FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1678, 27 April 1904, Page 2

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

THE ’ , The first annual Conference of Friendly Sdcietiee Comimeaiceid .its sittings in the -r. OddfelloAVs’ /Hall, v/Lambton quay last V* Wednesday:? The following delegates ' answered 1 the roll . call—Messrs T. Bam- /:? her aind V R. R. Price (Wanganui), E? / . Bold and C: B. Collins (Canterbury),' W- ‘ ,B. Parker and .Wl, Tindall, (Blenheim); ■ Messrs D. Henry and' W. C. Bard (Ti--nmru), A?, D. Hid ter and R. M. Isaacs } (Dunedin),- John Smith and A. J. Gididings (Masterton), ‘ S. T., Hunt and S./ : 'J. Watson,(Palmerston North), ,H. Bald-. Win and ••JV - V J.. ‘. Me&d . ■(■Wellington), : SWainsoh lAshtiurton), Auckland. JN-apisr and New Plymdu'ch were not ; represented. I- ’ As ! one of ..the .two /members, nominated; by •■ ■ Dunedin r could not be -present- the Third \ nominee (Mr lsaacs) was permitted to '' take a seat vat the table. : . It was agreed to admit the press rep 1 sehtatives ,'. ,to ’ the' iueeting. •. ;? o, &, , Bro. H. Baldwin. who was elec-twl ' to J the chair; briefly thanked y.j -. the delegates (for 'electing him >.o the ,inu. • ;v- portant position of chairman of ; what ' wa§ • practically; //‘the y first ? riendly ■ Societies" Parliament 'in// Jlew' Zealand.' rl \ This . was: the Third. attempt ' n the past ' v. -seven ’years 'that had been/ made. by . Wgl~ '. • Tiugtt>nTo secure a confetrence of the kind. ' v -,* Taking the. . census *;■ Of 1902; : There • were 40,000 members of friendly societies 1 'in thecolony, and:-taking the ahnual'inOTeas?' . into consideration.. the number of finan- -. cial members at the present' time would ?. vbe about 45;000. Such; a conference ' shotild tend <td minimise, .the. r cat-throat ?, competition found in country places- .... Bro.- d.' J. -Mead (Wellington) ormally ?' mowed; for the sake, of discussion, That . , the Friendly- Societies Act as now pnntJ ed be repealed.” ’ ' . ; V, ?£? Bro: John Smith) (Masfcerton) thought ‘that the proposition should; never have order paper, ,yv ith ’• ' slight alterations . that would probably be made by the • conference. the AcTwvpwd meet, all the, requirements of friendly '• - r '-SOCIGtiGS• ' f Bro B Bold (Canterbury) moved as an ??> amendment /‘That the Government he recommended to the-Act with - the object of simplifyingTeferenQe thereto, say more on the line® of the English ?•?? Act of 1886. as it is considered that the present arrangement is too complicated. V - This was earned by a large majority, and the original proposition was lost-. t: ; -The next itein,; “Framing an Act for the. 1 X ; Government for friendly benefit sowe-' . -ties,” was withdrawn froni ‘ .the . order 'J; J. Mead moved that .. the fol-; lowing -words be . added ' to section 3 of the Friendly Societies Act : “Provid- . ,ed,. however, that no society’ or branch : shall be registered until the actuary has ::>certified That tlie. contributions are ' adequate for the. benefits off e'rexLTv ' , - : Bro; Smith, seconded the motion. • T \ > Bro. Bold considered the Standard of ‘ i, contributions adopted by; friendly society . ties was really higher than Was necessary. To quote insurance authorities was quite v out of the question, for it was well known - that in Pertain cases the annual bonuses ' . ’/ paid to insurers', were - higher, than The *'premiums. ;• Aga-in,’ insurance companies paid big salaries, and conducted their, business on a palatial scale, and at the same time looked upon each insurer as ’* a‘ which is ’not. Sb in The case of •': friendly societies. By striking :a higher ; fatb they would prevent many; of . the; poorer people from: joining friendly . sm. T cieties, and he looked upon the motion : . as- a complete of the principle ' of friendly societies.. j ' 1 Bro. B. M. Isiabcs said that the ac- • / tuary, in making-: his calculation, • Took - . the -mortality of ‘tfie .whole of the.colony, ; "including children under age, whereas friendly - societies guarded tliemselyes ’'/.-.■ .against; the feeble' by medical examina^ -t tion. '/ ■/’ . . ' - Bro Swainson (Ashburton) was in favour of the; motion, ; They could not sell - goods'; for less' than they cost. /; Bro. Henry (Timaru) said he had no instructions;, but it was a very important question; and he would like to see the ' ‘. ' question postponed until later in the con--1 lerence. He moved an amendment to that effect, which was lost. V: . . Bro.. Mead, in reply, said that this reso- ', s lution, was to prevent friendly societies going To ruin. Was it honest to ask a man to join a lodge when they could not give him the benefits they promised him ? He said that even in Wellington the oldest lodges , were rotten, because of the basis they originally started upon, and had never been able to overcome. Why. there were lodges which, showed an actual debit of £3O, in, one' case <£42. Fancy •asking, a'man to join such a lodge ! /The; motion ; was lost on a show of ... ■ iiaiids. -/. ;■ / " / ; . Bfor. : Mead moved to delete the word " rr seyeq ,, < and ansert “tweLve” in, the second ■ line of .section- 9, clauses 1 and 2. The motioii' Was lost.

