H. A. C. B. S.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7090, 31 March 1910, Page 8

H. A. C. B. S.

CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES. The triennial movable meeting of tho Hibernian Australasian CUtholic Benefit Society was opened yesterday morning, about sixty delegates being present. Bro. P. J. Nerlieny, D.P., presided. MESSAGE TO THE POPE. It was resolved, on the .motion of Bro. 31. J. Sheehan, to send the following message to the Pope, through the .Papal Secretary of. Stele ; —“ The Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society of Now Zealand, District Board, assembled triennial meeting, AVelliugton, respectfully begs to tender to your Holiness its deepest sentiments of love, loyalty, and devotion, at tho same time earnestly and humbly invoking your apostolic benediction.— P. J. Nerheny, president.” • PROGRESS OF THE SOCIETY. Tho president, in welcoming the delegates, said it gave him great pleasure to see such a large gathering of representatives. Numerically and liujancially, the society was improving,by leaps and bounds. Ha thought it should be tho endeavour to get all Uftholio young men to join the' society, and twelve months hence he hoped there would not be a Catholic parish in the Dominion that did not have its isociety. The membership at June 30th, 1900, totalled 2275 (.2071 'benefit members and 201 honorary members). At December 31st the membership had increased to 2632 (2304 benefit and 268 honorary). The financial return showed that at the end of December last the amount of sick fund in branches totalled £12,588, incidental fund £1699, benevolent'fund £306, and funeral fund £7795. Laat half-year tho funeral claims paid amounted to £260, while the interest from the investment of the funeral fund totalled £235. This, .ho thought, was a very gratifying result. REPORTS. The report of the , dufitriot ■ officers showed thlnfc the increase in tlie ( funeral fund last year amounted to £356 11s 4d. The whole of the funeral fund had been lent, and a further sum of £144 ,17s lOd borrowed from the general fund- to make up the amount required for a loan. Up to last audit the amount lent was £7510, and of this sum £2OO, had since been paid off. During the,,last half-year a further sum of £630 had been lent. The general fund maintained a strong .position. The district officers desired to express their appreciation of the assistance given by the Redemptorist and Marist orders towards increasing the membership of the society and -otherwise recommending it. The report was adopted. The delegates were' addressed by Fathers Creagh and O’Connell,; who promised to do their best to further the interests of the society. JAaither Creagh thanked the Hibernians for the presentation of a stained-glass window for A lon lit St. Goivrd Church. HOME RULE. 1 Bro. Dennehy (Milton) moved : “(1) The Now Zealand District -, Board of the Hibernian Australasi an Catholic . Benefit Society, at its triennial meeting at AVellimgton, heartily congratulates the Irish party upon its ~ successful efforts ! towlards' the attainment. of ' Home Rule for Ireland, tho consummation of which oan only, he ' obtained by unity and the aban- ‘ donment of dissension; (2) that a copy of the foregoing resolution - 1 he at once cabled to Mr . (John Redmond, M.P., chair mail of the Irish party.” In speaking' to his motion, Bro. Dennehy thought it wlas one that would appeal to every Irishman at the meeting. The men at the head of the Irish party would not allow difference of opinion to defeat the end they had in view. ' ■ _ Bro. Corrigan (Waimate), in seconding the motion, said, irom a careful reading of the cablegrams, apparently the Prime Minister of ■ England had gone back on a promise. It was due on' their. part to let the people at Homo understand that this, was how Irishmen hero viewed Mr Asquith’s action." •' The motion was unanimously agreed to ‘ LOCATION OF DISTRICT. Considerable discussion ensued ou a inotion moved by the Hawera delegate (Mr Hooper) that the headquarters of the society bo removed from Auck-land-(which is, now the- controlling centre for the whole of New -Zealand) bo Wellington. : The motion was eventually , withdrawn, it being understood that Wellington should form a district of its own. ( The conference will resume at 10 a.m. to-day.