DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Memorandum for the Secretary. GENERAL LAND OFFICE, Washington, February 26, 1932. S. 3570 proposes to amend subsection (c) of section 1 of the act of Congress approved January 25, 1927 (44 Stat. 1026), entitled “An act confirming in States and Territories title to land granted by the United States in the aid of common or public schools." Under the act of January 25, 1927, which grants to the States school section lands that are mineral in character, it is provided by subsection (c) of section 1 that where such lands are embraced within an existing reservation at the date of said act of 1927 they are thereby excluded from the grant made by said act. The bill under consideration proposes that said subsection be amended so as to provide that in the event of the restoration of the lands from such reservation the grant to the State of such mineral school section lands will thereupon become effective. Under the original grants of school section lands it is provided by the act of February 28, 1891 (26 Stat. 796), that where such sections are included within a reservation at the date when the grant would otherwise attach, the State may either select other lands in lieu thereof or may await the extinguishment of such reservation and the restoration of the lands to the public domain and then take the lands in place. There would appear to be no objection to a similar provision in the case of the grant of mineral school section lands made by the act of 1927, which is the purpose of the proposed amendment. I therefore recommend that the proposed bill be enacted into law. C. C. MOORE, Commissioner. The amendment adopted by your committee is for the purpose of removing any possible ambiguities from the bill as introduced by establishing the effective date of the bill as of January 25, 1927, the date of the act which it amends, and by authorizing the States which have selected lieu lands subsequent to such date to relinquish their rights in such lieu lands before they may be entitled to the benefits of such act as amended. The report of the Secretary of the Interior is attached. O SENATE 72D CONGRESS 1st Session } { No. 421 REPORT AMENDMENT OF THE CHARTER OF THE ACACIA MUTUAL LIFE ASSOCIATION MARCH 11 (calendar day, MARCH 12), 1932.-Ordered to be printed Mr. BLAINE, from the Committee on the District of Columbia, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 2775] The Committee on the District of Columbia, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2775) to amend an act entitled "An act to incorporate the Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia," approved March 3, 1869, as amended, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon and recommends that the bill do pass with the following amendments: On page 1, in line 3, after the word "of", strike out the word "an", and insert the word "the". On page 1, in line 5, strike out the word "be" and insert the word "is". On page 1, in line 9, strike out the words "as amended". On page 2, in line 1, strike out the word "That"; in the same line strike out the word "be" and insert the words "as amended are". On page 2, in line 19, strike out the word "That". On page 3, in line 17, strike out the word "That". On page 4, after line 4, add the following: SEC. 3. Such act, as amended, is further amended by adding at the end thereof a section as follows: "SEC. 6. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this act is hereby expressly reserved." PURPOSE OF THE BILL This bill is intended to amend certain parts of the act of Congress of March 3, 1869, providing for the incorporation of the Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia. That association was formed in 1866. As the District of Columbia had no laws under which the organization could be incorporated at that time, a special act of Congress was necessary. The association was chartered thereby as a fraternal benefit society. Thus It omits the requirement that policyholders shall be master masons. criticism and objection are avoided on the part of any grand lodge, and enables the association to grow and develop and render a larger service to the insuring public and the policyholders and their beneficiaries. If the bill be enacted into law, the association would continue to operate for the mutual benefit of its policyholders and their beneficiaries, and be subject to the supervision, restrictions and limitations of the laws of the District of Columbia and of the various States relating to similar insurance companies. The association is seeking no special privilege whatever and the proposed amendments do not propose any preferential consideration whatsoever to the association. Section 1 proposes to change the name of the association to "Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Co." Section 2 enlarges the powers of the company to writing life insurance and risks of all kinds, a power better suited to modern practices. Section 3 makes formal changes in the procedure of the business arrangements of the company in conformity with modern usage. Section 4 is unchanged. Section 5 preserves existing rights and is believed to be a desirable feature. The commissioners recommend that the bill be amended as follows: Section 1: Line 3, after the word "of" strike out the word "an" and insert the word "the". Line 5, strike out the word "be" at the end of the line and insert the word "is". Line 9, after