OTAGO DISTRICT. ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 14

OTAGO DISTRICT. ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETING.

" he ..nnual meeting of ih-e Distnct Coralß.i cc \\h.s opened in the kxlgcroom of the Loyal J'.oxburgh Lodge. Roxburgh, on Saturday, Prov. G.-u. Bio. J. Broacifcot pre-5-t i!:"-. " . ho other distr ct officois present «,r Pro.. D.G.M. Ere W. E. C Reid, J'rr. C.S. Bro. I.- A. Hopcraft, P.P.G.M. Bra. .!. Wilson. P.P.G.M. Bro. J. Robin. Tim l'ro\. Treasurer sent an apology- for

Tht" -fJlcwmg delegates were present. — .Hand and .Heart Lot n .gc — X.G. Bro. J. Cook, JP.IVJ.iJ. Bio-. J. 11. F. Hajiw-1, J. Wood, A. Sligo. P.G. Bvo-. T. 11. Flynn. and P. i Thom-on. Dunedin— V (i. Bro. R. S. B. Plarke, N.G. Bro. P. ChisJiolm. P.P.G.M. Bro. C. E. Brundell. P.G. Bros. G. Ciosbie and A. M'Dcugali. fVmcc of Wales — P.P.G.M. Bro. A. Cablr. F G. Bro. J. H. Crawford, and G.M. Bio. R. Montgomery. Paltost— P.G. Bro*. (\ ./. Wcod. D. T. V emi-tV. Albion — Y.G. Bio. G. M. Kennedy. X.G. Bro. P. W. Stabb, r,.M. Bro. ,'. V. Lyons mU P.C E" . L. I. Ljlburne. Pr n;o Alfi«d— l'.G. B:o-. - 7 . Maxwell and "D. Ru^ell. M>uriT V. n- 1 - - —P.G. Bro. R. 3. uuciv. and r.r.cv. c... j. g. Bus^.

Tapanui— P.G. Bros. D. M'Coll, D. Colquhoun, and D. Dacker. Lake Wakatipu — P.G. Bro. G. M. Ross. Caversham — P.G. Bros. A. R. Lawry, O. Grater, and P.P.G.M. Bro. A. Deacon. Valley— Per. Sec. Bro. D. S. Munro and P.G. Bro. F. Millier. Mosgiel— a. .G. Bro. W. A. Turnbull and V.G. Bro. Tf. xi. Young. Roxburgh — P.G.s Bros. T. Andrew and E. A. Hart. Waitahuna — P.G. Bro. J. Edie. Waipori — Per. Sec. Bro. F. W. Knight. Bluespur— Per. Sec. Bro. E. Vareoe. Milton— P.G. Bro. J. Jones, jun.

accommodation of the hi

not being sufficient the meeting was formally adjourned to the Athenasum. On resuming, Tho Prov. G.M. delivered his address, and concluded by moving the reception of the district officers' report, from which we make the following extracts : — Nearly 27 years ago the first district meeting held out of Dunedin was held at Lawrence, and, though meetings have since been hel<l there, this will be the first occasion Roxburgh has been visited. There is no doubt that in the near future Roxburgh will be accessible by i ail. and so minimise the cost of conveyance and time spent in journeying to and from. On the occasion of the first meeting held j-'vay from headquarters the then Prov. G.M.

