THE PROVIDENT FUND AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 225, 21 September 1915, Page 8

THE PROVIDENT FUND AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

O UPERATION NOT COMPETITION. ißj Telegraph ■ Parliamentary Iteportcr i WELLINGTON, Monday. The competition ol a State subsidised national i.iovidei.t |und against the noilsubsidised friendly societies ba* reached .li,.- point of a serious injustice, according to many ni.iiili.-rs who spoke on the Naiionsi Piovi-.b-nt Fund Bill tonight. It .as urfced Hint the societies should be laced pn equal terms with the National I'rov iddnt Fund by menus of subsidies. vftrr j. dozen or more speakers bad -p.-kon on thi- line the Prime Minister nade a straight-out declaration in favour ,f meeting th,- demands when the financial pjsition permits. As n friendly society -i mlier himself, bo said, bo fully rccog nisod tho good work they wore doing. It out of Ihe question to suspend the National Provident Fund; in fart, ho was strongly of opinion Hint there was room for this as well as the friendly societies. lie ho|>cd that something would Is? done in tho direction of a suggestion from Sir .linnos Carroll Ihat the Stale siiould .s,. operate rather than compete. As a mem her nf tho Government, bo admitted that the legislature had not in the past on cotiraged friendly societies sufficiently. and be hoped that when a more suitable time arrived a bettor arrangement would Ik- made in regard to tho National Provident Fund and the friendly societies. The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonnld, the Minister who. j n the Hon. A. Mvors' absence, took charge of the hill, quoted the opinion of the National Provident Fund (superintendent that the decreased membership of friendly societies was certainly not duo to tin- operation „f the fund. Flic new memliers who joined Inst year would, in bis opinion, not have joined friendly societies.