FORESTERS' ORDER.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 65, 17 March 1915, Page 8

FORESTERS' ORDER.

■ i A SUCCESSFUL TEAR. I WAR AND FINANCE. The annual meeting of the Ancient Order of Foresters will be opened at Devonport to-morrow. The report of tne ?xecutive states that the Order baa made good progress during the year. Tbe sickness experienced has been slightly Heavier than the previous year, and .£2,220' has been paid on that account. Hie death claims amounted to £300, while the increase in the sick and tunera; fund was .£2,784. At. the end of the year there was a balance of £35,730. The funds as it whole increased by £3,0001 During the year j£27i) was paid on account of members, their wives oi' children who had been patients in various hospitals. •' At the commencement of tho war," adds the report, " we realised that, we were probably in for a prolonged and troublesome time. It was generally thought that unemployment would be very prevalent, but after the first few weeks it was seen that we in New Zealand were likely to be much less affected than those in other countries; still, many of our members have suffered in this way. We have taken steps to render assistance where urgently needed. Soon after the war started, a patriotic fund was opened in Auckland to assist in equipping soldiers for the front, and to relieve local distress. Your executive took upon themselves the responsibility of voting £50 to that fund, requesting that the amount should he used for the relief of local distress. Your executive decided to pay the contributions of those members who were called to arms to fight for us. In this we were following the example of the Order in England, where the proportion of members going to the war is much larger than here. This crisis in our history has brought home to us the need of brotberhool. a principle our Order stands for. Whatever sacrifices the future may require of us. one thing is certain, that as Foresters we must maintain our unity, and hand in hand be determined that the greatest crime the world has ever known shall not succeed. As a measure of safety your executive decided to insure the lives of those going to the front. Halt the cost of insurance is to be paid by the Government, so that the cost to the Order will not be very great. The disorganisation of the finances due to the war has necessitated our banking account beinjr temporarily overdrawn. A few months should sec this overdraft paid off." The valuation of the district to December. 1912. has been received, and has beeu supplied to each Court. The re.suits have completely justified the steps 'recently taken to improve the financial position. We may fairly congratulate I ourselves, upon raising the degree of solvency from 14/10 to 18/7 in the pound. The "progress made is satisfactory, but Iwe should not rest content until we I reach complete solvency. To achieve this, it is necessary that tbe officers of I the various Court* should carefully watch the sickness expenditure. "Tbe membership at the end, of the year wa5~2.234, ah increase "ofTSt During the year 216 members joined and 198-were struck off. The smallness of the increase is a matter for serious consideration. With the rapid increase in I the population our membership should j increase much faster than it docs. "The unfair competition of the National Provident -Fund has undoubt- ! edly injuriously affected us. and it behoves us to bestir ourselves with a view i.of removing thig. in justice. I "In January last an appeal for assisti ance was received from our brethren in | North Holland, who had exhausted their i own funds in providing for the many I Belgian refugees who had gone to HojI'lanci. A subscription list was opened. I and the sum of £ 76 has been cabled lHome.

" During the year the movement to establish a subsidiary High Court has . been brought to a successful issue. Six I ,out of the eight districts have joined iii ! the other two districts. Wellington and j South Canterbury, will probably eventu- ] ' ally join. The head office has been fixed ' [at Auckland, and the first meeting <>f '.the subsidiary High Court will be held _I in Auckland about the end of the year.'' 1 j The meeting, presided over by the ' District Chief Ranger. Bro G. * will open at 0 a.m.. and will sit until ' tbe order paper (which is somewhat ' lengthy) is disposed of. During the evening sitting an illumin--1 atcd address will be presented to Bro. t James Stiehbur.v who is retiring after 34 years active work in the Order. I