FRIENDLY SOCIETIES CON FERENCE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11875, 23 April 1904, Page 3

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES CON FERENCE.

» (W.KSS ASSOCIATION TELKCRAII.) WELLINGTON", April 21. The Friendly Societies' Conference, which resumert to-day, approved of the stiort amending Bill introduced by the Premier J IxM upssion and withdrawn -by request ! pcndiiig consideration by the sixietie>, I which provides that before diverting surj plu.v'* ever 5 per cent, of benefit funds on ; the rot ill capital, moneys projwriy belong4n? Ui such funds, the branches must consult the district lodges, and the district governing bodies consult, their branches. An amendment of the Stamp Act was sug-ges-ted in the direction of providing that cheques drawn by friendly societies may ue for general purposes without the imposition of duty. The Conference saw no need at present for the proposed Royal Commission to enquire into matters relating to friendly societies generally, and make the societies and the Government co-operate in necessary legislation. It was resolved I to x request the Government to al _ v w the free I use of mineral baths at the Government Sanatoria to friendly society members being V?ated there at the expanse of the societies. The next Conference is to ba held in Cbrjstdiurch three years hence. It was decided that in future the representa- | tion at conferences be one delegate from i each council, one from each registered society, and an extra delegate for each com., plete thousand members of any society. (SI'ECIAL TO "THE TRESS.") WELLINGTON, April 21. A circular was received from the Otago and Southland District Grand Lodges of Druids urging the appointment of a Royal Commission to enquire into all matters relating to Friendly Snuvties with the view to enabling the Government and So- | ciettes to t'tft-ctivtly cooperate in the production of nectssary legislation. One delegate expressed contempt for Royal Commissions, which he said generally "ended in fizzles and made a big charge upon the colony." The circular was ordered to lie on the table with a direction that it- might b<: brought forward «£ain at the next Conference. On" the motion" of Mr Bold (Canterbury) it was resolved "That in addition to the allotted number of beds granted for the use of Friendly Societies''members at the various Government sanatoria, which aro found insufficient for requirements, the Government l>3 requested to allow the free use of the baths and medical attendance to any additional members of the Societies who may be attending the sanatoria, at the cost of "the Societies." Delegates agreed that as Societies were under much expense in sending ailing members to Hanmer and Rotorua for treatment it was. fair to ask the Government-to grant ■the free use of baths to such members, some of whom had to take as many as three and four baths daily.