244 B. F. MEYER 



the forty seven societies comprising the congress, while twenty 

 eight old line companies, in their reports to insurance depart- 

 ments, show an expense of $10.30 per $1,000, or exactly ten 

 times as large. Because of the many differences existing in the 

 two systems in the kinds of policies written, this comparison 

 of expenses may require modification ; yet it must be admitted 

 that the ambition of fraternal societies to furnish pure insur- 

 ance at the lowest possible cost to the policy holder is a com- 

 mendable one, and capable of diffusing the benefits of insur- 

 ance among much wider circles than has hitherto been possible. 

 Old line companies have been introducing reforms in their 

 systems of paying commissions to agents; and the desirability 

 of limiting, by statute, the aggregate amount of insurance in 

 force in any one company has been seriously proposed by 

 officials of our giant companies. The possibilities of the fra- 

 ternal system, when once thoroughly reduced to a sound busi- 

 ness basis, are practically unlimited. 



The demand for greater uniformity among the laws of the 

 several states or for federal legislation is very strong. Some 

 of the ablest and most prominent fraternal officials favor a 

 federal law and national supervision. This involves consti- 

 tutional questions concerning which nothing need be said in 

 this connection. It also calls forth diverse opinions with 

 respect to the question of greater centralization of power in 

 the federal government. However, there can be but one 

 opinion as to the desirability of greater uniformity, whether 

 brought about by congressional action or by concerted move- 

 ments in the different states. The National Fraternal congress, 

 through its representatives, has for several years been striving 

 to secure the adoption of the uniform bill, the chief contents of 

 which can be briefly indicated. 



The bill is entitled. An act regulating fraternal beneficiary 

 societies, orders or associations. Section 1 opens with a defini- 

 tion, which is conspicuously wanting in most of the existing 

 laws. This definition is but an elaboration of what were enu- 

 merated as the essential characteristics of a fraternal society, 

 at the organization meeting of the congress in 1886, and which 

 have since been modified and repeated in successive editions of 

 the constitution of the congress. No society is considered 



