Due to this high premium, the societies have a firm financial basis and are one of the few examples of workers' mutuals which have always been able to meet their obligations. As the worker usually belongs to a group of lodges, they furnish quite an adequate sum in case of his sickness. Membership is open to all nationalities, but, due to the difficulty of differences in language, it is usually restricted in practice to the people of one nationality.

Medical aid in time of illness is not always provided by these Portuguese societies.

BENEFIT SOCIETIES IN CHICAGO

A number of the points brought out in the investigations carried on by this study are corroborated in the study of foreign benefit societies in Chicago in 1918 by Mr. Horak, which is included in the Illinois. Health Insurance Commission's report. In securing his data, he found the same difficulties in Chicago that this study found in other parts of the United States. Mr. Horak's report presents the best picture thus far published of the sick-benefit societies of any American community.1

New societies are all the while being formed; many of the old ones disappear because of lack of success in their endeavors or because their members affiliate with other organizations or move away or because these societies tend strongly to become locals of national fraternal orders. Under the circumstances it has been necessary to secure the names of independent societies from other sourcespriests and clergymen, political leaders, newspaper men, social settlements, saloonkeepers, undertakers, and the officers of societies themselves. As a result of inquiries

1 Report of the Health Insurance Commission of Illinois, May 1, 1919, pp. 523-524.

at all available sources the number of independent foreign societies in Chicago, exclusive of athletic clubs, building and loan associations, entertainment clubs, and singing societies, is estimated at about 600. ... Some of these devote their attention to educational, political, or social affairs exclusively. Others, and especially many of those among the Jews, are primarily charitable organizations... It is estimated that there are something more than 300 independent foreign societies in Chicago which make more or less extensive and definite provision for meeting the problems connected with sickness, accident, and death. The investigation has been limited to these. Detailed information with reference to the provision made and its administration has been secured from 161 of the 313 found. In so far as possible, those studied have been selected so as to be typical with reference to race, size, and nature of the benefits provided.

The essential part of the following table is taken from Mr. Horak's report. There have been added the number of foreign born in each of the seven largest racial groups in Chicago, and the ratio of the membership in the societies listed to these totals.

In looking at the estimated number of societies for each race we find the largest number among the Czecho-Slovaks and Italians, together representing more than 50 per cent of all the societies. German and Lithuanian represent about a quarter of the total number. Only a certain proportion of the estimated societies were studied, and the membership of these is listed, amounting to a total of 21,024 members for all races. The census figures for 1910 for the larger races are listed as a basis for showing the per cent of society membership in each race. The highest per cent of membership in benefit societies is found for the Greeks, Magyars, Italians, Lithuanians, and

1 Report of the Health Insurance Commission of Illinois, May 1, 1919, p. 524, Table I.

2 Thirteenth Census, 1910, vol. 1, p. 989-only for races having over 5,000 in Chicago.

Bohemian and Slovak.

Czecho-Slovaks. The Jews, Germans, Poles, and Scandinavians are at the low end of the range. The Poles have only three benefit societies listed; because so many of the Polish societies are connected with

the church they were not included in Mr. Horak's study.

BENEFIT SOCIETIES TRANSITORY

The increase in Chicago of Greeks, Hungarians, and Italians has been very large in the last three decades. This table indicates that benefit societies exist among the more recent immigrants. It is fair to say that in general the races which have been in Chicago longest have the lowest, and the comparatively new races the highest, representation in these small independent benefit societies. This fact suggests that they have a transitory existence and serve a purpose in the early period of adjustment to this country.

Further evidence of the mortality of these societies was presented by Mr. Horak in his table of the approximate dates when 155 of them were started.1

Ninety-three of the societies, or 60 per cent, have been founded since 1905. Mr. Horak says that this recent growth of the majority

1 1 Report of the Health Insurance Commission of Illinois, p. 530.

does not assist in determining how many have ceased to be independent foreign societies because they decayed or died or because they were absorbed by the fraternal orders. Under the circumstances one must only rely upon the personal knowledge of those informed. One of these is authority for the statement that of 125 societies in existence twenty-five years ago in a certain district only 12 remain to-day.

Various causes make for the short existence of these small local societies. It is probably safe to say that they serve a considerable proportion of immigrants who have not been long in this country; but they do not exist as permanent health agencies.

INADEQUATE AS HEALTH AGENCIES

Table XIX brings out the fact that 77.6 per cent of the societies studied paid death, and 60.2 per cent funeral, benefits, 58.4 per cent a sickness and accident benefit, and only 11.8 per cent a medical benefit. The amount paid for death benefit ranged from $15 to $250, and was of course intended to meet the cost of funeral expenses, leaving nothing for the remaining family. The sickness benefits showed a range similar to that found in other parts of the country: the minimum was $2.50 a week; the maximum, in only one case, was $15; the great majority were $5 or less.

When these amounts, as in most cases, must be turned over to the family budget, there is little chance that proper medical care can be secured also. This would be insured only in the few cases where it was specifically provided for, largely among the Greeks and Italians. Too often service of this sort