echoed a sentiment that he hoped the step taken would be followed up by others, till district meetings had been held in every locality where there was a lodge. We are fast attaining that consummation, and doubtless in another year or two, with the increasing facilities of travel, it will be an accomplished fact. From the returns supplied by the lodges the following particulars have been compiled : Numerical Statement. — Number of members, January 1, 1904, 3603 ; number admitted during the year (by initiation and reinstatement 340°, by clearance 32), 372; — total, 8975. Less left (by arrears 150, by clearance 31, by death 29, by resignation 2), 212; — total remaining, 3763. Increase for the year, 160. Financial Statement. — Receipts : To value of lodge funds, December 31, 1903, £98,770 4s 4di; entrance fees, sick and funeral funds, £216 6s; I contributions, dto, £5634 8s 6|d; funeral claims I from district, £720 ; interest and rents, sick and funeral funds, £4229 17a 2d; sundry receipts, do, £174 3s lid; contributions and levies, management fund, £5544 0a 3d; interest and rents, do, £246 4s 10d ; sundry receipts, do, £915 9s o<3l; — total, £116,450 13s Oja. Expenditure! By sick benefits, £4564 14s sdj funeral claims, £713 0s 3d; district funeral leviea, £913 19s; sundry payments, sick and funeral funds, #297 7s; medical attendance and ; fliedicine,, £3776 £a i^i f Wftjifl ajd gIIgWftSSSV

£891 12s lid , sundry payments, management func'is, £1462 Bs;* decrease in value of other funds, £6S 18s Bid;— total, £12,687 4s 74d. Value of lodge funds, December 31. 1954, £103,703 8s sd,— grand to+al, £116,450 13s OJd. Adding the avai able funds of the central body we get a grand total of £105,039 3s 9d, being an increase of £5290 5s 4d as compared with £-1338 19s 5<3 at the corresponding date last 3 - ear.

The number of deaths during the year was ■ 29 members and 10 members' wives, as coinI pared with 37 meinb?rs and 20 members' w>es for 1903. The sickness experienced during the year was 6794 weeks 5 days, made up as follows: — First six months, 2788 weeks 3 days; second six months, 431 weeks 5 days ; after 12 months, 3574 weeks 2 days ; being an average of 1 week 5 days 8 hours, as compared with 6722 weeks 5 days — viz. : First six months. 2814 weeks 4 days; second six months, 437 weeks 1 day; after 12 months, 3471 weeks — and an average of 1 week 5 days 19 hours for 1903. The amcunt paid for sick pay was £4564 14s sd, an average of £1 53 5d per member, ps against £4549 19s 4d and an aveiage of £1 6=i 7d for 1903. The amounts in the various lodges ranged from 5s 6d per member in the "Band of Friendship Lodge to £3 11s m tho Waipori Lodge. The average rate of interest realised on the investment of the sick and funeral capital of lodges, taking the district as a whole, for the year was £4 15s per cent., as i compared with £i 12s 8d for 1903. The average rate in the different lodge? ranged from £1 15s in the Waipori Lodge to £9 13s 8d in the Cromwell Lodge. The funds of the Waikaka Loc^e earned no interest, but your executive is informed that an investment has now been made. For valuation purposes, in compiling returns lodge secretaries were requited to state the arrears of contributions and accrued interest as assets. In a number of returns these were missing, and your executive cannot think that all contributions ami interest were paid up to the end of December, 1904. This will necessitate these lodges being asked to supwly the information. Friendly Societies' Ground, Sawyers Bay.— TJr.der date the 30th December, 1904, the District Officers received the following communication from the Department of Lands and Surrey: — "I have the honour, by direction of the Hon. Minister of Lands, ',o inform you that it is not intended to renew the lea=e of the above area, which the Minister holds from the Otago Presbyterian Church Board of Property, and which expires on the Ist May, 3905. Under the circumstances, the si.b-lease from the Minister of Lands to the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows, the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and the Ancient Order of Foresters, which expires on the 30th April, • 1905, cannot be renweed." Your officers received the above letter with feelings of regret. They were, and are, aware that there are still amongst us several members of the societies who know that the then Provincial Government of Otago, by his Honor the Superintendent, did profer to the societies a freehold at the time when the Sawyers' Bay land was first obtained. The freehold was rejected as being too difficult of access for the purpose intended, and the Sawyers' Bay land was accepted on the assurance being given — as it was — that it would be as good as a freehold, as the societies would never be dispossessed. A meeting of the representatives of the various societies was held on the 3rd of February, which was attended by several members of Parliament, and a letter has been sent to the Hon. the Minister of Lands setting out the facts, and requesting that if the societies are to be dispossessed (?) some compensation should be paid them, they having converted a piece of rough waste iand into a beautiful level park, planted, ditched, drained, grassed at an expenditure largely exceeding what has been recouped to the societies. We may add that the deed of lease with the Presbyterian Church Board of Property clearly shows that the lease was intended to be a lease in perpetuity, and bears oub our statement that it was meant that the societies should not be dispossessed. The letter to the Hon. the Minister of Lands will be submitted and the meeting be afforded an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the whole matter.

