THE ODDLELLOWS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 6 May 1914, Page 2

THE ODDLELLOWS

CONFERENCE AT WANC. AX U I. CONSOLIDATION OF SICK FUNDS XO FURTHER ACTION TO BE TAKEN. (United Trkss Association.) WAXCANUI. May 5.

To-day's proceedings at the seventh biennial conference of the M. I'.. 1.0.0. F. were of :i, most interesting nature. The first business before the meeting was the consideration of a move taken by llie Loyal Koiintain of friendship Lodge, a wealthy Auckland, institution, to secede from the New Zealand branch of the, Unify. According to instructions, the committee appointed by the conference on .Monday, to inquire into the. position, reported to conference yesterday morning in the following terms: "After the taking of evidence, wt consider that the trouble commenced between tile Auckland district and tin. I.oval Fountain of Friendship Lodge, and we are of the. opinion that the district officers did not take the necessary steps to heal the breach. I lad they done s<_ the misunderstanding might have beer amieablv settled. It is apparent froir the evidence that an impression has got abroad that the officers of the society had failed in their duty to effect a peaceful settlement. We find that the officer; were in possession of the facts of tin situation, and steps which had been tiecided on were taken, and circulars issues which stated definitely that s-ecessioi had been decided on. We consider -ever} possible, effort should be made by the incoii inir board of directors to clear nr the misunderstanding. It is desirable U extend the hand of friendship to tin Fountain of Friendship Lodge, and endeavour to get them to re-consider theii decision."' Brother Bobbins said that the Foun tain of Friendship Lodge had seccdec from the New Zealand branch, and. H would probably apply to the -xanchestei Unity in England for registration. It was decided to hear the lodge": side of the ouestion, and at the con ference's invitation Bro. Zinian, mombei of. and solicitor for, the lodge, explainer the position taken tip by the Loyal Foun tain of Friendship Lodge. He said tha it was founded 70 years ago. long befon there was a New Zealand branch of tin Unity. It was a Valuable lodge, an* was most progressive. It had member of over 50 years' standing, and thesi members regarded the lodge as a price less heritau-e. The city of Atickland hat • oi-o-.vu with it, and the society was a j present- being besieged with application I for membership- out because of the mi fortunate entanglement that had takei place between the New Zealand brand and the lodge they could not be rcceiv (d. When the scheme of consolidatioi was brought down it received suppor from the Auckland district, and tin lod»e had had the impression that tin Auckland district was passing the schemi with the idea of obtaining possession o the Loyal Fountain of Friendship Lodg< property, and sharing it with the othe lodges 'of the district. The Gram Master's report came out, reoon-mendim consolidation, and everything pointed li •Hhtfdireetioii that the .scheme should b< • carried into eifeet. The members ol tin were convinced that if consohda tion were carried, future increment fron properties thev owned would not Ik achieved by them. They thought the} would be i>ut on the same footing a: lodges not so wll managed, and not s< fbVttmatc. They thought their birth ri-rht in the shape of deeds of their pro pel-ties would be taken from them J h< members said that.the Auckland district was set on having consolidation, and i Stat° subvention scheme-of consolida tion ! It was not voluntary, and it was not 'acceptable to the Loyal Fountain ol Friendship Lodge. They wanted to keel clear and to ; do' so they decided to se c-=>de The ledge did not-hear-the views of the Auckland district- management committee on consolidation and not til. the ni-'-ht of the ballot did the otticers „f the district visit the lodge and explain the nosition. Four hundred men vaed that'night. and it could be understood that little interest was taken ■'« what was said by the visitors as n was the onlv occasion on which tie lodge was addressed on the subject. Bro, Zinian did" not think ; the district officers did "what they could have done towards cementing the goc.d-teelmg between the lotlge' and the- district. lbi«kW felt that the district was drivmg it cut. When it was found that consolidation was not going to- bft earned bv 7S T ew Zealand: ah "attempt was made -to institute' it iil'the Auckland district. The- lodge felt that the district; wasac.tnallv actuated by a desire : to'capture the property of the Fountain o Friendship Lodge'for the purpose of distributjiic it among other ledges ot the district In concluding. Bro. Zinian said that the lodge was amenable to reason, and he snggested that a small committee be set up to meet the permanent =ecretary of the Loyal Fountain o Friendship Lodre (Bro. Wesfall) and himself, tp discuss the position with a view to coming to a solution. (Applause) It was decided to adopt the report A committee consisting of th % Grand *{?£- ter. board of directors, Bros. Smith. Ibbotson. Shrimpton Fry. McLean »jd Bobbins was set up to meet the lepie-.se-ntatives of the Loyal fountain of Friendship Lodge, with a view to aurvin.T at some solution for a remedy of thl estrangement which had taken place between the New Zealand branch and fcll The d ne X t business .was the consideration of the following remit from the Auckland district: "That this district nre-e. upon the New Zealand branch the desirability of using every.endeavor to promote consolidation of. the < sick funds of the lodges, and the districts comp u,- „ the society, in order to .mprovj the financial stability o'f those lodges are not " actually sound Bio. discussed Bro. i - :solidation, and Jow expect j ,uppcrters of the ■ j thereupon 1 withdraw it. luo. - L nVmse Bro. | moved theadopt.onaf tic ,Uu^ o i i;| dh SXi a2lioard of P diroc- ! the t.raiul »iaau _ ~n,(,i rl 1 1V order { tors compiled empaled b>> • l of the C'hristclnirch T-M.C ieUt eonsolidatmg sick fund- Zealand f the lodges «^»«- co 1 n^pred by Sf agSisrSfe tnsolidation. it

! is not advisable to take further action in regard thereto/* The motion was put and carried unanimously, and with loud applause. The whole of the afternoon was taken up in revising; the ruk's of the branch, and arranging the rules of the districts and of tho lodges.