RAILWAY SERVANTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7178, 1 June 1891, Page 4

RAILWAY SERVANTS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib,— ln apite of the somewhat crushing defeat sustained by the various Unions which partook in the great struggle between employers and employed in the latter portion of the year of grace, 1890, some of them at least have preserved a considerable portion of their original vitality. The Railway Servants' Society, in defiance of the most strenuous efforts on the part of the powers that be, to force it into a condition of utter nothingness, is evidently fltill enjoying a healthy and vigorous existence ; and, although perhaps somewhat decimated in point of numbers, by the weak-kneedness and individual antipathy to self-sacrifice on the part of some of its members, there is strong evidence that the panic caused by defeat ha 3 done its worßt, and that its future course will have an upward tendency. At the recent annual conference of delegates from the various branches, it was decided to establish a death benefit in connection with the Union, by means of which the lives of members may be assured without the payment of regular premiums. The idea is a somewhat novel one, and may fairly lay claim to being the cheapest and most simple mode of life assurance. Whenever a member dies, who has not allowed his subscriptions to be more than two months in arrears, his representatives will receive an amount equal to what a levy of sixpence on every member of the Society will amount to. Assuming, for instance, the numerical strength of the Society to be 3000, the widow, or heirs of the deceased member will receive 3000 times sixpence, or .£75. There is no capital required to conduct the business, excepting the amount of the first levy, which will be called up in advance, and held in hand, to ensure speedy payment upon a member's decease. There will be an almost tolal absence of working expenses, the present officers being quite competent to attend to the extra duties, without an increase of salary; and, altogether, there is everything in the scheme to recommend it, and to ensure its unqualified success. The amount payable at death is, of course, capable of being increased, by the Bimple process of raising the levy from sixpence per member to such an amount as may be deemed desirable. We have here the true principle of cooperative insurance in its simplest and most complete form. The railway servanta are entitled to the credit of being the firs.t to reduce the principle to practice among unions, and it would be -well for unions of all descriptions to Beriously consider the advisability of doing likewise. The members of the A.S.R.S. have certainly passed through a fiery ordeal of late, their leaders have been placed hors de comhat, and they themselves have been reduced to a transient state of inefficacy; but let them take heart, for the dawn is already appearing on the social horizon. The promised legislation of next session will place organised labour on a more equitable footing than it has hitherto enjoyed, and with a Board of Arbitration established by the people's Parliament, they need not fear for the future. By adopting such benefits as the death fund, they will probably bring the greater portion of the lost sheep back to the fold. Their energies in the immediate future must be centred on consolidating their ranks and numerically strengthening their poflition, and they must constantly bear in mind that legislation must do in the future what strikes have failed to do in the past.— l am, &c., NIL DESPERANUM.