THE FRIENDLY SOCIETY' CONFERENCE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 May 1906, Page 4

THE FRIENDLY SOCIETY' CONFERENCE.

[bx electric telegbafh.] (per tress association.) WELLINGTON-, May 21. ' A Colonial Conference of the .-United. Friendly Societies of New Zealand was opened to-day. Tho President, in his address, said there were thirty seven delegates present, representing Orders, and six representing Councils. Eleven of the Orders represented had 45,000 members and funds amounting to £BOO - 000; they annually dispensed £73,001) in sick and funeral funds, and £4a,000 for medical attendance and medicine. The' conference was the most representative ono over held m the colony. Two important subjects for tho conference were tho amending of tho Friendly Societies Act, and the matter of setting up a Colonial Federation Conference. They would havo to consider the possibility of a uniform scale of contributions, of larger death payments than tho the law allowed, and improved means of investing lodge funds by allowing lodges to send small balances to central bodies. The Government's scheme of national annuities should receive attention from the Conference in order to see ' if it would clash with tho work of Societies. i It was resolved that tho voting be on the proportional basis.