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Show WORSE THAN A MISTAKE. ' Imprudence and Self often travel together as twins. It is difficult to disassociate one from the other in the selection of objects presented by opportunity. op-portunity. For instance, when one considers life insurance, and the mistakes that are made. A quarter of a century ago we did not number so many Catholic benevolent societies as we do today. to-day. The few in existence then were bound chiefly by religious and patriotic ties. Those were sufficient suf-ficient to promote the social amenities of life. Of course if a member were taken ill, the society provided pro-vided a physician and the invalid was allowed a sick benefit from the treasury. If he died, the society so-ciety provided a funeral. In most instances, the widow received something like a hundred dollars. Rarely more than this; but, whatever the sum, it was voted out of the treasury through the voice of the members. After awhile the notion obtained that an insurance insur-ance feature would be a good thing to incorporate into Catholic societies. That notion had behind it an argument that seemed unanswerable. A great many Catholics were attracted to the insurance feature fea-ture in societies like the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen and others. If we were to hold our Catholics together and prevent them drifting into the societies named, it was pointed out that Catholic societies must be organized on similar lines. Wise suggestion; prudent thought. But right there wisdom let go and prudence did not come to take its turn at the helm. L was all because of the notion that a dollar spent for life insurance in a Catholic society was an act in some way aiding the cause of religion. The real business part of the proposition was never seriously investigated. If A took out a policy in j the society, B was satisfied that A knew it was- a good thing; therefore B did the same. All the time chuckling oyCrthe good fortune that made the Catholic dollar go farther than the Protestant dollar,, dol-lar,, because it had a greater purchasing power when it came to life insurance. So it had, in the purchase of life insurance in certain Catholic societies, so-cieties, but, as it turns out, such life insurance is not backed by a hundred cents as a. dollar always is. Of course we speak of the Catholic dollar and the Protestant dollar in the literary sense onlv. The mistake was made (we can hardly calf it a crime, though persons caught in the meshes are disposed to give it that name) when young and old were admitted to share the insurance benefits oh a ...... .J; basis . of assessments totally at variance with the tried methods of successful life insurance concerns, like the Equitable or Mutual Life, for example; or "even of societies like the Odd Fellows and Knights .of Pythias It is urged that this inequitable in-equitable plan was urged in the beginning so as to obtain increased membership, and that the best means of attaining it was through offering premiums pre-miums at a cheep and attractive figure. Either the promoters were zealous fools, or their object was dishonest. We are inclined to the former view, only submitting that the vast majority of policyholders policy-holders were the greater fools. The Review of St. Louis first sounded the note of warning. It has rcpeatedlv pointed out what a damaging effect on Catholic soeiejy life in general it must have, when members joining insurance orders in good faith and paying their contributions punctually for a number of years, find themselves deprived of the cherished protection protec-tion for their families at a time when, either for reason of adyaccd age or impaired health, they cannot can-not secure good life insurance elsewhere. That this is not a fancied danger, but an actual fact, is shown by a letter from a Catholic Knight, published in the Catholic Knights of America Journal of Feb. 1, 1904, from which wc quote: 1 s "When they were solicited to join the Catholic Knights of America they were assured that the rates were permanntly fixed; that they never would be required to pay any more than the tabulated rate assessed for their age at that time. What confidence can the younger members have that the rates they pay will not be increased when they shall have been members for five, ten, fifteen or twenty years, as I have been? What assurance can be given to applicants appli-cants that the rates in force when they join will not be changed later on, so that they will have to pay two three, four, five or six!. times as much as they do when they joiu V , .This man is right. Again, says the Review, "it was risky, to put it mildly, to start such important business enterprises, as life insurance companies are, without knowing anything at all of the subject. sub-ject. Since the errors of the original plan are becoming be-coming evident and the need of a reorganization on safer lines is universally acknowledged, it were criminal to again experiment with what represents the hard-earned money and the family welfare of thousands of Aveil-meaning, trusting Catholic members. mem-bers. The public should be made to understand that the laws of nature apply equally to all, Catholics Cath-olics or Protestants, policy holders in regular life insurance companies or certificate holders in assessment as-sessment organizations. The mortality tables used by the regular life insurance companies are the result re-sult of careful observations for over 100 vears among insured lives in Europe and America. Some concession to the more favorable conditions in the United Stales has been made and the result is embodied em-bodied in the so-called "American experience" table of mortality. But any of the standard mortality tables is perfectly safe as a basis for a regular life insurance company under normal conditions." Our co-laborer "F. D." is evidently one of the j persons who got caught; in t,his Catholic Knights of America scheme .to freeze out the 6ld youngsters. young-sters. His opinions :of the matter arc herewith subjoined: I Editor Intermouutain Catholic: The Western Watchman pays its respects to the Catholic. Knights of America, and, the last enactment of the supreme council, which decapitated so many of its veteran members. mem-bers. The censures are severe, but thoroughly just. The whole thing is a swindle, and no wonder that men who have been gulled should seek for some redress.' We say a swindle, and why? Because the aged members, how between 60 and 70 years' of age, who joined when the Catholic Knights of America were first organized, have not only- paid their dues, but also contributed to the reserve fund. A part of that reserve fund, by every law of rjght and justice, belongs to those veteran mem-bersand mem-bersand should help to lessen their dues. But. instead in-stead of lessening the dues,' they are so increased thai, old men on-the verge of the grave are no longer able to bear their part of the burden and must be dropped. A reserve fund, accumulated in most part by those old living members, belongs to them, not to those who may in the future become members To deprive them of its earnings, and impose, at the same time, an extra tax, is not only an injustice, but a freeze-out game. But what of this? This, according to the Watchman, seems to be the object of the late enactment. It says: "In a certain branch in St.' Louis there are fifteen fif-teen full rate members between the ages of 60 and 70 who are getting $1.75 a day. On this they have managed for over twenty years to live and pay their assessments to the Catholic Knights of America. Amer-ica. Their wives economized and they cut off every outlay that was not absolutely necessary, and whenever when-ever their assessments were due they were promptly-taken promptly-taken out of the stocking and handed over to the order. Xow their assessments have been increased so that those who are 70 years old will have to pay $200 a year, and the others all tli' way from $130 to $200. They earn, if they do not miss a day in the twelve months, -$j47.S3. After paying $200 to -the Catholic Knights of America they would have left for the support of their families the munificent mu-nificent sum of $347.8-, or 92 cents a day.. Sickness Sick-ness and rainy days might reduce that to"0 cents a da y. They have been 'saved' with a vengeance." In' the west, when the majority of the stockholders' stock-holders' Want to get rid of a certain number of poor stockholders in a mine, they levy an assessment, and continue levying till the poor stockholders are forced to sell. The big stockholders, who conceal rich ore, buy in at their own figures the delinquent shares. The vein of ore is soon opened up, and there are no more. Irish dividends. This means business busi-ness for a soulless corporation ; 'but for the Catholic Cath-olic Knights of America to deceive,' and then swindle swin-dle its honest, simple-minded and devoted old members is the basest crime. They contributed to that reserve fund; it belongs to them, in justice, and its earnings should be used to lessen their dues, but the Skylocks who govern have no mercy on those poor men whose scanty earnings are barely bare-ly sufficient to meet the .wants of their families. Father Phelan's obituary notice to the Saturnine order is timely.' AVe have seen letters from supreme officers threatening suspension of local branches for the most trivial causes. The Czar of Russia could not-be nro're arrogant than were those clothed with temporary power to rule. Shame on those who will swindle the poor and deprive them of their rights 1 v F. D. i : |