Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/671

 FRA TERNAL BENEFICIARY SOCIETIES 657

than ten societies composed of women only, and about fifty admitting both men and women. Mixed societies may be passed over with the remark that their experience appears, on the whole, to be favorable. Women add an important social element, and seem to counteract that tendency toward "commercialism" which has made its way so far to the front in some of the newer societies. Fraternities composed entirely of women aim to accomplish pretty much the same thing which men's societies attempt. They operate systems of benefits and generally con- duct their lodges in an analogous manner. The very rapid increase in the number of members of several women's societies is sufficient to show both some degree of success and of popular favor. In view of the fact that there are several millions of wage-earning women in the United States, the gradual extension of the fraternal system among women seems capable of accom- plishing much good. Not only can these societies direct and cultivate the social habits of women, but they can maintain sys- tems of benefits which will add security to woman's position in society. What has been said in an earlier paragraph in regard to protective features of fraternal societies applies also here. When multitudes of women are not only dependent upon them- selves, but have also others dependent upon them, any system which adds certainty and stability to their status must be looked upon with favor. Even in far-off New Zealand, that experiment station of the world, women's fraternal societies, says the Regis- trar of Friendly Societies, " are growing in public favor." An important element in this problem is the matter of insurance risks. Extensive testimony brought before the National Frater- nal Congress seems to indicate that on the whole women consti- tute as good insurance risks as men under the same climatic and industrial conditions, and that under certain circumstances the mortuary experience among women is even more favorable than among men. An extension of insurance among women is to be regarded as most desirable.

From a social point of view there are other important con- siderations which enter into the question of fraternal beneficiary societies. Whether meetings occur biweekly, as most of them