FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Evening Star, Issue 12699, 27 June 1907, Page 6

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

MR JAMES MAGPIE'S IMPRESSIONS.

Mr James Macfie, district secretary to the Ancient Order of Foresters, who represented that body at the recent conference in Wellington, favored one of our reporters with an interview yesterday. The conference was called to consider certain matters which were submitted for discussion by the Colonial Cquncfl of the British Medical Association, with a view to arriving at an understanding and an arrangement in regard to various subjects which have been the cause of difference between the two parties.

In regard to the conference itself, Mr Macfie returned disappointed. He understood on leaving Dunedin that the delegates were to meet with the whole of the New Zealand representatives of the British Medical Association connected with the friendly societies, and not, as was experienced, the Wellington branch of that Association only.v "Of course," explained Mr Macfie, " ttie Wellington branch had not the power to legislate for, the profession throughout New Zealand, and nothing definite was arrived at in regard to important questions. But clause 5, which was the most important question of all, was permanently settled. This clause, which was submitted to us for consideration by the profession, reads: 'That no person paying Income Tax should be entitled to lodge benefits.' The friendly societies were perfectly unanimous in regard to this clause, and would not think for a moment of agreeing to such a clause. If Rockefeller or Carnegie wanted to join us, so long as they could produce a doctor's certificate of fitness they would be welcomed as members. We could not think of drawing any such distinction. If we were to do this, it would smash up the friendly societies altogether." " The doctors there," continued Mr Macfie, "appeared to labor under the delusion that the friendly societies are a kind of benevolent institution formed for the purpose of getting cheap medical attendance. This, of course, is a perfectly erroneous idea. Our ohject is to stand by a man in sickness and distress. However, so far as Dunedin and the suburbs are concerned, the relationship existing between the medical profession and the lodges is most amicable. We ask them for a contract as to what price per member they will charge our lodge, and they have never yet complained of the amount offered and paid. For that matter, they make their own terms, and we have never tried to cut them down. Let me give you an idea how anxious medical men are to get the position of surgeon to the courts. For a small branch court of about 200 members the position of doctor was recently open, and there were no_ less than eighteen applicants for the position." ''A different rnode of procedure jspureued in Wellington 1o the one obtaining bore in regard to medical attention. Hero wa have seven branches, and each branch has itR own doctor. Our rules allow, however, that ire may choose our own doctor from any of the seven. It works this way: if a member of one branch wishes to bo attended by the doctor of another branch, ali that member has to do is (o acquaint his secretary of the fact, and tho transfer is made. "But in Wellington the system is entirely different. In one court there, of 600 members tier©'are no less than eleven doctors to choose from. The reason of this is that a doctor going to Wellington makes an application to lie placed on tho lodge's list, and then takes bis chance, as to whiehof the members call upon him." Mr Macfie is not favorably impressed with this method, and considers our system infinitely the superior, and certainly a better one for the medical profession. Mr Macfie thinks it a great mistake that there is not a uniform system throughout New Zealand. For instance, in Dunedin the doctors attend not only a member of the society but also his wife and the members of 'iis family up to eighteen years of age. The- case is otherwise in a; good number of other districts, especially in the North Island. Sometimes the doctor only attends the member; again, be may attend the member Mid his wife; in another case the medical man attlends the member, his wife, and family up to ten years of age. The doctors* fees are better in Dunedju than they are in Wellington. In Dunedin the fee given for each member of the lodge is 16s, in Wellington it ;e 15s, and it also has to be taken into consideration that the living in Wellington is much dearer than in Djmeciin. "Oars-," said Mr Macfie, "is tie best system that has yet came under my observation." . . - To show that the members of friendly societies are not so subject to sickness as the general population, I may tell you," added Mr Macfie, "that while in Wellington the actuary showed me the results of hie valuation of a district having 3,000 members. According to the death-rate - of New Zealand, 172 people should have died; under the table drawn up by, the actuary for friendly eocietieß 159 would have bean tho number of deaths, but as a matter of ilfact. only 137 died, which proves conclu- { Bwcly that we are not 6o subject to death I from sickness ae the general public. Natu-

rally, we account far this by the fact -fiat •■we are all picked hres, or, rather, ma ham to go-tfaoogha medical examination before In ooarhnknn, Mr Macfio aid thai) no doubt, in some' . cases the medical men bad grievance^' against some of the', aocißtierf members, inaaamchaa they are unnecessarily called out to attend memben; bat, on the whole, so far as bis knowledge goes, everything had imbed oat smoothly. ____