The question of economy at the Workmen's Circle Convention.

Why the question is so important this year. How money can be saved. by B. Leviton.

Listening to the speeches of either the average delegate, or the old experienced leaders of the Workmen's Circle, who have assembled at the convention, one thing is noticeable that at the previous convention was seldom mentioned. The main point toward which the convention leaders are aiming and which takes an important place in the transaction of the various committees, is Economy. How to establish economy in the Workmen's Circle; how to save money in order to reduce as much as possible the bills that the members must pay to the national office. The Resolution Committee even brought in a special resolution, urging the various convention committees to cut the budgets of the incoming administrative committees. Our records show, that since our last convention, over 10,000 members withdrew from our organization, not because they did not like the Workmen's Circle, nor because they were dissatisfied with the activities, but simply because they were hit by the depression -2strikes, lockouts, and unemployment, and were unable to pay the bills. The only remedy for that is economy. If it can only be possible to reduce the expense of the Workmen's Circle, which will automatically reduce the bills that the members must pay to the National office, this will somewhat improve conditions. The smaller the bills, the easier it will be for the members to make payments, and fewer members will be scratched off our list. But the question is, how are we going to create economy? In what manner can the Workmen's Circle save enough money to reduce the bills to reasonable amounts?

The payments of the Workmen's Circle can be divided into three different classes: Death Benefits, Sick Benefits, including the upkeep of the Sanitarium, and the payments for various activities of the Workmen's Circle. On the two first mentioned, it is hardly possible to expect any economy. The Death Benefit fund is figured on a scientific system, upon which all insurance organizations are based, which guarantees the existence of the organization, - so no economy can be made here.

As to the sick benefit, it is positive that the membership will not permit it to be reduced, so, the only place left to economize is in the sanitarium expense, which will also be hard. The sanitarium is the pride of the Workmen's Circle. The best that can be done this year is to lower the tax of the sanitarium the same as was done last year. Every further effort to economize in the Sanitarium will be at the expense of the patient, and no Workmen's Circle member, regardless of how hard it is for him to pay, will permit a cut in the sanitarium budget, just to save himself five or ten cents a year, which is the largest sum that can be saved by a member.

So there is only one remaining source where economy can be found and that is in the funds that are being distributed among the various social organizations, and peoples institutions, and, not even here, can we achieve much economy. The Workmen's Circle is a social organization that undertakes many activities, and cannot refuse to help war sufferers across the sea, or in Russia, where millions are starving from hunger. The Workmen's Circle cannot refuse to 4help such organizations as the Hias, the Los Angeles Sanitarium, the Denver Sanitarium and many labor institutions that turn to it for help. The Workmen's Circle cannot supply its own members with every need in life!

When a member of the Workmen's Circle needs to bring his family from across the sea, he turns to the Hias; when a member needs medical care and a place to rest he turns to a sanitarium; after one has been months at liberty he turns to the sanitarium at Los Angeles, or Denver. Then, is it possible for the Workmen's Circle to refuse help for such institutions? We must give credit to the Resolutions Committee that makes appropriations for the various institutions. They do not intend to cut out the help, altogether, for those institutions, but circumstances, this year, force the organization to make some economy, so, the intention of the leaders remained to save at least twenty-five per cent of the donations distributed by the Workmen's Circle. This likewise, is expected to be done by the various executive committees, It is certain that when times turn for the better, the Workmen's Circle will again help the organizations with larger donations. There is one more way to 5save quite a sum of money, and that is by having conventions every two years. If the Workmen's Circle will hold its conventions once, in two years, it can save the cost of a convention, amounting to $50,000. This will be strongly recommended by the Resolutions Committee, when it submits its report.

Luckily, the majority of the members understand the necessity for the organization to carry on its cultural activities, and, it is surprising, the sincerity with which the tens of thousands of the Workmen's Circle interest themselves in the cultural activities of their Order.

It is hoped that the present attempt to create economy, in the problems of the Workmen's Circle, will not interfere with the spiritual activities of the Order that stands like a bulwark in the Jewish labor movement.