QUANTITY AND VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF CANNED BEEF FROM THE UNITED QUANTITY AND VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF FRESH BEEF FROM THE UNITED 1890. 11, 264,043 819, 670 14,568, 879 1, 113, 790 15, 134, 827 1, 137, 796 12, 214, 026 909, 397 16, 939, 205 1, 298, 362 1891. 3,448, 583 1,030, 269 16, 315, 786 1, 265, 352 17, 409, 807 1, 406, 005 17, 040, 584 1, 410, 469 16, 877, 663 1, 411, 473 1892. 16,026, 951 1,354, 627 15, 991, 002 1, 332, 138 18,577, 155 1, 513, 037 19, 507, 908 1, 591, 995 24, 194, 710 1, 915, 369 1893. 15,574, 888 1, 338, 415 15, 132, 631 1,361, 892 14, 769, 808 1, 334, 228 14, 119, 621 1, 291, 306 12, 766, 294 1, 141, 380 1894. 15, 735,046 1,389, 027 15, 703, 521 1, 329, 698 18,925, 3871, 565, 412 17, 796, 134 1, 445, 356 19, 825, 1551, 633, 591 1895. 16,996, 721 1, 493, 190 16, 084, 302 1, 381, 885 17, 283, 481 1, 431, 139 16, 498, 886 1, 524, 818 15, 205, 9521, 490, 965 1896. 17,696, 3641, 489, 825 18, 323, 062 1,547, 087 25, 476, 2012, 037, 999/22, 794, 6901, 843, 737 24, 626, 280 1,955, 300 1897. 24,040, 3511, 772, 110 24, 453, 476 1, 856, 414 23, 110, 984 1,811, 404 24, 180, 286 1, 886, 751 26, 007, 475 2, 036, 080 1898. 24,392, 832-2, 071, 219 22, 834, 297 1, 935, 891 22, 128, 127 1, 839, 051 22, 209, 520 1, 884, 205 22, 756, 330 1, 993, 284 1899. 20, 213, 128 1, 706, 925 22, 645, 118 1, 880, 769 25, 547, 027 2,081, 743 25, 310, 231 2,090, 517 28, 754, 287 2, 379, 801 1900.20, 340, 0741, 897, 920 25, 416, 552 2, 291, 153 25, 445, 282 2, 202, 354 25, 657, 495 2, 247, 351 28, 687, 961 2, 489, 208 1901 26, 124, 704 2,391, 488 27, 286, 6512, 465, 823 31, 139, 9662, 735, 437 33, 277, 711 2, 998, 264 33, 780, 647 3, 009, 718 190221, 971, 692 2,088, 280 18, 866, 0741, 864, 763 23, 982, 833 2, 272, 759 22, 747, 266 2, 331, 536 25, 008, 813 2, 682, 850 QUANTITY AND VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF SALTED, PICKLED, AND OTHER CURED BEEF FROM THE UNITED STATES DURING JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY, 1890 TO 1902. [Compiled from the Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance issued by the Bureau of Statistics Treasury Department.] QUANTITY AND VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF TALLOW FROM THE UNITED STATES DURING JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY, 1890 TO 1902. [Compiled from the Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance issued by the Bureau of Statistics, Treasury Department.] QUANTITY AND VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF CORN FROM THE UNITED STATES DURING JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY, 1890 TO 1902. [Compiled from the Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance issued by the Bureau of Statistics, Treasury Department.] 13, 898, 2155, 588, 781 10, 329, 115 1890 8,501, 283 3, 594, 314 13, 527, 210 5, 513, 918 13, 877, 589 5, 595, 095 4,357, 668 1, 493, 434 3, 140, 930 2,837, 708 1,689,218 2, 498, 044 3,012, 402 3,545,296 11, 179, 723 6,535, 260 8, 213, 098 5, 287,698 $24,291 The table following shows for each month, January to May, 1902, the same information relating to domestic exports as is given in the tables immediately preceding: QUANTITY AND VALUE OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES OF CATTLE, BEEF PRODUCTS, AND CORN, DURING EACH MONTH, JANUARY TO MAY, 1902. THE TRUE REFORMERS. BY WILLIAM TAYLOR THOM, PH. D. The "True Reformers" constitutes probably the most remarkable Negro organization in the country. The association has its headquarters in Richmond, Va., and its history in brief is as follows: THE GRAND FOUNTAIN. The association was organized in January, 1881, by Rev. William Washington Browne, an ex-slave of Habersham County, Ga., as a fraternal beneficiary institution composed of male and female members, and began with 100 members and a capital of $150. On April 4, 1883, or over two years later, the circuit court of the city of Richmond, Va., granted a regular charter of incorporation as a joint stock company to Browne and his associates under the name of "The Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers." The chief purpose of incorporation was "to provide what is to be known as an endowment or mutual benefit fund;" the capital stock was "to be not less than one hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars, to be divided into shares of the value of five dollars each;" the company was to hold real estate "not to exceed in value the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars;" the principal office was "to be kept in the city of Richmond," and the officers named in the charter for the first year were Rev. William W. Browne, Richmond, Va., grand worthy master; Eliza Allen, Petersburg, Va., grand worthy mistress; R. T. Quarles, Ashland, Va., grand worthy vice-master; S. W. Sutton, Richmond, Va., grand worthy chaplain; Peter H. Woolfolk, Richmond, Va., grand worthy secretary; Robert I. Clarke, Centralia, Va., grand worthy treasurer. These, with six others, composed the board of directors for the first year. Thus the True Reformers started on their way as a full-fledged joint stock corporation whose chief aim was to provide a form of what is known as mutual beneficial insurance for its members. In 1898 the charter was amended so that a part of section 2 should read as follows: "The said corporation shall issue certificates of membership to its members and shall pay death benefits to the heirs, assigns, personal or legal representatives of the deceased members;" and section 4 as follows: "The real estate to be held shall not exceed in value the sum of five hundred thousand ($500,000) dollars.” Up to December, 1901, the last report of the organization shows that it had