OTAGO DISTRICT, M.U.I.O.O.F.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4436, 8 May 1876, Page 6

OTAGO DISTRICT, M.U.1.0.0.F.

The half-yearly meeting of the Ofcago District Committee, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held in the Oddfellows' Hall on the 12th, when Provincial Grand Mister Anderson .presided, Deputy Provincial Grand Master Leslie occupying the vice-chair. Most of the Lodges constituting the District were represented by delegates appointed for that purpose. The following dfi

THE PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER'S A.DDIIE3.I :— ! Worthy Deputy Grand Master and Dele- , gates—ln accordance with what may now be regarded na an established custom, I desire to occupy yourattention for a short time while 11 offer a.few remarks on the position of the Otago District, &3>at the end of last year, and direct attention to the more important features of the business done by the various Lodges during 1875-^es.pecially in roference to their financial affairs and numerical progress. More detailed information;.than I shall supply will be found in the return sheets compiled by the Secretary, and now ilaid on the table. Before entering upon the subject before me, it appears, to ,me necessary to inform you that to a small extent the figures given in the return sheets—and those I may submit to you in the course of my. remarks —-..can scarcely be taken as strictly accurate, owing to the fact that three of the, Lodges have failed to furnish a portion of the returns, and this notwithstanding the U.S. having appealed to them to send the returns, even if they should be incomplete in some particulars. However, the Secretary has done the best he ioauld to make up the deficiency oomplainetl of, and has certainly not overstated anything which he has had to fill up by way of average, &c. . I, venture to say that laxity on the part of Lodges in furnishing proper returns should be very severely condemned, and, as fai< as possiblp, punished. It appears to me to be sure evidence,that the business of Lodges so' failing in their duty is jiot well conducted, when Lodges cannot supply the information required in the returns (and which should be easily and readily available) within two months after the close of the sittings. The District Offioers have recorded fines against the Dolton,, Gamaru, and Band of Friendship Lodges for negligence in the respect alluded to. Since my predecessor in the honourable position of Provincial Grand Master addres&ed you this time last year, there has been one new Lodge—the Outram Lodge, at Outram, West Taieri—added to tho district, making tho present number of .Lodges 23. The total ?wmber of subscribing members on the 31st December, 1875, was 1523. The new -members joining by initiation during 1875 numbered 238, while the various Lodges accepted clearance members to the extent of 38. _ Of these last the Hand and Heart Lodge received nearly one-half of the total so joining. The average age of ,the newly-initiated members was, as nearly as possible, 26.years 51 weeks. The average age of thosn joining by initiation was 33 years 1 week 2\ days. The average age of the whole of the members comprising the district was 33 years 5 weelcs—showing a slight decrease on the average of December 1874. It will be seen .from the balance-sheets that the deaths during the district financial half year, from October Ist to March 31st, have been unusually numerous, comprising five members and two members' viiv.es. I regret to say that of the five members deceased no less than three came to untimely and accidental ends. The total number of deaths in the district for the year 1875 were 12 (of whom two were not entitled to funeral benefits) and two members' wives ; the amount paid for funerals during the year 1875 being £2GO. This is the highest death-rate ever experienced by this _ district. The average age of members died is a little over 36 years. The total number of_members experiencing sickness in the 20 .Lodges which have forwarded returns was 120, experiencing a total amount of sickness equal to 802 weelcs 5 days, calculated at six days to a week. The total income of the Lodges for the twelve months ending last December was L63i5 0s lid, the total exi*en«Hture being L 4449 lls 2d, showing a saving on the year's transactions of L 1895 9s 9d. The income is made up as follows :—- For admissions by initiation and clearance, L 469 3s 6d ; contributions to siclc and funeral funds, and including funeral payments from district, L2IOO 15s Gd,; contributions, &a, incidental fund, L 2569 13s; for interests and rents, L 984 14s 7d; foreign Lodges and widow and orphan fund, L 220 14s 4d. The expenditure was—Sick and funeral fund account, L 1265 0s Id; inojdental fund account, L 3035 lls 8d ; foreign Lodges and widow and orphan fund, L14819s sd. The amount paid to sick members was LB2l 15s 3d, being an average of 10s 9Jd for the whole membership of the diatriot, and 7^d per member more than for 1874. The Roxburgh Lodge, which in 1874 had the smallest amount of sickness, has in 1875 had the largest, in proportion to the number of members, while the Band of Friendship, Kakanui, has the smallest average expenditure for sickness. The expenditure for medical attendance and medicines amounted to L 1770 Is Bd.

The Lodges return their total assets at L17,9817s 2d. The District Officers have still to regret that in some of the Lodges a want of proper care in filling up the returns continues to display itself. This is the more to be regretted as so much labour and (personal) expense has been bestowed in preparing cables, and organising matters geneially, for the purpose of making a valuation of the Lodges. The Finance Committee appointed at last meeting report that "it is found that, in a good many instances, the returns for 1875 will not be so full and complete as they ought to be in order to enable a satisfactory valuation to be made." It may be pointed out that one of the factors in the calculation of Lodge liabilities and assets is a return of members' wives and their ages, and it is found that at present this is not nearly fully attainable. Lodges not having supplied this information are requested to open a register of wives and their ages, bo as to be in a position to supply full information hereafter. In other respects also, it is found that the statements given in the annual returns, and the two half-yearly returns, wheu combined, do not agree as they ought to do. It is hoped that Lodges will see that great care is exercised in the preparation of tibe returns, in order that when the valuations are made, it may be pos? sible to give justice to each Lodge, The District Officers cannot forbear alluding to the immense amount of labour undergone by D.P.G.M. Leslie, and by P.G. Black, in the preparation of the 4 per cent, tables necessary to be made before the valuations could be entered on. It is matter for great satisfaction that by last English mail we received a copy of tables made for the Brighton district by a memberof the Society of Actuaries, andthatthe 4 per cent, tables therein are found to agree almost exactly with those prepared by the worthy brothers of our own district, whom I have named. My remarks have already extended to a greater length than I had originally intended, and therefore I will draw to a close, and invite your best attention to the consideration of the various matters of business which will come before you. MISCELLANEOUS. The balance-sheet and Auditor's report, which are virtually embodied in the Grand Master's address, were read and adopted. Nominations for district officera then took place Numerous brethren were nominated for the various chairs to be filled at the annual meeting in November next. It was resolved that the District and Purple Lectures be held in the Odfellows' Hall on the last Wednesday in July next. The motion —"That in future the balancesheets and Auditors' reports be printed and circulated prior to the district meeting, the books behig closed for that purpose a month earlier fhan has been usual"—was carried. After discussing the interim report of the Finance Committee previously appointed to con ■ gider the subject of valuing Lodges for the purpose of ascertaining whether the contributions were sufficient to meet the liabilities undertaken on behalf of members, the meeting terminated with the customary compliment to the presiding officer.