentative form of goyernmsnt- =, +ho
Knights and Ladies of security. Iopeka.
Shawnee county. Kansas desire 10 go on on
hereinbefore set ont.
Il was therefore. regularly moved ana
seconded. that condemn the arbitrary
and unlawful action of the national execu-
tive committee unwarrantetl either in
law or principle. for rewriting the bylaws,
raising their own salaries contrary to law,
while at the snme time raising the assess
nlcnt of every beneficial member of said
order. without giving said members of
even expressing an opinion. in the so called
representative government; changing the
nnnc of said order
national convention council. in June of
1920 as the laws of the order provide:
And that Council No. sends communf-
cntiOn under the senl Of the lodge to every
council in the Jurisdiction. and to til" editor
OF the official paper requesting that the
same be published.
tseal.l
MAI-D WATSON. Secretary.
AR'TETTR TV-CEER