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Evening Star, Issue 16352, 19 February 1917, Page 4

The war has cast upon friendly societies a

considerable financial bur-

Friendly den, which is likely to Societies and cause struggling lodges the War. gra-e embarrassment unless a scheme of relief he brought into general practice. The burden was accepted lightly in a spirit of fraternity at the out sot of the great'contiiet : but time ar.d ciremnstances have made it very heavy, and threaten to make it an intolerable weight in many cases The decision of fries dly societies generally in respect lo 'paying the contributions of soldier memI hers was a. vein- commendable practice of the principle of brotherhood. It was the right thing to do. even though censorial critics have assorted that it merely enabled the Government to lighten the State's obligations to .soldiers' dependents, and permitted., with certain rest-notions, a continuance of food exploitation which presses most grievously on the relatives of the men who light the country's battles. That aspect of the position need not bo discussed at the moment. What we particularly desire to emphasise is the fact that the friendly societies' practical patriotism may soon weaken the financial strength of organisations whose work has relieved the. State of a ion.side-rr.blo expenditure in the past. The war has ruined the most optimistic i'liticlpations. as to ins duiation, with the result that friendly .■societies are now faced with the prospect of reviewing the financial petition aiid considering new airangements to ine.it unexpected developments. At the- outset of the war, when too many responsible people concentrated attention on an early victory instead of upon the best means of winning it, the decision of friendly societies to pay the contributions of members who enlisted represented a rompa-nt:\ely light undertakijig ; it certainly seemed an obligation easily within the compass of patriotic people to meet without emlrm-ass-r >nt. Then the volunteers mostly were single men. who took the most serious of their obligations as citizens with th»m. In view of a short war—even ni-n in high places questioned whether the Now Zealand Expeditionary Force would reach Eivro|x? in time to he in the march to Berlin !—it was not a serious ! outlay by fiiendly societies to pay the membership fees of soldiers who, in some cases, we are informed, were temporarily struck off the medical benefit list, which usually accounts for a considerable portion of the contributions paid by a member of a friendly society. In other cases the names of soldier members wore retained 0:1 the medical officers list, it- having been considered that on the return of such members, and after their discharge from the Army, they would as a. matter of right continue, on that- list. Conditions have now changed. Married men are now going to the war, and the military regulations stipulate that the members of the Second Division must go when their turn conies. It may be assumed Unit the majority of friendly society members under 46 years of age will prove fit for military service, for they had to be medically tit in accordance with a similar standard in order to secure membership. These men cannot be struck off the medical list of lodges when they go to the war. Consequently their friendly societies will have to meet a heavier financial obligation on their behalf. If the necessities of war demand the service of the Second Division as a whole, the burden in respect to payment of the contributions of friendly societies' married members at the front will fall on older meml>er<i, who. in addition to paying their own contributions will have to pay heavy levies for absent brethren, to say nothing at all about the increased cost of living. Members of friendly societies as a rule are not of the fortunate class that gains prodigious war profits, ft. a word, the old men will have to pay the contributions of younger members and their own. Siva a position is, of course, impracticable. In many cases :t would be epiite intolerable. Other methods will have to be considered. A* a matter of fact, several of ,the friendly societies are busy preparing schemes. One scheme is to stop paying a proportionate amount into the sick and funeral fund. Another is to borrow from the same fund to meet payments of soldier members'contributions, repayment of the loan to be spread over a long period, .say, of 25 years, with interest payable en a compound funds. Are these schemes actuiriaUy sound? There its room for honest doubt. As- to the scheme of borrowing, we fancy that it is in direct conflict with statutory law. One of the most satisfactory phases of the friendiv society movement has been the preservation of actuarial somdness. it would be a pity to weaken it even for the sake of maintaining practical patriotism. Would it not be- better and safer if friendly societies placed their difficulties be I ore the Minister in Charge of Friendly [Societies and the Logistrav, go that new schemes may be placed on ..secure, financial foundations': It is questionable whether the societies ae a whole will be able to maintain increased le< res, whien already represent about a 30 per cent, addition on> normal eonti'.buttons. Some form of State relief is nccssary. An etfort should be made now to arrange a- conference between tinad minis trative authority and friendly societies' representatives, so that adequate preparation may be made for legislative measures this year. The- whole matter should lie discussed before societies seek a dangerous suspension of the pivaent stringent law as to the financial oj>erations of friendly societies in order to enable them to tinker with schemes for adjusting embarrassed finance. Tt may lie that the new uoheme as to the Government meeting certain obligations of reservists called up for active service may overcome the difficulties of friendly societies, but so far thai scheme has been characteristically vague. Something more definite and dependable is required.

Our Wellington correspondent telegraphed :-—The lion. W. Frascr stated last evening that he had no r.dditional information regarding the stoppage of work at the Beaky end of the Otirn. tunnel. The question WEifi simply one of discipline. A man had been dismissed for using insulting and obscene language to the overseer, and the rest of tho men Irad then announced that they would c-eac-e work uitfcil the offender was reinstated. " I luwe -riven iiidtiuctions that the man shall not be reinstated and there the matter stands," said Mr" Ffasar. "The hesfc thing the men can do is to return to tYi-eiv wo/u. in a reasonable way. Then- are not going to dictate to the department in tins fashion."

His Worship the Mayor of Dunedin, in compliance with a largely-signed requisition, has decided to offer himself for reelection.

Mr Panlin telephoned at 2 p.m. : Strong N.E. winds and fine. The rainfall for this month to date, Mr Panlin advises us, is 168 points. " This is very good," he remarked, " but we needed more."

