Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1929-11-30
SO g. kssysr.


ceedings of the Supreme Lodge dur
ing teh last sixteen years or more
shows that the passing of tax resolu-
tons or assessments by the Supreme
Lodge was done sometimes by ma
jority, and other times unanimously,
and the fact that tn same was passed
either unanimously or by large ma
iority would not make these assess
ments valid if the Constitution had
not been amended prior to the reso-
luton authorizing the same.
CATER giving this subject much
consideration and study, l can reach
no other conclusion but that the Su-
preme Lodge had no power or au-
thority TO collect or levy any tax
for this purpose, from members OF
| Subordinate Lodges; likewise neither
, have | any power or authority to use
any money or funds in the treasury
( in the Grand Lodge of Ohio for tEt
purpose of paying such q tax. shall
however, present the matter to the
! Grand Lodge at its next Session, tC
| Dc held in July, 1920, at GAINESVILLE
| Ohio, for such action as it may SEE
lit, to take regarding this matter
/! (Signed) Robert 3. Barcus, Crane
Chancellor"
The vote of the Supreme Lodge
10 levy an assessment of twent!
cents per member per annum wa
taken at st. Louis, Missouri, in 1908
for the purpose of erecting a Ma
tional Pythian Temple and a Pythial
: Temple Sanitarium long before yo'
appeared upon the floor of the Su
preme Lodge, and perhaps befor
you became member of the Order
That tax of twenty cents per mem
Der was continued until 1909 a
Kansas City, Missouri, when it be
came necessary to levy per capit
tax of ten cents per member know
! as the Emergency Fund, to emplo
counsel to defend the case of tn
Grand Lodge, X. of P. of N. A
ETC., Jurisdiction of Georgia, becaus
an injunction in the courts of Geol
gia had been secured by the whit
Knights of Pythias to prevent tn
use of the name, emblems, ETC., o
the said Knights of Pythias by mem
bers of our Supreme Jurisdiction.
The funds collected for the cree
ton of a Pythian Bath House an
Sanitarium and a National Pythia
: Temple had to be used in part fo
the payment of attorneys fees an
court costs in the Georgia case. Til
e Supreme Court of the United State
j having decided the Georgia case
our favor on June 10, 1912, we wei
4 then free to begin again the cole,
< ton of the tax for a Pythian Bat
e House and Sanitarium and N;
S tional Pythian Temple.
}, Unfortunately for the Supren
!, Lodge of the Knights of Pythias (
r North America, South Americ
: Europe, Asia. Africa and Australi
s dissension arose within our ranks /
J, the Grand Lodge, X. of P. of N. A
: ETC., Jurisdiction of Virgin
: through its Grand Chancellor, Jof
}, Mitchell, Jr., who refused to pay tt
+ Emergency Tax and the same tt
: subsequently, known as the Defen
t Tax, for the purpose of paying a
e torneys' fees and court costs in Il
e Georgia case. The Grand Lodge
> Virginia was suspended, and the
n proceeded to secure an injunctit
e against the Supreme Lodge to pr
vent the payment of the aforesa
o taxes for that Grand Jurisdictio
}, The case continued in the courts u
4 til April, 1919, when the Supren
!, Lodge of the Knights of Pythias
North America, ETC., secured d
J, cision in its favor, and the Virgin
: injunction was dismissed.
e At the session of the Suprer
f Lodge held at Atlantic City, Ne
: Jersey, in 1919, the Official Pr
s ceedings of said session, page 35
It reads in part as follows:
K Enactment No. 6."-"Be it e
It acted by the Knights of Pythias
o North America, South America, E
f rope, Asia, Africa and Australia, t