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

Otago Witness, Issue 1324, 14 April 1877, Page 10

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

HALF-TEARtr MEETING. ' ' "' ' ' ' " X '

The half-yearly meeting of the' District Committee of 'the'- above 'Order 'took- place -at the Oddfellows" Hall, George street,; on .thellth^ Provincial* Grand Master, Bro.'Hopcraftinjthe chair,and Deputy Grand Master Coverlid in the vice-chair. There'was a';fulT average's^ tendance' of delegates from the various'loHges; The roll of delegates having been calle'dj-'ine P.G.M; opened the. business of the evening withthe following address: — ; - -j^;, r] s -.-, ' , Worthy, Deputy Grand Master, and Brother*T-^inc« wo last met in District Committee the annual and other returns having been 'received 'and' tab'ulitta'by the District Secretary; we. are in aj position to review the progress of, the lodges. during the ,year 1876, and their respective positibna it ita close. " Although 1 * a few of the country Lodges haveibeen adversely affected ,by the fluctuations of population, and possibly also by comparatively dull times;: other Lodge=Thave' .been fairly' successful in' increasing the" numbers' of' their 'members, so that, on the whole, we can report .the yew 1876 as shewing f iir numerical progress. Of the t Lodges outside of Dunedin,' that at'Outram— the'lafest addition to' the" district -has" made" the mosfc^eon- , spicuous advance, haviner added 40 .members to their roll during the year. Naseby/TajMiiui, and Mount Wendon (Switzers) have olio made gratifying progress,' At the'cK Beof ,the year we had 23 £ddge3,- witha total of 1583 members. . The gross, number initiated during the year as new benefit members ,wis 213.' l ,The'cleari • »nee members 'numbered'3l, 'making a total of 244. The average of age of, the" newly joined members is slightly over, 26' years 20 week's, while" the" averageage of the members composing ! tlie district is 33 yearßi22' weeks. During 1876 .we have haft to regret removal from amongst us by, the hand of, death of 10 brothers,' and six wives df brothers/" The' fiaa'ncial half-year ended in February,- shows that "We have been called on to ,pay funeral claims [on ujf .the deaths of five members aad onejwif j, nearly- all of these 1 occiuring l within r 'the'last quarter of- 'the yearl Turning to the financial 'Statement compiled' by! the C;S., ,vre find the, receipts under the following heads :— Admissions, £368 16s';" contributions to sick and funeral funds, an f funeral payments = made to Lodges, .by the-District, £2292 18s 4d ;, contributions to incidental £und, levies, Sneij &c , '£2663 2s 9d • interest' received;' including rents' (both furids^'iei&e 193 10&;,. foreign 1 Lodgesjand members; £164 '83 2d • makiug a totil income of £697154 1 d.., The 'CToss,,e'xpenditure was £4634'6c,* giving Vbalance, 1 c-r "saviriir of £2336 19s Id. iTiie'e'xpenditure is underkhe fdllowng heads :— Sick and funeral fund, ,£1528 11s 2d;,incidental fund, from which,* as you nre aware, medical attendance and medicines J are" paid; £2971 3S '2d • foreign Lodges, £134115.8 d. From th'egross'sick and* funeral expenditure above named, there was paid .to 157 sick members a. sum 6f-£1054 lOs sd'. ' This? \Wuld amount to a contribution, by each member of the' District of over 13s, , The gross total of -weeks of sickness experienced is near 1208, being full' 50 per centVabdve ' the sickness of 1875. About a" -thirds of- tHe-Lo'doea have expend*} in sickallowances s,ums .either/closely approaching the whole sum. of the members' contribu- ' tion to that fund during the year, or have.'as in some ■ instances, exceeded the sum' of the members' cohtributions.. In view of,these , facts, I .think it is 'hardly ' -necessary to advert to the gross folly of thosemembers wha have attempted hi time - past. (I hope for, ever) to insist thai the contribution to the sick and funeral fund might be safely reduced. If what I have stated does nof'adorn a tale" it J at' at least, ."po'nts a moral," and T trust that those Lodges which have failed to make efforts to enible ' them to abstain from ' borrowing f n.in one fund in order t? support another fund will see" it to be thenduty to adopt measures for the entire cessation of a practice which makes the sick and funeral fund a lean- - ins? post for the incidental' fund. • TM3 practice lam - happy to say; doea not now prevail in many of our Lodges. Tbat, however, is only tho more reason-why ' it should cease in all.' What one, or, rather' 'manyLodges have done, others may surely dare' The abstractß of returns are fruitful 61 themes -which mi<*hV be dilated on. but I must not, exhaust your patience and will therefore conthuiethe main' thread 'of my discourse. The expenditure for inedioal attendance and medicines was £1537 13s 7d, and salaries and contin-" gencies absorbed a sum of £475 3s 2d. "The* total valu'ef of tick and-funeral funds, in dash' and estate' f 's £17 944 • 17s 3d., The, gross, value of the<,Li % d?cs,*iur)udiiura few hundred pounds worth of good*, is £-'0 078 0s Id ' Thß Secratary finds th'it there is a gradua' improvement in the manner in which' 1 he (returns are bein"filled up, but there Lj yet room, for.further improve"ment. Some of the reports contain glarin> "errors '. which are rectified, as ' far sa possible}^ 1 1W cost of ,'a great deal of .time wd trouble.'!. Sorna ofjthe iuformi- ' tion askad for is not given at all, For example in the ' simple matter of a return of wiies, we do ndt'Vet know how many of our. memoors arc married nvn. The keeping of \he records in such a munner as to enablo correct returns to Be made is a simple' matter 'in J - ''itself, - rcquiriM" 'care more than specjaL abilityj or, training. Ihere, is little doubt that the Government ,of ,the Colony will £ shortly insist, in a very 'decided manner' on'iroper. returns ieingsent them-^they have'theJpowee to-do" so no Wr-and ifc will, be .matter of deep ,i£ our' Lodges fail to supply. the'returns' in an~accyrate and creditable manner. » ' The' 'balance sheets' are'in'yo'ir; hands, and fl. need not-say anything abo.ut r them ei-' cept to remark that the half-yeai ly ac-cjmis renderedto Lodges on' the Ist January and 'the -Ist' Julj^must , be promptly settled, to enable rthe books to te closed in February and Auaust in a satisfactory manner, Lodges failing to make prompt payment of the' account referred to give rise to much trouble and unp!eas«ntn<.sß. VJo have, to thank the Loyal Dalton Lo^ge for a kind donation to tne district relief fund, which fund, it will be observed) is in a satisfactory ■ position. ''So little^ias' been done in cbnnection with" the Friendly r Societies' Gardens since- the District 1 .Officer* were'appointed 'to- thati 'Committed ' thii' we on th!» occasion. We wiuniowever; seeto one being

