54. (As amended.) Claims for death benefits will be payable within thirty days after the required evidence is furnished of their validity.

A part may be paid before the final settlement, to meet funeral or other urgent expenses incident to the death of a member; provided that any such payment without the written authority of the persons to whom the death benefit is payable, shall not exceed the sum of sixty dollars for funeral expenses alone, nor the sum of one hundred dollars for funeral and other expenses; unless the whole or part of the persons to whom the death benefit is payable cannot be found, or are in a foreign country or at points so distant that they cannot be conveniently communicated with, or there are no such persons living; in which cases the Superintendent of the relief department may make such payments, as a part of the death benefit as in his judgment may be reasonable, for the proper burial of the deceased member and the payment of expenses necessarily incident to his death or disablement prior to death.

55. Benefits payable on account of disablement of a member by accident or sickness shall be payable only to the disabled member. Any such benefits remaining unpaid at the death of a member shall be paid to the person or persons entitled to receive the death benefit.

56. Members shall not be entitled to benefits who shall decline to permit the Medical Examiners to ascertain their condition while disabled, or who shall at such times absent themselves from home and shall be in places so distant that the Medical Examiners cannot be expected to visit them, unless satisfactory statements as to their condition shall be furnished by them, from reputable attending physicians.

MISCELLANEOUS.

57. Freight and passenger agents will cash orders for claims upon the relief fund, excepting for death benefits, when the funds of the Company in their hands will permit, and use the same as vouchers in settlement with the accounting department.

For contributions returned, receipts must be taken in the prescribed form and sent to the Superintendent of the relief department, who shall prepare a voucher for the same in favor of the officer paying them.

Death benefits will be paid by vouchers, which will be cashed by the Treasurer or designated depositories of the Company.

58. Should a member or his legal representative bring suit against the Company, or against any other corporation which

may be at the time associated therewith in administration of the relief departments, in accordance with the terms set forth in Regulation No. 6, for damages on account of injury or death of such member, payment of benefits from the relief fund, on account of the same, shall not be made, until such suit is discontinued. If prosecuted to judgment or compromised, any payment of judg ment or amount in compromise shall preclude any claim upon the relief fund for such injury or death.

59. The Superintendent of the relief department and the Medical Examiners are to be informed at once, in the manner provided, of accidents or sickness occurring to members.

60. Members who shall be absent from duty on account of sickness or injury must at once notify the person who keeps the record of their time, and they will not be entitled to benefits for time previous to such notice, unless the delay shall have been unavoidable and the reason is stated.

61. Members must keep their foremen or time-keepers informed of their addresses and of any changes of the same.

62. The responsibility of the relief department to any member shall end when he ceases to be employed by the Company,.excepting for benefits to the payment of which he shall have become previously entitled by reason of accident or sickness occurring while in the service.

63. When a member leaves the service he must surrender his certificate of membership to the person from whom he receives his final payment of wages.

64. The office of the Superintendent of the relief department, with the records thereof, shall be located at such point as shall from time to time be designated by the General Manager, either upon the lines of railroad owned or operated by the Company, or upon lines of railroad owned or operated by any Company with which it may become associated in the administration of the relief department.

65. All questions or controversies of whatsoever character arising in any manner, or between any parties or persons in connection with the relief department, or the operation thereof, whether as to the construction of language or meaning of the regulations of the relief department, or as to any writing, decision, instruction or acts in connection therewith, shall be submitted to the determination of the Superintendent of the relief department, whose decision shall be final and conclusive thereof, subject to the right of appeal to the Advisory Committee within thirty days after notice to the parties interested, of the decision.

When an appeal is taken to the Advisory Committee it shall be heard by said Committee without further notice at their next stated meeting, or at such future meeting or time as they may designate, and shall be determined by vote of the majority of a quorum, or of any other number not less than a quorum of the members present at such meeting, and the decision arrived at thereon by the Advisory Committee shall be final and conclusive upon all parties without exception or appeal.

STATISTICS.

THIRD ANNUAL REPORT.

A report of the operations and financial condition of the Relief Fund for the fiscal year ending December 31st, 1888:

The number of payments and the amount of benefits paid under the several features during the past year, and for the period since the commencement of the department are shown in the following. table :

The auditors' report shows a balance to the credit of the fund of $246,443.58, while the financial statement shows it as estimated at $170,788.24, a differenceof $75,655.34. In the auditors' report there are deducted only those liabilities ($20,698.95) the amounts of which are actually known; while in the financial statement there is an additional deduction of estimated liabilities representing payments yet to be made for existing disablement cases ($51785.32), and the amount set aside for increasing ages of members ($24,126.20). These, added together, make a total of $75,911.52. Deduct from this the amount ($256.18) due from the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Company, and the result is $75,655.34, the difference stated.

The operating expenses of the department, paid by the companies, were:

It will be seen, therefore, that if the operating expenses had been a charge upon the fund, instead of being paid by the companies, the surplus (after including the amount $256.18 before referred to as due from the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Company), instead of being $170,788.24, would have been but $3,676.28. The whole amount of payments by the companies thus far have been:

Operating expenses as above..

Contributions for members in February, March and

April, 1886....

Additional relief in 1887 and 1888 to members who had exhausted their title to sick benefits, as hereinafter stated...

Total....

$167,111.96

60,652.86

10,080.20

$237,845.02

The accessions to membership during 1888 averaged over 175 per month, and exceeded the deaths and withdrawals by 1634. The number of members leaving the service was 1046, making a net gain in membership of 588 during the year.

The average monthly membership for the year was 19,068.

The death rate during the year was equal to twelve and sixtenths per thousand members, and the average number of members