MANCHESTER UNITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 224, 21 September 1934, Page 3

MANCHESTER UNITY.

LONDON CONFERENCE.

X.Z. DELEGATES RETURN

After attending the 1034 Imperial and International Conference of tlio Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows in London on behalf of the New Zealand brunch of the organisation, ~Mr. A. G. Shrimpton, of Wellington, grand secretary of the branch, and Jlr. A. C. Blair, deputy-grand master, also of Wellington, returned by the Kotorua on Wednesday. In discussing the conference, Mr. Shrimpton said it took place in QiieenVi Hall, London, Langlmm Place, and was I attended by 815 deputies representing i the British Tsles, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Jamaica. Gibraltar and the United Staten of America. The fimt conference was held in 1537, and the next, in IS.Vt. Jn the latter year the membership of the society totalled 232,000, and in 1934 it had reached 1,111.000. In 1854 its neeumulatcd funds amounted to £500,000. and this- year they aggregated £25,000,000. The- main purpose of the conference was to clear up anomalies which correspondence had failed to remove; to evolve a uniform ritual; to facilitate the transfer of membership by clearances from overseas; to establish clearing houses for debiting and crediting members , contributions and for the dispensation of benefits. Merger of Districts. One of tho principal recommendations emerging from the deliberations was one affecting the Order in New Zealand. In 1901 the Order in Great Britain granted a dispensation for the establishment of a central body for the Dominion. Before that the Order here functioned on the unity, that is, the district or provincal basis. Since the establishment of the New Zealand branch, however, 12 out of the 1C districts had merged, leaving Southland, Olago, South Canterbury and Lyttclton still operating as separate units. The London conference recommended that in every ease where there was a district that ordinarily would be regarded as being within a particular Order, but which district did not in fact form part of such Order, further negotiations should be set on foot with a view to obtaining the consent of the district to come within the particular Order concerned. A remarkable feature was that, notwithstanding tho operation of the National Health Insurance Act the voluntary membership of friendly societies was maintained at a very high level. In a recent lecture Sir Francis Close, addressing census experts at the international congress, presented a comparison of population statistics for England and Wales in 19:51, with figures for 1921. He pointed out that in 1021 the average aye of the population was ."iO.ti year?; in 1931 it had risen to 32.7 years. There were actually fewer people up to the twentieth year in 1031 than in 1921, •showing clearly the effect of the war, and the reduced 'birth rate consequent upon the death of men who ordinarily would have married. As friendly societies obtained 00 per cent of their recruits from youi> people between the ages of 10 and 20, the reduced number of prospects, had materially reflected upon the membership. The Manchester Unity Order had established a war orphans' gift fund, and since the inception of the fund 1495 orphans had received gifts and pensions.