10,000 MEMBERS.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2732, 1 June 1915, Page 4

10,000 MEMBERS.

OF THE NATIONAL PROVIDEN , /

FUND

Wellington, May 31. The Hon. It. H. Rhodes, the Minister in charge of the National Provident Fund, states that the .membership of the fund continues to show a substantial increase. The number of applications for enrolment received to date has now reached 10.000. This number, which is, of course, not the actual membership, at the present date, nevertheless indicates very plainly the excellent results attained through the present policy of lecturing and encouraging workers to join. The amount to the credit of the- fund is now approaching £60,000, while during the twelve months ending December 31 last maternity benefits amounting to £1644 were paid through the fund to contributors. The Minister points out that the successful establishment of the fund and the rapidly increasing membership is from a thrift point of view very satisfactory indeed, . particularly as tho scheme is on a voluntary basis, and is still in the most difficult stage of existence, viz., the first five years waiting period, at the end of which important benefits such as for incapacity, widows and children commence to be claimable. There can be no doubt that the fund is going to prove a great factor in solving the problem of social insurance in New Zealand.