A.M.P. SOCIETY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21874, 9 August 1934, Page 16

A.M.P. SOCIETY

PROPOSED BY-LAW CHANGES OPPOSITION BY DIRECTORS At the request of 28 members of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, a special meeting of the society has been called to consider proposals which they make to amend the by-laws in five particulars.. The suggested amendments provide for: —(1) No member to have mare than one vote; (2) any . ballot taken to be secret; preferential voting with proportional representation; (4) alteration of the voting paper to comply with proposals (2) and (3); and, finally, that the directors may at their discretion subsidise the Surf Life-Saving Association of Australia to the maximum extent of £SOO per annum.

The directors, in a circular to members of the society, advise members to vote against the amendments as not being' in the best interests of the society. The directors oppose the amendment that proposes tg take away from members their preseut right of having an increased voting power in proportion to the value of their policies, with a maximum of 20 votes. They consider that this provision is a wise and proper one, well proved, and almost universally adopted by companies and corporations, and they can see no good reason for disturbing it. * ■ s Another proposed amendment is that the ballot should be secret. This, they say, already is practically so, as the officers of the society concerned are pledged to secrecy. A means, however, has been dovised which, the directors are advised, will prevent even those officers knowing how the members vote, and to introduce this there is no need to amend the by-laws. Another suggested amendment is the introduction of proportional and preferential voting, but no intimation is given by the proposers as to which of the many conflicting schemes of proportional voting is to be adopted. The directors see grave objections both as to the vague form in which the proposal is presented, and because such a system of voting is one rather for political or municipal elections in which candidates represent parties or groups with opposing policies. Such a system would be quite inappropriate to a mutual assurance society, and might only induce ill-feeling and unrest where none now exists. The society is mutual in name and in fact. The last of the amendments proposed suggests that the society should subsidise the Surf Life-Saving Association of Australia. The directors say that, under their Act of Incorporation, they have no power to subsidise or subscribe to even a hospital or other charitable institution. Even if such a by-law as is proposed could be validly adopted, bearing in mind that the operations of tho society extend not only throughout Australia, but to New Zealand, Fiji, and Great Britain, they would find great embarrassment in being obliged to select only one from the many excellent institutions that servo the public, and they oppose the suggestion. The directors advise members of the society that, as in their opinion none of the proposed amendments is necessary or advisable in the interests of the society, they should vote against them ull. The special meeting is to be held at the Sydney offices of the society on August 24.