Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1929-11-02

Delaware, the District of Column
oia, and Virginia were absent from
he convention.
North Carolina was present, but
being unable to pay its tax, was de-
MED a seat in the convention.
The Grand Lodge of Ohio has paid
to the Supreme Lodge in full all Ma
tional Pythian Temple taxes and
other taxes assessed against it, but
it can pay no more taxes in the
future for National Pythian Temple
purposes and survive and, also, meet
its State obligations. I
Ohio has already suspended eight
subordinate lodges, which were I'M
able to pay the Supreme Lodge Ma
tional Pythian Temple taxes in addi-
ton to their other obligations, and
there are several other delinquent
lodges on our roster, which will be
suspended inside of the next thirty
days or more for this reason.
1t is, therefore, apparent that the
Grand Lodge of Ohio cannot collect
these taxes and will not be able in
the future to arrange for the pay
ment of these taxes from any other
funds or sources, and for that rec
son it will not be able to sit in any
more Supreme Lodge conventions.
Supreme Lodge Jurisdiction Has Lost
Thousands of Members on Account
of This Pythian Temple Tax.
The committees which reported On
the State of the order at the Chicago,
Illinois. sessions held in 1927 showed
that the supreme jurisdiction had
lost over 1900 members during that
biennial term. The reports of the
committees on the state of the orde-'
made in Indianapolis, Indiana, in
1929, showed that the Supreme
Lodge had lost 36,701 members dur
ing the last biennial term, which in
and burdens for building purposes
dicates that Supreme Lodge taxes
are driving members out Of the order
by the thousands.
Administration Leaders Represented
That Bath House and Tempe
Would Be Sound Investments.
The administration financiers have
induced several Grand Lodges and
Grand Courts as well as individual
members of the order, as l have
aforestated, to buy interest bearing
bonds issued and backed by the Su-
preme Lodge as sound investments,
when as matter Of fact the Pythian
Sanitarium and Bath House have
been operating at a great financial
loss to the order even since they
were built.
The National Pythian Temple at
Chicago, Illinois, at the present time
is not fully occupied by tenants; it is
said to be only two-thirds filled. The
largest monthly revenue since it was
dedicated was $1,1s3.00. If we con-
cede that when it is fully tenanted
the monthly revenue will amount to
100000 a month, which would
make $36,000.00 per year, that
amount would fall far short of pro-
ducing sufficient revenue to main
tain the building, as this sum would
not be enough to pay the taxes as
sessed against it.
The Supreme Lodge, therefore, has
no revenue yield from either of these
building enterprises with which to
pay interest on the bonds or the
principal when they become due.
The Supreme Lodge fnanciers and
leaders now, in order to provide rev.
enue with which to pay interest on
these bonds, and the contractors who
constructed the building have spon-
sored new law levying an assess
ment of $1.00 on each member for
that purpose. 1t is, in fact, collect
ing money from several Grand
Lodges to pay them interest already
loaned to the Supreme Lodge. 1t is
reported that when two or three
grand jurisdictions, which had bought
bonds from the Supreme Lodge, sent
their interest coupons to it for pay
ment, had then returned, because it
had no money with which to pay
them.
Ohio Must Build Itself Up Within
We must, therefore, concentrate
our efforts and strength in building
up our membership and Endowment
Department. We must aid our Uni.
form Rank for the state encampment
For the present, we must abide ouI
time. Is - a.eaed
The Grand Lodge membership OF
Ohio cannot bear any more taxation
either to build, maintain, furnish
enlarge or improve the National
Pythian Temple or Sanitarium and
, Bath House. The Grand Lodge has
made strenuous efforts to exact ano
collect these taxes from. it's member,
ship for the last ten successive years
and as a result thereof, our state
organization is rapidly disintegrating
as we have lost more than 5000
members and ten subordinate lodges
The Supreme Lodge taxation, policy
of erecting non-revenue sustaining
buildings by taxing Grand and Sub
ordinate Lodges and their member
ships, has headed the Order for the
rocks and will eventually wreck it
unless the Pythians of Ohio assert
their rights under it's States Charter
to prevent it. The Ohio Fraterna
laws are ample to safeguard and tx
protect every policyholder and prop
erty right of every member within
this Grand Jurisdiction. @
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, ]
ROBERT B. BARCUS, Grand Chan
cellor of the Grand Lodge, Knight
Of Pythias of the State of Ohio, hav'
hereunto set my hand and caused tn
Seal of the Grand Lodge of Knight
of Pythias of the State of Ohio to b.
affixed thereto.
DONE AT THE CITY OF COLUM
BUS, OHIO, this 10th day of Octo
Der, 1929.
Grand Chancellor