HIBERNIAN SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 172, 16 April 1932, Page 11

HIBERNIAN SOCIETY

Conference at Wanganui CONTROL TRANSFERRED Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, April 15. After remaining in Auckland since 1885, control of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society has been transferred to Wellington. At the concluding day of the conference in Wanganui officers were elected as follow: —District president, Bro. J. J. L. Burke (Wellington); district vicepresident, Bro. P. D. Hoskins (Wellington) ; district secretary, Bro. W. H. Gileg (Wellington); district treasurer, Bro. W. C. Frude (Lower Hutt) ; district auditors, Bros. J. T. Carr (Petone) and A. V. Dallow (Island Bay). The Government valuation has disclosed the society to be in a sound financial position.

The conference has decided to increase the benefits in certain cases, subject to departmental approval; to provide for conditional payment of contributions by unemployed members; to establish or strengthen contributory benevolent funds, and to arrange for the formation of provincial councils. Sick and benefit fund benefits are to be increased.

The seventy-odd members attending the conference were entertained at a banquet by the local branch last night. Delegates were welcomed by Mr. N. Murphy, who said that Wanganui had been preparing for the occasion for two years.

It was twenty-one years since the local branch had been formed, said Bro. P. D. Hoskins, P.D., when proposing the health of the society. He said that the society had been formed in Australia by some enthusiastic and far-seeing CatholicHrishmen. The first New Zealand branch had been established on the West Coast over sixty years ago, and since then 68 branches had been established with a total of 4000 members and funds totalling more than £120,000. In the whole society there were <5OO branches with 50,000 members and total funds of £BOO,OOO. In addition there were reciprocal agreements with the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America and Ireland, whose funds totalled about £3,000,000. In a short speech, Bro. A. Downie described his impressions of Wanganui, and expressed surprise that it was not generally known that Wanganui had one of the finest airports in the Dominion. In his reply, the Mayor, Mr. N. G. Armstrong, briefly outlined the history from the time the first trader sailed over the bar. more than a hundred years ago. There were a number of toasts, and musical items concluded the programme.