An important business transaction took place at the Government shipping office, Wellington, last Thursday morning, the parties to the same being Sir Ernest Shaekleton and the purser of the Antarctic exploring ship Aurora (says the Wellington 'Times'). The business was the handing over to Sir Ernest, in a lump sum, of his total earnings for the last seven weeks, during which time he acted as "supernumerary officer" of the ship. With due formality the purser handed to the knight of the icefields the sum of ono shilling and tenpence. Sir Ernest did not appear the least _ bit surprised at the amount of his earnings, nor did he threaten Arbitration Court proceedings, but gravely counted and pocketed the money and signed "Ernest Shaekleton" to the receipt for the seven weeks' wages due. The transaction was not carried out as a joke, but was the result of a.formal and necessary contract entered into by Sir Ernest over two months ago, when the Aurora left Tort Chalmers for the Poss Sea. Sir Ernest signed on the articles as supernumerary officer—a nominal position—but, being on the articles, he had to be paid a salary. The salary was fixed at Is per month. The explorer declared that the Is lOd was the first money he had really earned for quite a while.

The true spirit of the times :—At a local suburban Sunday school yesterday it was announced that at the close of school an opportunity would be given for the children to vote on the question of holding their annual picnic or of sending comforts to the ex-pupils at the front. On dispersing to classes the primary teacher was immediately met with "Please, miss, we don't want the picnic : we want to send 'Santies' to the soldiers." Needless to say, the school endorsed the spontaneous verdict of the little tots.

Sir George M'Lean's linal illness was very brief. His many friends will know that that was what he would have wished. He rose at 6.50 on Saturday morning and went out for the daily paoer and read it, and he died shortly after'B o'clock. Two days earlier he went out to Henley. This morning the Rev. R. E. Davies conducted the funeral service in the house in the presence of the family, and the body was then taken to the train, arrangements having been made, in accordance with Sir George's wish, for the remains to be cremated at Wellington. Mr Frank M'Leau and other members of the family have gone up. The internment will be "in private.

We have had two and a-ha!f years of war, of cabled messages that have been frequently contradicted, of repeated proof that "things are not what thev seem," and of other lessons which should have taught the public the necessity of thinking for themselves, of looking" below tho surface of things, and using to tho best of their ability the reasoning powers with which they have been endowed. Yet the s;ime idle rumors float about month after month and are given credence to. Justso often as a reinforcement is despatched does the evergreen story of "the transport that put back'' crop up, with embellishments according to the vividness of the imagination of the l as t teller. Transports have put back for various reasonsengine troubles, instructions to await a delayed escort, and so on—and intelligent people should quite understand that this sort of thing j s inevitable. It will be remembered that the Minister of Defence some months ago asked that anyone to whom one of these idle rumors "was repeated should communicate to him (confidentially! the name of his informant. It this were done, and proceedings taken againat- some of the storv-tcll-prs. it wou'd have a salutary effect.

Our Christclnirch correspondent telegraphs :—There is some feeling amongst tramway men on account of the proclamation in the Gazette suspending the. regulation which provides that an applicant for a motorman's license must have had a year's previous service as a conductor. Mr H. Hunter, secretary of tho Christchurch Tramway Emplovees' XTnion, stated to-day that the proclamation would be resented by men employed in everv tramway service in the Dominion. The question was discussed at a conference of union representatives with the Hon. W. Eraser, Minister of Public Works, in Wellington. The Minister promised that before the Government took any steps in the matter he would communicate with the unions, telling them what the Government proposed. That had not been done. The plea for the Government's action was the shortage of labor, but it was demonstrated to him that Wellington was tho only place in New Zealand in which there was a shortage in the tramway systems, and it was"" admitted that the Wellington service had sufficient men with nine months' experience to fill the requirements. The suspension of the regulation was not necessary, and all the tramway unions in the country stronglv opposed the Government's action.

_ The patriotic spirit of the. British women in this time of national crisis is very finely illustrated by a sample of their shipbuilding, which was recently at Port Chalmers. The vessel in question is a new cargo carrier of about 7,000 tons, which was'built on tho Clvde. The hull was principally built by women, who, attired in masculine nether garments, did the plating, not hesitating to mount the stages and clinch the rivets on the vessel's top sides. The males employed consisted of boys and old men of non-war age. For the shipbuilding work women were paid a wage of about two guineas a week, and as this was higher than the rate for experienced mechanics, the unions protested, and some difficulties were experienced in that respect when the women took to shipbuilding some little time after the war started. Women are said to be doing the bulk of the shipbuilding work in the Clvde yards: Great- numbers of women are' also employed munition making in the Clvde district, and their wages, it is stated amount to 28s per week to start with, and certain increments later on. Under the war restrictions public-houses do not open till noon. They close again at 1 p.m., and xemaiu closed until 5 p.m., when" they reopen for three hours onlv. no further refreshment being dispensed until noon next dav.

"It's gey fine is this Watson's No. 10. T never tasted any other whisky half so cniid " —[Advt.] A reminder is given of th? public meeting to be held in the Early Settlers' Hall this evening under the auspices of the Second Division League. This meeting is very important, and the hearty support of the public is expected.

A glass of Speight's beer at lunch and supper is better than all the tea in China [Advt.] '" Wromj thinking caused the war!" It, also causes people, to we imitations, instead of the genuine " No Rubbing " Laundry Help which leaves the hands soft and pain-free:' Is packets. .7. Peterson and Co., George street and Walker street.—fAclvt.] Watson's No. 10 is a little dearer than most whiskies, but is worth the monev [Advt..] New season's photographic goods; excellent stock now arriving. Cameras from 6s Send your order early to H. J. Gill, 11 and lo Frederick street, Dunedin. 'Phone 1 144 —[Advt.]