THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE. 159 



3. The salary of the president should be reduced to not over $1000 

 per year, and he should not be allowed an assistant, because the busi- 

 ness of the office does not require it. The salaries of the chairman and 

 members of the Executive Board and the treasurer should be abolished, 

 and for such time and travel as may be found necessary each should 

 be allowed mileage and per diem. 



4. The Executive Board should have authority to curtail the expenses 

 authorized by the Supreme Council, whenever the condition of the ex- 

 chequer makes such curtailment necessary. With such a system of rigid 

 economy inaugurated, the treasury would soon be in possession of funds 

 that would enable effective work in the educational field. 



5. The system of collecting per capita dues should be improved by 

 having a stated time of year in which all State organizations should 

 collect same. A State with a membership of 40,000, that is increasing 

 at the rate of twenty-five per cent per year, would have $2000 to pay 

 if it paid in advance ; but should it defer the payment to the end of 

 the year, it would have $2500 to pay on account of the accessions to 

 membership ; but on the other hand, if the State be decreasing in 

 membership, it would be cheaper for them to pay at the close of the 

 year. To avoid these fluctuations and establish the fairest and most 

 uniform method, would be for all States to enumerate and pay at the 

 expiration of the first six months of the year. To do this, it would be 

 necessary for the subordinate bodies to report their active membership 

 and pay five cents per capita dues with their April report to the county 

 secretary. The county secretaries would have it all in and make their 

 report and remittance to the State secretary in July, accompanying their 

 regular reports to the State secretary, who would have plenty of time 

 to receive and compile same by the first day of September, at which 

 date the report and remittance from the State secretaries should be 

 due, with the distinct understanding that the first day of November 

 would be the last day of grace, and that all States which violated the 

 constitution by not having made both report and remittance on or 

 before that date, would have no right to demand representation in the 

 Supreme Council. 



This board has held three sessions during the year, the first in Feb- 

 ruary, at the beginning of the year, for the purpose of establishing the 

 work, approving bonds, etc. The second was in May, immediately 

 after the expiration of the first half of the year. This meeting was 

 called by the chairman, for the purpose of examining the secretary's 

 books, and to see if the expenses could not be curtailed so as not to 

 exceed the receipts. After a careful examination of the condition 



