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

tho rulo was registered and name into effect on January 26, 1918." A Problem for Consideration. The report added that the directors wero not necessarily opposed to the payment of soldier members' sick pay, but tlicro were the interests of other members to bo conserved. The direcfelt that should anything arise to jeopardise the interests of the society or of members between the meetings of the conference, it was their duty, to bring the matter before the districts and lodges. It would be for the conference to earnestly consider what was best to be done for brethren who hud returned and wero returning sick, wounded, and disabled, and if it was determined to con- j tinuc the payment of full sick pay to j soldier members the necessary provi- j siou must be made to meet both the' liability for sickness and also for the j liability occasioned by the remission of; soldier members' contributions, and; particularly to make more stringent tho regulations regarding the payment of such sick pay, as the board had reason to believe that this was urgently and promptly required. The present I I arrangement for the payment of sick pay was fraught with financial danger. No contributions wero payable by soldier members and the members engaged in a hazardous occupation, which ! had greater risks of. permanent disablement than any hazardous occupation for which special tables of increased contributions wero provided. I In a further letter tho Registrar em- : pbnsised the importance of the liability : existing in connection with soldier ; members. No definite figures could be i quoted, but it was clear that among ! soldiers not only was the ordinary I sickness likely to be excessive, but the sickness from wounds was entirely and j clearly an extra charge. War sick- ; ness would probabW b» more prolonged ithan ante-war sickness and the afterdischarge liability on sick funds was i likely to bo a serious charge. The ; practice of some lodges of levying for j soldiers' contributions on lodgo sick, j funds without making any provision to jrecoup these funds, was unsound, and should be discouraged. The secretary read also letters from tho several societies of. tho Manchester Unity in the j Australian States, regarding their I method of dealing with the problem jof soldiers' contributions.

Tho report, which dealt with various other matters, was discussed in detail. Soldiers' Claims. It was resolved, on account of tho requirement of the Registrar of Friendly Societies relating to Government :e----insurance, that in all future cases' connected with soldier deaths the receipt of the beneficiary for the benefit must be lodged with the claim for the refund of the funeral benefit from, tho society before any payment would be made'from the Society funds. It was also ;esolv'ed that all discharged soldiers were to be notified to their lodges immediately on discharge. War Legislation. The conference dealt with the question of expediting the passing of legislation dealing with urgent war matters, and after rejecting a proposal to take tlie advice of lodges or district committees of management the conference empowered the directors to legislate on war matters after considering the opinions of districts calculated on the basis of B.M.C. voting. The division on the question to take the opinion of lodges was:—Ayes (13): Holms, Ibbotson, Rose, Morgan, Merriman, Archbold, Green, Gahagan, Sharman, Liddle (Wanganui), Milburn, Papps, Snowdon. Noes (21): Godber, Loasby, Smith, Ambridge, Thomas, M'Leod, Aitken, Dean, M'Millan, Smith, Priti chard, 'Williams, Marshall, M'Lean, | Steele, Liddle (Nelson), Shrimpton, I Martin, Bull, Macey, Amoore. I i Balance-Sheet. The balance-sheet, which was adopted, showed that the liabilities and assets for the year ended December 31, 1917, were as follow:—LiabilitiesAmount of funeral fund, £4.1,628 ]os. lOd.; management fund, £317 173. 7d.; ; relief fund, £183 lis. 4d.; sick fund, £194 os. 3d.: cheques unpresented, £80 2s. Total, £45,404 2s. AssetsOn mortgage, £38,870; war certificates, £1000; in Post Office Savings | Bank, £3661 10s. Id.; current account | bank, £1751 ss. lOd.; debit balance war members' sick fund, £121 6s. Id. Total, £45,404,25. The conference adjourned at 5.30 I p.m. until 9 a.m. to-day.