FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 122, 9 May 1911, Page 5

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

I , HOSPITAL CONCESSIONS j TO MEMBERS. I j At the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board meeting yesterday a letter was received from the United Friendly Societies who wrote in view of doing away with hospital tickets, and asking for concessions in charges for treatment at the Hospital of members of lodges. Mr. Miller thought a committee should be set up to go into the matter. Mr. Cranby referred to the scheme put into operation at Auckland and thought that some such system might be adopted here. He would support Mr. Miller’s motion. Mr. Baxter could not see it was I wise to differentiate between treatI ment given to the public or to j the societies. He did not know 7 much about the friendly so{cieties but he believed that mem-

bership was a sorb of insurance against sickness. He could not see why deduction should be made to I societies. Mr. Large pointed out that the i societies had funds of their own. | Mr. Cranby explained that in the friendly societies if a man was 'sick for 26 weeks he got £1 per week and after that time it was reduced to 10 - per week. That was to keep the home going. I Mr. Shrimpton expressed the opinion that it was desirable to have a conference and see what could be done. He condemned the ticket system but he thought that where a body of men were banded together to help themselves the board should help them as far as possible. The men were trying to i solve a social problem and pro- | vide for themselves. The motion was then put and carried, and Messrs Shrimpton, Baxter. Cranby and Miller appointed a committee to deal with the matter.