; , Item Bon the o.rdef' paper, being of the ‘ x . pome character, was formally, declared lost. , _ •v T i Bro, "Bold (Canterbury) moved -the addi- ' tion pf the following proviso to paragraph v B of section M2 of the Friendly Societies that when such annual • ‘V returns cannot be conveniently made out - to -the 31st of December, the registrar : shall, for the pttfppse of this section, ac-, cejit a return made pp to the date of the ■ nearest annual, retuin prior: to 31st December.” He: said that, in the case of the Druid. Loidgee -the closing date- (December 31st) was very ' inconvenient on ■- - account of-the, poor meetings that were ' : held, during, the Christmas -holidays. -He • - did 'nbt .think' that there .should be. much ■ difficulty find bringing ; th'is about so long Tv as a year’s returns are sent in annually. y> ■ The late Registrar had no objection to such an arrangement, but Mr Leslie (the : present Registrar of Friendly Societies) V made objection to any laxity in this respect. and insisted on me returns being sent in up to the end of the year. T ' The motion was seconded by Bro. R. B. P rice (W an ga n ui). Bro. Smith (Masterton) opposed the moiion. His lodge had found no inconvenience in handing in its returns in conformity with the Act as it at present stood.

Bro. Parker (Blenheim) was in favour of the motion. He, as auditor, had experienced the difficulty mentioned by Bro. Bold.? T - Bro. Mead (Wellington) expressed surprise that . Certain lodges had found it so difficult To manage' ttieir affairs in conformity with The Act: His lodge did not find any difficulty in that direction. The motion was carried. Bro. Bold (Canterbury) moved the addition of the words —“Nor To a death by colliery Explosion, or accident where the body cannot be found, ;■* to section 12 (subsection 5) of the; Friendly Societies’. Act. He instanced several cases in which the dead body of?a member could . not be' found and difficulty had been experienced in: obtaining a certificate of death, and consequently in obtaining the death allowance. ; 1 The motion, which was seconded by Bro. Watson (Palmerston North), was carried unanimously. - •' ■ ' .• On the motion of Bro. Bold, it was agreed -that in sectioh 13 (sub-section 4) of. tlie Friendly Societies Act, the words “fifty pounds” in the second line be. ret .placed by “one • hundred pounds.” The same alteration' was agreed to in section 13 (sub-section 5) on the motion of Bro. . Collins (Canterbury). , ? . ; V Bro. ? Mead (Wellington) moved ?; in section 13 (sub-section. 3)., the addition of the word “almanac” after the word “cer-; tificate.” The motion, which (was seconded; fcy . Bro. Waitson . (Palmerston North), was carried. . ? - tT? • /). ?■?' Bi-o. Mead (Wellington) radvedvTha,t s in - section 13 -(sub-section .*l2) tliie? words . “Friendly . Societies’ Dispensary.” be inserted after the word “infirmary” in the second' and fourth Tinest This found a seconder, in Bro. Watson (Palmerston North). The motion was carried. Bro. Mead moved in section.. 14 piaragraph B, the inclusion of The words ‘‘or ih Harbour Board debentures” after the word “Assembly.’’ This was lost. , , Certain proposals had been placed on the order paper at the ‘ request of the Sons and Daughters of Temperance, Wellington division (who were not represented by a delegate). These, were: —(1), “The sick and, funeral fund to pay some portion of its management expenses, or the management fund to. get 2 per cent, or 2% per cent, on all moneys lent on mortgage:’’ (2) “That power be given' societies to /sue for contrtibutions in: arrears.” (3) .“That no society be registered (or remain registered after two years’ notice) whose members do not pay the scale of contribution the Government actuary shall- certify as being sufficient to meet the demands on the benefit funds:’’ All three proposals, which :avere moved byBro. Mead pro forma, were thrown out. CONCLUSION OF THE CONFERENCE TKo Friendly Soci'eties’ Conference continued its deliberations at 10 a.m. or. Thursday at the '• Oddfellows’ H'all, Laiubton quay. . Tine (?cmfei‘einc(s approved of the Friendly Societies Bill (with amendments) as, presented to Paiiiainent in 1903 by the Premier. TUie repealing of the Amendment Act of 1886 was edso. approved. . ''Brother Biold moved to. strike, out the words, “and hot for general, circul'aition” in section 17 of the Stamp Act (the section refemng to friendly societies). — ! T | hiis ivaa carried.

