The National Association of Letter Carriers of the United States of America was organized at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1889. In 1891 the Association was incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey, and on February 26, 1892, was reincorporated under the laws of the State of Tennessee. The aim of this organization is "to unite fraternally all the letter carriers in the United States so as (_a_) to secure their rights as Government employees and to promote the welfare of every member, and (_b_) to found the United States Letter Carriers' Mutual Benefit Association."[33] The first annual session appointed a committee to draw up a plan for an insurance system. The report was published in January, 1891, and was considered by the National Association at its second annual session in August, 1891,[34] and the Mutual Benefit Association was instituted.[35] The insurance has always been voluntary and consequently the membership of the Benefit Association has been only a small part of that of the National Association. On July 1, 1905, there were 5318 members carrying insurance to the amount of $13,866,000, while there were 19,000 members of the National Association. [Footnote 33: Constitution, 1904 (Washington, 1904), p. 3.] [Footnote 34: The Postal Record, Vol. 4, pp. 8, 118, 119.] [Footnote 35: _Ibid._, Vol. 5, p. 528.] All the railway organizations described above make a distinction between death and disability insurance, and sick and accident insurance. The local unions have been prohibited either specifically or by implication from maintaining any association or society for paying death and disability benefits. This rule was first established by the Conductors. During the early years of the Conductors' national organization, 1868-1880, many subordinate divisions maintained mutual benefit associations for the payment of death and disability insurance. The growth of the national benefit department was thus retarded, and at the tenth annual session in October, 1877, subordinate divisions were prohibited from maintaining "mutual benefit societies."[36] The national organizations, on the other hand, do not furnish accident insurance, but leave this function to the local bodies. In the formation of this policy, also, the Conductors took the initiative by providing in their first national constitution in December, 1868, that the order should never become a weekly benefit association.[37] The Engineers had a similar provision as early as September, 1869; but national regulations governing the payment of weekly benefits were nevertheless formulated. The other unions have followed this policy, and their constitutions provide that the weekly benefits shall be levied, collected, and distributed according to national rules. [Footnote 36: Proceedings of the Order of Railway Conductors of America, 1868-1885 (Cedar Rapids, 1888), p. 207.] [Footnote 37: _Ibid_., p. 21.]