Fraternity-Testvériség, 1954 (32. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1954-02-01 / 2. szám
IN PLAIN AMERICAN A monthly page conducted by Edmund Vasvary THE AUDITORS of the Insurance Department of the District of Columbia made their appearance in our Home Office on January 5, 1954, and started working right away. As we are writing these lines, close to the end of the month, they are still here, working hard every day, examining the affairs, books, assets, etc., of the Federation from every possible angle. Since your officers know that all these are in perfect order, the very thorough examination is not causing anxiety to anyone. It will be, however, “a grand and glorious feeling” when the D. C. officials state this in writing. Their report will be presented to the Supreme Council and later to the Convention in 1956. THERE IS ONE VERY PLEASING characteristic about these official examinations which occur once every three years. The District of Columbia is doing us an immense favor, because if they would not go through these examinations, one or maybe more states would send their experts to our Home Office — and it would cost us $300.00 every day, while we don’t pay the District a single penny. It is easy to figure out that in the other case the “constitutional” costs — the Federation would have to pay approximately $6,000.00. AGAIN WE REMIND our branch secretaries that there are some “musts” in connection with Hospitalization cases. (1) The claim must be presented on our own blank, properly filled out, and (2) a DETAILED hospital bill must be enclosed. Otherwise the Home Office (or in these specific cases our Chief Medical Examiner) is unable to determine the amounts to be paid by the Federation. And there is another (3) “must” — which, however, is so obvious that we never mentioned it before. Please don’t forget that the Hospitalization insurance is NOT a “sick benefit” plan (for which we have a separate department), so the two are never to be confused. “It is true that we did not take the member to a hospital, trying to save expenses” — writes someone, at the same time claiming “hospitalization” aid. “She did not spend any time in the hospital” — writes someone else, who also thinks that in spite of this it would be nice if the member receive “hospitalization” aid, and be reimbursed for the value of her broken eye-glasses, Naturally, there can be only one answer to requests like these, but it would save time and energy and disappointments for all the people concerned if everybody would understand the basic principles and rules of both plans. THE MUCH REFERRED-TO “communist front” fraternal, the IWO, is again in the limelight, but this time is about ready to give up the ghost. The Subversive Activities Control Board declared that Rockwell Kent, the artist and former president of the IWO, is “immersed” in communist activities. The board said it accepted the findings of a New York State court that four other former top officials of the organization are active Communist Party members and functionaries of party committees. The Subversive Activities Control Board order against the IWO was the first of its kind under the Internal Security Act. The board granted a motion by the Justice Department for a default judgment on the grounds the IWO repeatedly failed to appear and defened itself against the charge it is communist-dominated. The order requires the IWO to file the names of its officers and members and financial information with the department. Last April, the board ordered the Communist Party itself to register as an agent of Soviet Russia. The party appealed the order to the federal courts, attacking it as unconstitutional. The appeal is pending. The IWO claims a membership of about 100,000 in 1,700 local lodges throughout the country. The Supreme Court of New York has revoked the organization’s charter and ordered liquidation on the grounds it is communist-controlled. The New York State insurance superintendent ousted Kent and the other top officers of the IWO a month ago, and took charge of its affairs pending transfer of its insurance to a commercial company. ONCE IN A WHILE it happens that branch secretaries send in 20-cent or 25-cent juvenile certificates for “cash surrender”, forgetting that these very cheap TERM certificates have only death benefit value and 75 cents credit for each paid year if they go over to the Adult Department. Branch secretaries should be very careful to point this out when someone brings to them one of these certificates for “cash value”.
