ODDFELLOWS

MHXiaSM The third Bionnial Moveable Com- ' Bllttee meeting ol tho New Zealand j Biancb, 1.0.0.F..M.U., waa opened lo the hall of tho Loyal Nelson Lodgo at § a.m. yesterday. Thsie were present :— OlHcera: Grand Master, I.'i Pi I.iortsbj',: Deputy Graed Master, A. N. iiatcheiori C.S., 13ro. \ J. Kershaw. Deputies: Auckland - Dißtrict, P.G.M. J. McLeod, P.P.G.M.'o John Clark, E. I.eydon, ; \V. Thomas, Prof. Q;Gt. Tbomnd j Aitkent find P:G. G:,3. Arnbndge; Ashley Distrit..) P.PjQiMi's G: W. Sellers and J. Morn?, and Prov. \ C.S. C. I. Jennings; Ashburton, ; P -P. G. M. Jimes Nicholas; Hnwke'B , Bay, P. P.G.M. 'a W. A. Chambers and A. E. Jull, and Prov. O.S. J. B. Fielder | Motueka, P. P.G.M. W. Boyce! NelßuU, P.P.G.M.'i W^D. H&rkbeSS ami W: Moyefli NeW Plymouth, P. P.G.M. H. T. AlnSworth, and Prov. C. E. Bellringer; Wellington, P.P.G.M.'s J. Smith, W.Guise, J. E. Godber, and W. H. Madeley; Warginui, P.P.G.M. S. J. Watson, and Prov. C. S. SoleK. Tyler, P.G. J. Barker (Loyal Nelson Lodge); .Director, P.P.G.M. James Matshnll ! (Uangiora); and P.P.G.M. Bamber ( Wanganui 1, were alslo present. ~P.P'.G.M. Clark and Prov. O. S. I Jennings were appointed reporters lto the newspapers; and P.P.G.M. j Corder (NslsonJAssistant Secrotaty. The Grand Master, addressing the deputies, said :— lt was with a feeling of great pleasure he mot them at this tht third Moveable Committee meeting of the New Zealand Branch, It gnve him increased pleasure to ' meet them in sunny Nelson, for the j reason thnt it was in the Loyal Neli son Lodge he waa made an Oddfellow,and it seeihed a fitting coicci- ! dent that he should complete his term of oltce as Grand Master in thd town where ho received hiß first lesson in Oddfellowship. Nelson was where the first oddfellows Lodge was established in New Zealand. In the year 1842 a band of nine good and true Oddfellows started tbe Loyal Nelson Lodge. Two cf that small number loßt their liveß in the Waitau massacre, and left only seven to carry on tho good woik. From that small beginning the Society had grown till on 31st December, lUO4 (tho latest returns available) it numbered 18,021 members, with a capital cf £448,731 9s 2d. Tho receipts for the year named wore £53,813, and the expenditure in sick, funeral, ond other benefits was £47,831. Tho cost of administering that amount of funds was only£6lß3, showing that tbo greatest economy was exercised in both lodges anu districts. The Society throughout the world now numbered over a 1 million members, with an invested capital of over £12,000,000, and with an annual income of about £2,000,000. The amount spent in benofits during the year was over £1,400,000. Witb regard to the Nuw Zealand Branch, it must bo gratifying to members to know that after four years' experience fourpenco per member per i annum Lad beon found ample to meet all expenses of management of tho Central Board, and there was now a balance of £183 to the credit of tho management fund. There was much - 1 to be done to keep tho Order in tho 1 J first rank of Friendly Societies in ■ tho Colony. One very important t question to bo considered at this t meeting was tbat of increasing the funeral benefits, lie believed they would be ablo to devise ways and 1 means whereby that desirable object j would bo attained, by the establish ment of a fuod on a sound financial basis. During his term of office he had visited tbo New Plymouth, Wellington, Ashley, and Ashburtou DisI tiicts. There wore good meetings at i all of them, aod he wished to sincerely thank the members fur the great kindnesa shown him. He also received a very cordial invitation from the North Canterbury District to visit ttem; and with Bro. Marshall he atteui'od thoir Dißtrict meeting, and wuu vory well rtcewod. ' He trusted it would not be long beforo the District would join the New Zealand Branch. It was a pleasing fact that the Wanganui District had joined the New Zealand Branch, thereby making nn united North Islands and it was to be hoped that all the South Island Districts would shortly follow suit, und form an united New Zealand. With this consumated thoy would be able to accomplish much more than they could do at present. Last July Bro. Thomas, one of the diroctors, was called to tho Grand Lodgo above. Ho had always shown himself a most zealous worker in tho Ordor. and tho Now Zealand Branch bad sustained n heavy locs by bis death. Bro. John Smith, T. P.G.M., cf tho Wellington District, wns appointed to fill tho vacancy ou the directorate. With tho approval of tho directors, a loyal nddiess n'ns piescnted ti Lord Plunket on bis uriivnl as Governor of tho Colony. After referring to the importance of tbe business to be transacted, lbe Grand Master concluded by expressing hiß indebtedness to Deputy