FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10619, 14 March 1896, Page 8

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

At tbo ordinary niu«tji-gof iodgo Eatorpii«e, 0.A.0.D., held ou JrhurwUy evening, F.D, Q. President Bro. Ski»ck,v aJSandol and pce^ntei the fraternal gzoemeaff, oi tha District Grand Lodge of the Norift ;a]»nd to the Otago district in general vai liOdge 3ntorprise in particular. He gave »o u/wreetk-jg sketch of Vaa prngrtai of the D.G.L., ovw which he bad lately presided, and said thot in the North Itlaod, at all events, it could,!?* safely said that Drnidisra wag booming. Ai their recent session in Wangftntn they hart commenced to sst then finances in order, and they were daily addiag to their numerical strength. WeUington was now a united distru;;, one of the lodges which bad bitterly opposed local government having; all bat unanimously thrown in 'their lot with the D.G.L. He need hardly tell them that per aonally he waj in strong sympathy with th< aspirations of the Otago Draidfl for tha benefit! of home rule; and he hoped that the approaching viiifc of Bros. Sholtoa and Morrison (H. H.R.) to Melbourne would pave the w»y to the attainment of that - desirable object. At E&tter time in Wellington there wa* to be a conference of friendly societies esi there was little doofot that matters of the highest importance would \ engage the attention of the brethren assembled there. It was plain from recent speeches of tha Premier that the question of old-age pension? was rapidly becoming oae of live politic), and that our political lessors were not now averse to soliciting the advice *nd co-operation of frieadljl societies in inaugurating that great measure of reform. The position of the rcgis> . trar of friendly eocieHss was eminently anjstisfactory. That official year after year wrote re« port« in which he c'."ntedly called attention to the unsatisfactory e-.iDdition of a number of socie< ties, but his report were timply pigeon-holed. No notice whatever wia taken of his warnings, and the authoritUs appeared content to let matters run on in the old, unsatisfactory groove. It was absolutely necessary that the registrar shcnld have some real power. If after due notire societies refused to set their houses in otdcr financially, that official should be empowered to suspend their charters, for it was unfair to those organisation* which had made sacrifices, in order to put themselves actu»rklly sife, that they should bs subjected to unhealthy and unfair competition. He hoped to tte the day when all the friendly society or%--.!iisations —for after a!i there was precious little difference between them in matters of ritual—would be working ou a common financial Irwis, measured by their ability to dischwga the obligations they promised to their members on joining — (Applause.) The lodga passed by acclamation a vute of tbanls to P Of.P. Bro. Macfcay for hij intfrefcting ob«erva*ion3. Addresses were al»o delivered by D P.* Brcs. Harniess and Shelton, and by Bro. Birnstsaw, M H.E. An official visit was paid by liojul Oak Lodge. A.O.P. Court Geo.-ge Morgan juvenile court) held their fortnightly meeting on Tuesday evening, the 0.X., Bro. William Patersoo, io the chair. An official visit was received from Court Pride of-the forest. Songs were contributed by Bros. Clark, Hogg, Faigun, Gillies, end others ; and ghcrt addresses were given bj P D C.E. Bro. Morgan sad P.C R.B Bra*. ■ Clark, Churchill, Bud Fraer. The vote to thj visitors waa responded to by CB. Bro. Clark (Pride of the Forest):

The Loyal Ca»erfh»m Lodge held theli ordioarjr meeting io the lodgeroom on Wednesday erening, N.G. £Co. Searle presiding. There was a larga attend «cos of members. P.G. Bro. S. D. Crooiu and P.G. Bro. J. Briggs *ct« elected as delegates to the next district meeting, and were left a free band io all matters ■with the e»pption of jewels to P.P.G. Maulers. P.G. Bro. Bobertson. trustees' agent, gavo « comewhat lengthy' report, which was adopted. Four new members *ere proposed for mtmber< ship. P.G Bro. Green (Loyal Valley Lodge), P.G. Bro. Smith (Loyal Albion Lodge), and Bro. Nafcticg (City of Westminster Lodge) re* sponded to the seuoud Viaat of the evening. The receipts were £9 16« Ud.