80 ASSOCIATION OF IRON, STEEL AND TIN WORKERS [^2 I 2 



The occasions for the disallowance of claims were alike 

 for death and for sick and accident benefits, and may be 

 illustrated by example. In 1907, 13 death claims were dis- 

 allowed ; 9 because the members were not in good standing, 

 one each because of non-payment of dues, failure to deposit 

 card within the allotted time, neglect of local lodge to send 

 reports on time, and going to work in a non-union plant. 

 Not infrequently in such cases the convention voted to 

 "appropriate" or "donate" $100 to the family. In 191 1 

 there were 32 disallowed sick and accident claims ; of these, 

 12 members were reported not in good standing, i6 were 

 in arrears, 3 were ineligible because their lodges had failed 

 to send to the national office quarterly reports, and one 

 because of intemperance. 



The union statistics of morbidity, as given below in tabu- 

 lar form, show that, during the period of eight years in 

 which sick and accident benefits have been paid, the number 

 of claims increased from about 450 to slightly over 800; 

 the average was approximately 500 per year. The increase 

 from 1912 is attributable to increase in membership; since 

 the union does not pay out-of-work benefits, there is a 

 tendency for those who are unemployed to feign illness. 

 The exact number of such cases it is impossible to deter- 



SiCKNEss Benefit 

 (Fiscal years ending March 31) 



a Six months, October 31, 1908, to March 31, 1909. 