G.M. Bro. Batchelor, and C.S. Bro. Kershaw for their assistance during his two years of oflice, and he specially commended the latter for his Ci_ro and promptness iv attonding to tho businesa of the Society. Ue then declared the meeting opon for business, and trusted thnt all the deliberations would be carriad out in accord witb the rut-tco of lho Order — "Friendship, Lovo, nnd Truth." Deputy F'eldcr moved thnt the Grand Master bo thanked for his address, and gthat it bo printed with lhe proceedings of tho meeting. This was duly secondod.and carried. Tho Directors report wsb then rend by V. S. Kershaw. The Directors in their report oppressed [lonsure at the continued prosperity of the Ordor, both in Eogland and tho Colonies. The latter continued to do a fair share in extending the Society's influenco, as evidencod by the fnct that while fifteen male lodges, nnd four female lodges were opened in tbo United Kingdom during 1901 (latest returns available), fifty were opened in the colonies and United States. The progress of tbe i New Zealand Branch had been steady and sure, the numerical returns of the Districts being as follows—Number of members January, 1905, 10,446; number admitted during tbe year 1240; total, 11,686. Left by arrears 603, by clearance 32, by deaths 83; total 718 ; leaving the total number ol members on December 31st, 1905, as being 10,968, a gain of 532. There were now ten Districts registered as branches of the Society. At the ' annual meeting of the Wanganui ' District, held on 26th January last, ] it wns resolved by a vote of 21 to 1 to become a branch ; and lho District was now registered as sucb. Soveral ' efforts had been made in the Southland District to bring about affiliation with the New Zealand Branch. ' At tho 1305 .District meeting the ' resolution to affiliate was lost by one ! vote, and at tho annual meeting this year n Eimilar resolution was rulod but of order under the English general rule 36. Tho Directors realised that ik would be some time ! beforo all tho Districts in tbe - Colony were convinced of the neces- j sity for afliliation with the Now Zealand Branch as the central body, but 1 deemed it best to let tho movement

be from within esch thstricr. In their wport for 1901 tbe Directors reforrod to the nOdosdity foriamendlug the Friendly Socletloaj Act to bring It up to tha Imperial Statute of 1890. As a teSuh '"t«rv.ewe with the Premier, he promised thflt Ldtile .ncMoh should be taken in the direction of amending ««>d conMlidatiog tho Act, rt.id it wa3 uSderaloGd thn* lhe Govornmoot would oonveno n confereudS o« delegates of friendly Societies, nnd submlS »n amending bill. Tbe Wellington Uoitod Friendly Societies) Council, however, thinking tts conference should be convened by tho D rlendif Socletic?, tooli fiction ip that direction.and arranged to held it in May. Tho Government had undertnKSn to pay tho delegates' travelling expenses on land and sen, and provide a room for the conference Aa there was strodg reason for believing that tne GoveFnlilent *iii in » gre»t measure accept thd deci«ioti9 of the donference, it wns Advisable that all Districts should be represfcntefl, flope important alterations in tbo Act Deing suggested. The conforenoo was to be constituted of one delegate from each Society cr District, and oue from ccoh Friendly Sjcietics Council. The Direct'. fs considered thnt while there wa? nd objection to delegates from Coliuell" being allowed a sent and voice, they should not be allowed to vote, as sucn Councils were not registered under the Friendly Societies Act.and l their delegate would not be responsible for bis vote. Moreover, he must necessarily be a member of some Friendly Society, and would likolv strengthen the vote of that particular Sooiety, and as such Councils had been estab- ' lishod in townships where there were only four Lodges, it was manifestly unfair to givG tbera voting powor. It was hoped that the Uls tricts that bad not yet arranged to be .represented at the conference would take the matter in hand at once. With regard to the rules of Districts and Lodges, it was urged that greater uniformity should be observed; the Directors bting of opinion that steps should te taUen to draft a set of model rules, and tbe central body srraDge for the printing of the rules of the Districts and Lodges. They also recommended that as tho Board of Directors in England was taking action to revise the lectures and degroos, immediately the revise was received steps be taken to bring about uniformity in tho New Zealand Society by arranging a Lodge of instruction in connection with the Moveable Committeo. After dealing with the valuation of the Ashburton, Ashloy, Auckland, and HoKitiUa Districts made since the last Moveable Committee meeting, the Directors drew