? . A?ci'rcular latter, brought under the notice of the conference for consideratimi by Brother Bold, asked support for the following resolution passed by the District Ghajnd Lodge of Druids in Otago and SaUthilaind:—“That the attention, of the. Government be 'directed to , the present defective state of the la>w in the colony of New Zealand relating ho, friendly SDcietdes, and it is, respectfully submitted that the time has arrived to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into .-alii matters' relating to friendly societies, avith the vieAv to enabliing the Government and such societies to effectively- co-operate in the production of necessary ■ legislation ; oin this important subject, and that a ooip.y of this, resolution be sent to. all members of Parliament, and to the executive of all friendly societies in New Zealand.” It was resolved to allow the circular to lie on the table until the next conference. -

On tho motion of Brother Bold it was decided that the Friendf.y Societies’ Confecrence should meet trieninaally. He moved that .'the aanference should be held alteamately at Wellington and Christchurch, and that the next meeting Should take place at Christchurch. This also was carried unanimously.

Brother Boi'.d moved—“ That in* addition to the allotted number of bods granted for the use of friendly societies’ members at the. various Government sanatoria, which are often found insufficient for requirements, the Government be requested to allow tllie free use of the baths and medical attendance to any additional members of friendly societies-who may be attending the sanatoria at the cost of the societies.” —This was carried, the delegates expressing the opinion that the concession would be a very valuable one to the poorer ■ members of f riendly societies in poor Ji.ealth.. ' Brother Bold proposed—“ That a Parliamentary: should he appointed to watch, the interests of the friendly societies .in collection with the Friendly Sdcietiiee Act, and to use its. endeavours to secure the •. enactment of the resolutions arrived at by -this conference. Also that the Government be recommended to . supply copies of the Bill at the earliest, possible moment for consideration by the various societies.’ This was carried, and the following committee was set up:—MessrsH. Baldwin (Foresters), «T. Robert son (Foresters), J. J. Mead (‘Oddfellows. M.U.), 3. Ivor-

slum- (Old/LfeHows, ' K. Bold (Druids)., t - It was agreed that a printed copy of the proceedings of the: conference should be sent 1 to each society interested. , i; ? ;,, Witli regard to representataon on the . aoniference, it was agreed— That the conference consist of one representative from each friendly society . council or repi’esentatdve from each registered friendly society, and an additional representative for each complete IUUU members represented by such regisrerea society.” ' t :V "? It was decided that the business' papers ishduld be sent to delegates attending the conference at least two weeks prior to the ineetiiig. ,/. ? ■ The conference was brought to a close with votas of thanks to the trustees ,of the Oddfellows’ Hall-for tlie use of their rooms; to Brother T, G..Osboirnj for acting so efficiently as secretary-; to Tht president of the WoTkine M,erj-Cjiu:o : for. eburtoisiee extended to the del eg es; to the Wellington .Council of Friendly •'Societies? for organising the conference and entertaining the visiting • delegates *, to/the press for. its-‘reports of the proceedings; and to Brother H. Baldwin, for presiding. ‘