215] THE BENEFIT SYSTEM 83 



Other officer, and an investigation by a committee of three 

 members of the local lodge. 



The administration of the death benefit is relatively 

 simple. The local union reports the death and certifies 

 to the good standing of the deceased member in the local 

 lodge. If the records of the national union and the local 

 union correspond, and the deceased member is clear on the 

 records of both, the claim is approved by the national offi- 

 cers, and payment is made through " the president, vice- 

 president and recording secretary, in conjunction with the 

 corresponding representative,"" to the designated bene- 

 ficiary, or legal heirs of the deceased. The receipt of any 

 one of the heirs is " a full acquittance and discharge of all 

 claims " against either the local union or the national union 

 on account of the death of a member. The report of the 

 subordinate union to the national union, covering the case 

 in point, contains a certificate validating the claim, sworn 

 to before a notary public by the financial secretary, together 

 with an abstract of the ledger account upon which the local 

 officers based their decision for the payment of the claim. 

 Upon receipt of a " claim for death benefit," the national 

 insurance secretary, secretary-treasurer and president ex- 

 amine it, and if satisfied as to its validity, order immediate 

 payment; if the claim is questionable, it is referred to the 

 national executive board for final adjustment. A claim to 

 be valid must be filed within six months after the death of 

 a member. The decision of the board is " conclusive and 

 final without appeal," except by the board's permission. 



The adjudication of a disability claim is perhaps more 

 difficult than that of a death claim. No definition of " total 

 disability " is given. The fact and the cause of the total 

 disability must be secured from a "reputable" physician in 

 the locality of the member, the certificate sworn to before 

 a notary public, and attested by the president, financial sec- 

 retary and corresponding representative of the local union. 

 This certificate must also contain the correct lodge record 



" Constitution, 1916, pp. 40-41. 