attention to the necessity for the close and profitable investment of the funds; as it vas only by careful management in this and other ways that solvency could be roached and maintained. Of 42 Lodgo valuations made, in sixteen cases only had the interest credited to the sick and funeral fuod been i per cent or over. In nine tho rate bad boen 3^ per cent, and in tho remaining sevonteen the rate had been 3U per cent and under. In seven tises no interest whatever bad been received, although some of the Lodges had been established some years. This stato of things was unsatisfactory, aud in their opinion it would be well to have future valuations based on the actual rate of interest earned. While it was absolutely necessary that every person entering tho Society should pay an adequate rate of contribution for the benefit ho expected to receive, without careful management and prompt and profitable investments no practicable rate of contribution conld be considered adequate without the powerful element of compound interest. The realising of such a low rate of interest by some of the Lodges emphasised tho necessity for an amendment in the Friendly Societies Act to permit Lodges to forward money to tho District Trustees for investment when suitable investments were not to bo found in the vicinity of the Lodgo. Regret was expreesod at laxity on the part of some of tho Lodge secretaries in not forwarding their roturns in due time to the Prov. C S., and .Lodges woro urged to see that an improvement was effected in the future. Deputy Bellringer moved, and Deputy McLood seconded, tbat tho Directors report bo received.—Carried. After some discussion as to whether tho report should bo taken clauso by clnuso, it was resolved to adopt it as road. The balanco sheet showed that tho receipts for tho'year ended December 31st, 1900, had boen — Hnlanco brought forward, £(__! 0s 3d : rocoipts, .626(3 ls 9d ; total, jC-118 2s. Expenditure, £213 2s Bd. Credit balance, .£lOl 19s 4d. The assets were £254 7s lld, nnd liabilities £10 17s lOd, leaving a credit balance of £183 10s Id. At this stage tbe meeting adjourned until 7.30 p.m., the delegates leaving by steamer for Motueka to attend the Friendly Societies sports at the invitation of the Motueka District. Un resuming business in tbe evening, Uoputy McLeod moved tho adoption of the balance sheet and auditors' report. He remarked that it was extremely gratifying tbat on a levy of only Id. per quarter per member all the heavy initial expenses had been paid and nocessary J working expenses met; aud yet thero | was a substantial credit balance. I He believed tbe time would come i whon the levy could be reduced. Deputy Watson seconded the mo- . tion, nnd it wuh carried. ; A telegram was received frora P. \ J. Norhevy, President of tbo Now Zealand District of Hibernians, ' expressing his warmest good wishes for a plensnnt meeting, and tho hope that tbe deliberations would tend in a largo measure to promoto the social, moral, and intellectual condition cf the membeiß, the advancement of human happiness, and increase of brotherly love. Past Grand Laurie Solomon, of the Auckland District, also telegraphed fraternal greetiugs, and the C.S. . was instructed to acknowledge the j good wishos. j The revision of the rules was then ; procoedod with. i Deputy Guise, on bohalf of tho ' Wellington District, movod the j adoption of a rule to provide for the ' admission of females to the mala : Lodges where there was no fcm-ile branch within a distance of throo , ruiloe. Deputy Godber seconded the '■ motion. The question. evoked con- : siderable discussion, and on the motion being put it was negatived by 18 votes to 6. i The rule respecting the investment cf Lodge funds was amandtd to provide that no moneys shall bo usod , in tbo ereciion of halls without the j consent of the District Committee, "f or District Committee of Manage I ment. ; Tho next amendment adopted was ' to the etlect that should it appear to : the Directors that, owing to unsatis- : factory administration, growicg > deficiency, or any other cause, a ' District would be improved by ' amalgamation, nnd the Macagemont • Committee coußider that the pro- j posed amalgamation is desirable, the | Directors shall carry the decision ! into effect. j It was resolved to provide for the i District Trustees to receive money from Lodges for investment. Soveral olbor minor amendments were dealt witb. Daputy Watson, on behalf of tho Wanganui District, heartily thanked i tho Grand Master and Hoard of Directors for the cordial welcome extended to that District on joining the New Zealand Branch. At the .suggestion of the Grand Master the honors of tho Ordor wero accorded to tho District. ■At 10.15 p.m. the meeting adourood uutil 9.30 a.m. today.