HIBERNIAN SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 837, 8 June 1910, Page 3

HIBERNIAN SOCIETY.

FUNERAL BENEFITS SCHEME. Among the proposals which" came up ■for consideration at the meeting of the Hibernian ' Society on llonday evening was a resolution by Bro. Flannagan as "illows'"That the Hibernian Society in Wellington deems it advisable', to adopt a similar scheme to that of the Druids' Order, whereby .by means of a' small levy - the sum of .£IOO bo paid to the relatives of a member on his decease, in addition to the funeral benefit of <£20 as provided in..the rules." Speaking to the resolution, Bro. Kelleher contended that' the ' experience of friendly societies, after, haying been established for forty or fifty years, was to find a big drain on the sick and funeral fund.- Ho went on to point.out tho uncertainty of the scheme, for' in the future the death-rate- would " bo higher and the number of now and' young entrants fewer. Such schemes had, ho added, been condemned by actuaries as being financially unsound. Bro. Bould (in 'reply) said that when a similar scheme was adopted by the Druids fifteen years ago their membership stood at 500, whilst as a result . of its inauguration . the roll number was now 10,000... There was little use, in his opinion, of taking any notice of actuarial reports made up on tho basis now taken by actuaries. Under the present basis no account was taken of loss of membership through arrears, which was one hundred times greater., than through deaths. There was, according to - tho actuaries,. only one sound society,, in the Dominion, yet they all paid 20s. in thq X despite tho actuaries. . Bros. J. W. Callaghan, B. Dohsrty, J. J. L. Burke, and W. J. Feeney also spoke. There were, only three dissentients to the motion, which was'declared carried, and it was stated that the matter would again be placed befojo tho' district executive. . ■ 5