Afro-American courier. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1926-19??, 1934-05-01
FRATERNAL INSURANCE IN RELATION TO THE
NEGRO HEALTH PROBLEM
BY R. E. FULLILOyE, NJ. D.

be apt to deal with all subjects pertaining to life
and health in business like After all the sue
cessful conduct Of earthly socurn is huge business
proposition busne, in which health constitutes the
chief stock in trade.
Merchants take occasional inventory Of their stock
in order to keep informed to the condition of the bust
and not only will the building in which the business
housed be kept attractive but all defects such
dragging door leaky roof will be repaired
detected The alert and energetic merchant doesn't stop
at that He to it that both building and goods
teced by insurance against conceivable kind CT loss
such as loss from fire. storms theft, etc.
Why shouldn't all adopt similar practice in re-
gard to the business living? Why shouldn't have
periodic checking up health in order that
be that organs functoning normally? Why
shouldn't be Interested in the establishment and main
tenance of hospitals where physical abnormates be
corrected and where the sick be nursed back health?
Why shouldn't give ourselves the protection that life
insurance policy issued the life of the famiys bread
winner would give? These questions which every
should seriously consider.
1t is true that the Negro is not able to promote or
maintain enterprises which require large outlay Of cap
ita But in spite CT his apparent poverty he must learn
to conduct successfully the business of living He must
not only find ways and of living normal healthy
happy useful life but he must also give consjdcra
ton to the future welfare of those dependent him in
case his earthly tenure should be interrupted.
The protection offered by fratenal organizations
to be peculiarly suited the needs Of the Coored
tutes medium through which the ordinary human virtues
be capitalized in such way to yield almost unbe-
icvabe dividends; not in money Of course but IN mutual
service.
Less than ten years ago there not single Color
ed Hospital in Mississippi There a few private in
fImares but real hospitals that IS quite
impossible fer to and maintain hos.
pta for Cocred people in this State but can be done
through the efforts of four thousand people united by
fraternal bonds
There is fundamental difference between fraterna
insurance organization End that of cid line stock com
ranv Fer instance in fraterna organization pays
only part of his premiums in money In addition to the
little money he pays, he must heed the call Of worthy
brother in need Mutual helpfuness constitutes fully
fifty per cent of the stock of raerna insurance organ
ization.
If one purchases a fve-year tenyear, OF even
"a twenty-year endowment policy from old Line stock
company he may regard his purchase in the light of an
investments but fraterna is intended for protec
tion ony-never investment And yet there are m
dividuals-not few of them-who, after having paid
few premiums, if they do not have an opportunity to
draw out more than they have paid ill., feel that they
are being robbed. They seem quite unmmdtul OF the
protection they enjoying CT the assurance CT hofai
care in case of sickness accident And at such rid
iculousy low price They get 5000 policy together WIN
the privilege hospital service for $25 per MONTH
One dollar of that amount the premium en- the $30o-
death and sick indemnity, and the remaining twenty-five
goes the hospital fund At such rates ONE VIII
have to pay every month fer Al years and eight months
before he will have paid in the amount he expects his
beneficiares to draw ct his death. 1t will require an
qua length of time for paying twenty-five cents per
month to pay into the hospital fund the Of S2500
Ia nominal fee for major operation 1t means mat one
who is forty years Of age when he purchases his policy
will have to pay every month until he will have attained
the ripe age of nearly eghytwo years before ne actually
pays for an operation and the indemnity which has bene-
fcaries are supposed receive at his death 1t there
re very evident that if anyone being cheated is GER
tainy not the party or parties receiving such values
am not advocating higher rates but do think that
subject which affects people so vitality as does the
subject Insurance shH ld be studied very carefully Ana
every feature which is found to be impractical should De
discarded Take the sick claim feature for instance:
believe that the local lodge should be permitted TO pro-
vide for its sick il its way leaving the grana
lodge to care only such need hospital service
The advantage of such plan many In the st place
ii would tend to strengthen the bonds OF ffatefnaish
among the members of the local lodge Inc members
would very naturally feel that they have mutual clam
upon another.