subinitted'at bur next "meeting. 'J'have Tust^aword "mdreto aay.'and Ihave purpbaely-lett ' it' to the^layt in the hope that it may.hatfpilyj receive Jhc 1 moreiattentiqn. It is .in rejereuce to :the investment 'of surplus funds.' 'In this matte* riianjf'of ttie ! L6d'ies are far ;too easyrgfoingfand-ca f feless.eLlfc'*is'a 'subject . of „the utinpst^importance, jand, fno effort , should, be spared 'to obtain the profitable and w safe* investment of eA-ery-spare'pourid." 'TS6ag6stiri wntoh»this n matferqs carefully attended. to : keep oniiffcreasing-fheifjcapit!!!, r even in the .face of .adverse circumstances from sicknessandotherwise, /CotasWering'kls'fa'tnkt^ne'dw&Set insists on the payment'of ' only;'* per ceDtiintetest-to ,the sick and funeral .fund: and :(hat' ithe.,balanca«f interest may be used 'for racideiital c purp6se£'lickifre3 might' su'relyiT)e''expected f to" 1 8b»in"eV6ry:iiierv'e ? io secure the largest possible benefit frotn.the'investm'efit of spare fupds, even should 'they, have to loqkj from hoine-for investments. ' Trustinjf'teatthe'Dupraes>'to betransacted^by thetineetin^ willnl&vejaiilftniffoial effeclj ,on, the, ; good government, and .progress .ot.onr district, T conclude "by' thanking you for your 1 kind attention.^ 1"." ' "." '*•'■>■ r ':■: <■ •-•■ ■■■•' -(t'i.vn ■ . . J;jl „ JBALAirOE-SBffiET^.a _r . f ,', i,y The auditors' report^ and the half-yearly balance-sheet were read and adopted. „ , ' After the tr'angac'tiqii of .sotne formal business the meeting 'closed. - •' • < ! •> ,'<, :p< l '.'yuvH