FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11717, 28 August 1906, Page 4

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Wellington, August 27. The Premier to-night received a deputation from the Central Executive of the New Zealand Friendly Societies' Association, which placed before him some of the resolutions dealt with at the recent Conference held in Wellington. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said it was intended to appoint a head of the Friendly Societies at an early date and to make .the Department an independent one. The existing Department

aad proDatly been too slow and required galvanising into life. He hoped to place the Department in touch with the Colonial Executive, ' and, if there was anything unfair about the old age pensions payments to members of the Societies in i?6ceipt of sick pay would be looked into. The pensions scheme was not meant to be administered in any narrow spirit. Where a man had been contributing to a Friendly Society and placed himself beyond the need of charitable support, that ought not to? be mined up with the broader and greater scheme of old age pensions. He thought it would be a good thing if there were some system | of arbitration between Societies and ' the Medical Association.