the word "organization" strike out the words "as amended". Section 2: Strike out the word "That"; insert the words "as amended" after the word "Act"; strike out the word "be" and insert in lieu thereof the word "are". Add quotation mark at end of line 18. Section 3: Add quotation mark at end of section. Line 19, strike out the word "That". Section 4: Add quotation marks at end of section; strike out the word "That" in line 17, page 3. Section 5: Strike out the word "That" in line 1, page 4. Add a new section to the bill to read as follows: "SEC. 3. Such act, as amended, is further amended by adding at the end thereof a section as follows: "SEC. 6. The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved."" A copy of the bill amended as suggested is hereby transmitted. With these amendments he commissioners recommend favorable action on the bill. Very truly yours, L. H. REICHELDERFER, President Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia. ACACIA MUTUAL LIFE ASSOCIATION, Hon. ARTHUR Capper, United States Senator, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: The Acacia Mutual Life Association was organized in 1866, and because at that time there were no laws in the District of Columbia under which it could be incorporated it was chartered by special act of Congress in 1869 as a fraternal benefit society under the name of the Masonic Mutual Relief Association, later changed to Masonic Mutual Life Association. At that time Masonry was poor and struggling. The aim and purpose in the organization of this association was to aid the charitable work of the Masonic fraternity in the District of Columbia, and do away, if possible, with the "hat upon the altar" at the meetings. Every Master Mason in the District of Columbia, whether sick or well, old or young, was eligible for membership. Every member paid $1.10 upon the death of a fellow member, and the widow received as many dollars as there were members in good standing on the books of the association, the 10 cents going to the expense fund. Even then it was so economically conducted that a number of assessments were paid from the expense fund. The certificates of membership issued provided for no definite amount payable upon the death of the members. As life insurance became better understood it was apparent that to satisfactorily and fully serve the needs and requirements of Its purpose was to assist the charitable work of the Masonic Fraternity in the District of Columbia. Every master mason in the District was eligible to membership. On the death of a member, each of his fellow members was assessed and a benefit paid the widow. Subsequent amendments to the charter changed the name of the organization to the Acacia Mutual Life Association, and permitted it to operate as a mutual old-line legal reserve life insurance company. The association has been licensed as a mutual old-line company in 46 States, the District of Columbia, and the Canal Zone. DESIRABILITY OF AMENDING CHARTER In a letter from Mr. William Montgomery, president of the association, which is appended hereto as part of this report, it is stated that there is a generally increasing feeling throughout the masonic fraternity that "it is not to the best interests of the fraternity to permit any company to limit its membership or business to members of the masonic fraternity, in that its representatives might represent that such company was sponsored by the masonic fraternity and thereby use the faith and credit of Masonry in the promotion of its business." The bill hereby reported therefore seeks to omit the requirement that policyholders shall be master masons; it proposes to change the name of the organization to "Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company"; to allow the company to insure against injury, disablement, death by accident, etc.; and to make several minor changes in the charter relating to organization matters to bring the practice of the company into line with the approved methods for conduct of mutual life-insurance companies. RECOMMENDATION The bill has been carefully studied by the committee's subcommittee on insurance and banks, and by the full committee. As reported, it contains a number of formal amendments recommended the District Commissioners in their favorable report on the proposed legislation. The letters of the commissioners and the president of the Acacia Mutual Life Association are appended hereto as part of the report. COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Hon. ARTHUR CAPPER, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. SIR: The Commissioners of the District of Columbia have the honor to submit the following on Senate bill 2775, Seventy-second Congress, first session, entitled "A bill to amend an act entitled 'An act to incorporate the Masonic Mutual Relief Association of the District of Columbia,' approved March 3, 1869, as amended," which you referred to them for report as to the merits of the bill and the propriety of its passage. The Masonic Mutual Řelief Association (a predecessor of the present organization) was organized in 1866. There were at that time no laws in the District of Columbia under which the association could be incorporated. By special act of Congress of March 3, 1869, the original association was chartered as a fraternal benefit society. Various amendments to that charter have been made. bill under consideration proposes to further amend the charter. The |