1906 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



95 



great fault, but nothing has been done 

 to remedy it. 



I would like to suggest the follow- 

 ing plan : The length of time taken to 

 get the money from the state treas- 

 uries is largely the result of the cum- 

 brous working of those institutions 

 and therefore unavoidable. But why 

 not have a sub-pay station in the shape 

 of the small country stores? Arrange- 

 ments could easily be made with such 

 stores, without expense, to credit the 

 order of the fire wardens. These or- 

 ders could be made out on the grounds 

 immediately after the work was com- 

 pleted, taken to the neighboring store, 

 and there either be exchanged for cash 

 or credited on the books. The stores 



would be willing enough to do this for 

 the increased trade which it would in- 

 evitably bring them, and could wait 

 for the slower pay of the government. 

 Probably many orders are now cashed 

 at the stores at a tremendous discount ; 

 an agreement between the store and 

 the state would secure full pay for the 

 holder. To make this system secure 

 against leakage the wardens should be 

 paid and bonded men, but the small 

 amounts of money involved and the 

 caution of the stores would act as a 

 pretty good check on any fraud. 



This would seem to be the most ef- 

 fective way of bracing up a weak sys 

 tern which is the 



next best thing to 



getting a new one. 



ANNUAL REPORT, GOVERNMENT 



EMPLOYEES MUTUAL RELIEF 



ASSOCIATION 



THE Government Employees' Mu- 

 * tual Relief Association is intend- 

 ed to include male employees of the 

 Geological Survey, the Reclamation 

 Service, the Forest Service and other 

 like government offices. It is organ- 

 ized to meet the unexpected expenses 

 of its members resulting from acci- 

 dent, illness, or death. It is also in- 

 tended to relieve their associates in 

 services from the burden of caring 

 for them, which in the past has some- 

 times been excessive. 



The government does not assist 

 civil employees who die, become sick, 

 or injured, whether in the course of 

 duty or otherwise. 



This organization is intended to 

 meet the conditions arising from this 

 fact in a way that shall enable each 

 employee to care for himself and not, 

 as in some cases in the past, be de- 

 pendent upon the voluntary assistance 

 of his associates. 



The policy issued provides : 

 i. Indemnity for loss of time on ac- 

 count of accident or illness to the 

 extent of $iqo in anv 12 months. 



2. Repayment of doctors' bills, hos- 

 pital expenses, and medicines to the 

 extent of $100 in any 12 months. 



3. In case of death, actual expense 

 of preparation of body and its trans- 

 portation home, also $100 additional for 

 funeral expenses ; total not to exceed 

 $600 ; or in case of death at home, a 

 cash payment of $200 for funeral ex- 

 penses. 



The dues are $12 per year, payable 

 semi-annually or in some cases month- 

 ly. A membership fee of $1 is pay- 

 able upon joining the Asssociation, 

 and goes into a reserve fund, available 

 for benefits only. 



In the few months of its existence, 

 the Association has relieved several 

 cases that would have left the member 

 or his family in a distressing condi- 

 tion, besides requiring others in his 

 party to aid in caring for him during 

 several weeks. 



One member, who had been insured 

 only four days, was thrown by a horse 

 thus sustaining a serious double frac- 

 ture of the leg. He received the 

 maximum payment, $100, for medical 