Harrop Scholarship. — Agreeably to the wishes contained in the will of the late Bro. P.P.G-.M. "William Harrop we have to report that 12 candidates competed for the Harrop Scholarship at the Junior Scholarship examination, conducted by the Otago Education Board. Entries were received from Lawrence, Ngapara, and Na3eby, in addition to those resident in Dunedin and suburbs. The successful candidate was Cecil M'Lean Smith, Ivaikorai School, son of Bro. H. D. Smith, Hand and Heart Lodge, who will in due course receive the annuity assigned him for two years. The next competition will be held in December, 1906, when there should be more entries. Lodges should endeavour to advise their members of the late brother's lequest. As the emolument (provided the winner is a country scholar) is only equal to a board scholarship, the District Trustees suggested to the Education Board' that if the winner should be a country scholar, and ateo a successful candidate for a board scholarship, £7 10s — the value of a town scholarship — be added. This request was declined, and it is to be regretted a Harrop Scholarship will therefore be of mo special advantage to a, country scholar beyond what such scholar would have obtained as the winner of a board scholarship, while there is no direct recognition on the part of the Education Board, nor assistance given by it. Your executive, having considered the request from the last half-yearly meeting re the advisability of a scholarship being given by the Otago District alternately with the Harrop Scholarship, begs to report that, seeing there are no funds at present to draw from, two scnemes present themselves: First, the raising by donation or otherwise the sum of £500, which, when invested, will yield the required amount. Secondly, to appeal to members to follow the good example of our late Bro. P.P.G.M. Harrop. Friendly Societies Act. — Since your executive reported on 25 th March, 1904, in reference to proposed amendments of the act by the Premier and Bro. Arnold, M.H.R., when we were advised that the bill would be held over (and it has been circulated during the interval among those interested and suggestions asked for Irom them), nothing has since been heard The Friendly Societies' Councils in New Zealand held a meeting in Wellington last year, but only minor alterations were suggested, xour executive has some correspondence from another district to. place before the meeting in reference to a suggested alteration. The meeting was proceeding when the telegraph office at Roxburgh closed at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

a/Ztt't fi s k let officers of the Otago District, M.U.1.U.0.F., accompanied by some of the delegates paid an official visit to the Loyal lapanui Lodge ©n route to Roxburgh to gtten^ the district meeting. Tliere was a larg<? £ttend.anoe of SVi&inbers, and the. visitors v?eis enthusiastically received. 4 p\irple lecture, and fiast officers' degr&s me&tin£ was held, and the degrees" conterred on those who presented the necesgary certificates. Prov. Q.M. Bro. Broadly ftccupxecl the chair^ Proy. D.G.M. Bro.

Reid the V.G.s chair, aud P.P.G.M. Bro. AVilson the G.M.s chair; Prov. C.S. Bro. Hopcrafl acted as secretary, P.P.G.M. Bro*. Sligo and Brund-01l acted a=; conductors and examiners, and P.P.G.M. Bro. Deacon as Guardian. After the meeting tho visitors were entertained at supper, and seioral toasts honoured, interspersed with songs and recitations During the afternoon the visitors were shown o\ &r the State nursery. They left at 6.30 a.m. on Saturday for Roxburgh.