paid in death claims $606,000 and in sick dues $1,500,000, and that the membership was over 50,000, having increased 18,000 in the preceding year. The increase in twenty years from a membership of 100 and a capital of $150 to a membership of over 50,000, with payments to members aggregating over $2,000,000, and with real estate aggregating $223,500 in value, constitutes an excellent showing. But it is not the growth nor even the existence of the Grand Fountain of the True Reformers as a mutual insurance association, with its small army of employees, that causes it to be considered here; it is the affiliated by-products, to use an industrial expression, that are of interest and that may prove to be of great economic value to the Negro race. THE SAVINGS BANK. The first by-product was naturally a depository for the funds of the Grand Fountain. After about five years of use of other depositories, the savings bank of the Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers was incorporated by the legislature of Virginia, by an act passed on March 2, 1888, the seventh section of which act declared "the object of this incorporation is to provide a depository for the grand and subordinate fountains of the United Order of True Reformers, a benevolent institution incorporated for such purposes by the circuit court of the city of Richmond." The act gives the bank a very liberal charter, the chief provisions being as follows: The second section provides that the capital stock of the bank shall not be less than $10,000 nor more than $100,000, in shares of $5 each, the bank not to begin business until 20 per cent of the minimum capital stock shall have been paid in. The third section is perhaps the most important. It provides that "the board of directors elected by the Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers shall constitute the board of directors of said bank; they shall continue in office until the first meeting of the members; at such first meeting, and at every annual meeting thereafter, directors shall be elected, who may be removed by the Grand Fountain, United Order of the True Reformers, in general meeting, but unless so removed shall continue in office until their successors shall be duly elected and qualified." The remainder of the section gives the usual prescriptions as to meetings, directors, and by-laws. The fourth section prescribes the appointment by the board of directors of officers and agents of the bank. The fifth section authorizes the bank to acquire real estate for the transaction of its business and also such real estate as may come to it by conveyance or by foreclosure of mortgage in payment of debt due. The sixth section provides that the "bank may receive money on deposit and grant certificates therefor, and may levy, sell, and negotiate coin, bank notes, foreign and domestic bills of exchange, and negotiable notes payable in and out of this State. It may loan money on personal and real security, and receive interest in advance; may guarantee the payment of notes, bonds, bills of exchange, or other evidence of debt; and may receive for safe-keeping gold and silver plate, diamonds, jewelry, and other valuables, and charge reasonable compensation therefor; the money received on deposit by said bank, and other funds of the same, may be invested in or loaned on real security or be used in purchasing or discounting bonds, bills, notes, or other papers." This broad-based financial instrument of the Grand Fountain began operations April 3, 1889, in a small room of the residence of the president. On that date 40 per cent of the minimum capital, or $4,000, had been paid, and the deposits for the opening day amounted to $1,268.69. The amount of business done for the first year, according to the official guide book of the organization, was $15,282; and the second year the business amounted to $104,284. The total business of the bank up to the end of the year, December 31, 1899, is given by the guide book as $5,582,990, and the total business reported up to the time of this investigation (December, 1901) was $7,426,450.92. There are more than 10,000 depositors. The stock of the bank, says the guide book, is sold to the members of the organization, and pays a dividend of 20 per cent on the dollar. The bank pays 4 per cent on time deposits. In 1893, according to the same authority, this was the only bank in Richmond which continued to pay currency to its depositors during the financial stringency, while the other banks were using scrip-a remarkable record. REAL ESTATE DEPARTMENT. In 1882 the real estate department of the Grand Fountain was established. This department grew out of the necessity of having offices and buildings in which to carry on the business of the organization, and to furnish halls for the subordinate fountains. The Grand Fountain now occupies a large four-story building, 604 to 608 North Second street, Richmond, Va., which contains, in addition to the various offices of the Grand Fountain, a large hall, the banking room, and the printing office. The real estate department furnishes a channel for investment for the bank, and the rents and profits of the department are used to pay dividends to stockholders of the bank, dividends from which source up to January 1, 1900, had amounted to over $55,000. At the same date the organization owned 15 halls, 3 farms, 2 dwellings, 1 hotel, and held 14 halls by lease. During 1900 and 1901 the amount of property owned by the organization increased greatly, the total, as already given, aggregating $223,500; and important purchases of valuable property in two of the large cities of the Central West were understood at the time of this investigation to be in contemplation or in process of realization. |