FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 26

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' CONFERENCE.

RELATIONS WITH THE MEDICAL - ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON,. December 3. A conference of delegates of friendly societies in the Wellington district is being held to-day to consider the proposed , model of a medical agreement as sub- , mitted by the Wellington division of the [ British Association. The chairman, in the course ofa statement to the.' coherence, said" ho could not agree 'with""" the clause providing for an increase of TemtHieratic-n, and the- clause poviding for reduced ; mileage and for^^an T increased charge for the same was, in his" opinion, 1 rather harsh. He believed a compromise could be effected, but if the societies felt themselves strong enough they could obtain doctors who would not of necessity be members of the British Medical Aseociation. It was decided to discuss the ' agreement with closed doors. The conference rejected the* model agreement submitted by the Medical ABsociation) and appointed a committee to draft another agreement. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that representatives of the friendly societies and of the British ' Medical Association have arranged on agreement which is reported to be mutually satisfactory. The principal clause is that, in the event of a disagreement between a s.ociety or branch and its medical officer, or between a lodge and the members of th« British Medical Association, the matter, shall La submitted to a committee drawn from the local division of the New Zealand, branch and the society or branch concerned. If this committee fail to agree, the matter is to be submitted to arbitrators, one to be appointed by each party, th« arbitrators to appoint an umpire, who, in the event of their disagreeing, shall be * called upon to give his decision, the- dcci- - sion of the arbitrators to be binding. Th» - fixing of the fees is on the principle of freedom of contract between each lodge and its doctor.