ODDFELLOWS CONFER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 165, 2 April 1918, Page 6

ODDFELLOWS CONFER

IMPORTANT MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION SOLDIERS' SICK PAY The biennial conference of the New Zealand Branch, Alanc'liesier Unity, Independent, Order of Uddt'ellows, was opened at the Oddfellows' Hall, Lambton yuay, yesterday morning. Mr. I. Saiek (Wanganui), Grand Master, pressed. The Deputy Grand Master, Bro. F. H. Watt (Ashburton), and the corresponding secretary, iiro. J. Kershaw (Wellington) were present, and also the Mowing deputies:—Auckland: J. M'Lecd, P.G.M., W. Dean, W. M'Millan, G. H. Ambridgc, F. A. Smith, T. Aitken, and W. Thomas, P.P.G.M.'s. Ashley. J. Marshall, P.G.M., and G. A. M'Lean, P.P.G.M. Ashburton: F. Pritchard and T. Williams, P.P.G.M.'s. Hawke's Bay: H. Bull, W. G. Martin, P.P.G.M.'s, J. Millburn,. Prov. G.M. Marlborough: W. 11. Macey, .P.P.G.M. Motueka: John F. Rose, P.P.G.M. North Canterbury: J. 11. Merriman, H. E. Morgan, W. E. Gahagan, Geo. Green. P.P.G.M.'s, T. J. Archbold, Prov. O.S. Nelson: A. G. Shrimpton, W. Liddle, P.P.G.M.'s. United Westland: J. Steele, Prov. C.S. New Plymouth: F. Amoore, I. W. Snowdoii, P.P.G.M.'s, G. S. Papps, Prov. C.S. Wanganui: E. Liddle, H. Sharman, P.P.G.M.'s. Wellington: D. P. Loashy, P.G.M., I. Smith, P.G.M., G. E. Godber, Prov C.S., A. J. Ibbotson, A. C. Holmes, P.P.G.M.'s.

_ Bro. W. I. Clark, P.P.G.M., Wcl-1 lington district, welcomed the dele-j gates. He mentioned that the first : conference had taken place in Wellington sixteen years ago. i The Grand Master welcomed to the; conference Prov. C.S. Bro. J. B. '■■ Fielder (Napier district), and P.P.G.M. ' Bro. Wood (Otago district). j j Grand Master's Address. j I Tho Grand Master, in his opening j address, mentioned that fully 20001 I members of the New Zealaud Branch j were in the Army, and the society had fulfilled the promises made at tho beginning of the war to pay their contributions and to remit payments to | enable the soldiers to retain continued I membership. In addition, the societies! had undertaken to pay soldiers their | sick pay of about £1 a week while they j were sick or incapacitated abroad, j and also to assume the same respon- j sibilities when they returned to New j Zealand until they were able, to resume their work. He re- j ferred to tho vast operations _ and; wide sphere of the friendly societies i of New Zealand, and expressed sur- ] prise that the Government had not j taken advantage of the experience and | ability of their leading members by j appointing them to tho various commissions and investigation boards. The | first lodge opened in this country in j 1842, and, without any bequests or large donations, tho societies were worth now close upon £2,000,000. or £27 15s. Bd. per member,' the highest of any State in the southern hemisphere. During 1916, the last available returns, the sum of £75,677 had been j paid out for sickness benefits and £26,555 for funeral and insurance benefits, and the sum of £82,141 had been received for interest and rents, a sum more than necessary to meet_ all sickness claims. This left the contributions of 70,360 members, amounting to £108,661, to meet the liabilities, ?nd when these were paid there remained a gain of over £100,000 on the year's operations to meet growing liabilities. | During the last thirty years the societies had paid out for sickness and funeral benefits over £1,500,000. Thero j were four districts iu the South Island j not affiliated with the twelve districts i which constituted the New Zealand; j branch. The branch controlled 143! I lodges, with 14,362 members. The j j total worth of these lodges was I £376,198, of which amount £482,554 i I was invested and produced a revenue i oF' £25,063. The branch in 1916 paid [ .£19,583 on sick claims and £5390 for | funeral benefits, and made a net gain | for the year of £22,197. i ' Directors' Rcnort. The report of the Board of Directors I stated that it would die tho duty of I the conference, in compliance with the determination of the special conference held in Wellington in November Inst, to review the whole question of soldier members' sick pay. A new rule had been drafted hv the board dealing exhaustively with the question. In May last the Registrar of Friendly Societies had issued a circular to societies and lodges asking certain questions regarding the manner of dealing with soldier members, and subsequently he had written to the secretary of the New Zealand branch pointing out that the districts had not adopted a uniform procedure. It would be an advantage to the society if the method of dealing with soldier members were placed on a uniform basis, as it was clearly inequitable that members of some lodges should be bearing a preponderance of the liability by means of levies, while in other lodges the members were directly carrying nothing. As far as he was aware, the society had not registered any 'rules waiving soldiers' contributions to the sick and funeral funds, so that unless the funds were being recouped on account of theso members, their membership would appear to be in doubt from ' a legal point of view. A comprehensive treatment of this question was desirable. "This letter was laid before the directors on July 4," added tho report, "and this together with the heavy claims for soldier members' sick pay naturally caused them great concern, and a strong feeling was expressed on the part of some members of the board in the -direction of suspending sick benefit to soldier members until tho B.M.C. had again an opportunity to consider the question. This, however, could not be done without an amendment to the rules, so that subsequent to the meeting of tho board it was ''etermined to lay the matter before the districts, and request them to refer the matter to the lodges with a view to its being brought before a special district conference to determino whether they favoured suspension of sick pay to soldier members on active service, and an amendment of rules in that direction. As nine districts out of the twelve were favourable to the proposal, a special conference of the society was convened in Wellington, at which alt the districts were represented, when the following resolution was moved: —"That tho sick pay payable to soldier members I whilst on active service be suspended until the B.M.C. to be held in WelI lington at Easter, 1918. has reconsidered the whole question of soldier sick pay.' On the motion being put to the meeting it was declared to to earned by "2 votes to 12. It was then j sought to amend the rules in this direction, but the Grand Mastoi do- j dined to receive nv.y motion in_ that ■ direction, notwilhstanhi-.i" that his at- ; tent-ion was directed to general rule 153 (fi). The resolution was. however, submitted to (he Registrar of Friendly Societies in the form of an amendment to the rules, and was with a slight altera)ion dnlv registered on .Tonuarv 26. 1918. A'protest was lodged with the registrar by H. Shannon, of Tab merston North, a member of the Loyivl i Mnuawntu Lodge, acting for himself and a large body of members, through Messrs. Salek and Turner, solicitors, Wellington, objecting )n tho registration of the rule. This objection, however, was evidently disregarded, as