FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16145, 25 February 1918, Page 8

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

— 9 ANNUAL MEETING OF UNITED COUNCIL. The annual meeting of tho "United Friendly Societies' Council of Canterbury* was hold on Saturday even.ng, Bro. A. D. Hassall presiding. A motion of condolence with the widow of the late Bro. W. Inglis, vicepresident of the was carried ; The annual report and balance-sheet (already published) were adopted. Officers were elected as follows: President. Bro. A. 3>. Hassall; vicepresident, Bro. W. H. 13. Francis ; secretary and treasurer, Bro. M. Grimes; executive, Bros. H. E. Morgan, A. E. Ballinger, C. G. Taull, J. H. Jones, and E. J. Bell; auditor, Bro. J. Burgess. The incoming executive were recommended to hold quarterly meetings of the Council. ... ~ , Rule 4 was amended by providing that nvmbw-s ot' affiliated lodges may attend and discuss the business at the annual meeting, but shall not bo entitled to vote. . , A motion: "ThEtf collective action b® taken by the Friendly Societies' Council regarding the 6d levy per member, solicited bv the Wellington lodges to assist them in reducing their debt to doctors incurred in their recent medical trouble," was ruled out of order by the chairman upon the ground that tho Council was incompetent to enforce it. Several of tho delegates announced that their ledges would not consider themselves bound by the motion if it were carried. The secretary stated that he had written three times to the committee making the appoal but had received no reply. . > Bro. F. George moved the following remit from the Grand Lodge U.A.0.D.: "That the Council be approached and asked to carry out a proposal to the effect that the friendly societies should combine and hold a 'Friendly Societies Day' in Christchurch, on some suitable date, -with a view to raising funds to provide comforts for the boys on active service." _ , Sp-iking in support of the motion, Bro. George stated that the idea was to institute a collecting campaign by. ladies in tho day time, and a procession of members of lodges in the evening in their regalia, but without tableaux. He read a letter from Bro. Clark, yho suggested the payment of a levy of 6d or Is per half-year by the 5000 members of friendlv societies in Canterbury, on behalf of "a fund for assisting men atf the front. ' . ' • Bro. Francis said his lodge, St. Albans U.A.0.D., were not in favour of a Friendly Societies' Day, considering that tho days of processions were past, though they believed that the nucleus of a considerable sum could be raised by a half-yearly levy by tho 5000 members on "behalf of the men at tho front. Several other speakers threw cold water on both schemes, stating that they were of opinion that neither would be successful. The lodges, they pointed out, were doing .as much as they possibly oould in keeping financial those of their members at the front,, and paying their sick pay. Furthermore, the societies would have to face a heavy tax: upon the return of members from the front when the war was over. The friendly society movement was doing more than any.- other particular branch, of the community. In reply, Bro. George said the last thing he suggested was tho infliction of a levy upon members. If they could not support an appeal to the public, he asked them to turn down the proposal altogether. The motion was lost by 20 votes to G. Remits were received from the Auckland U.F.S. Conference in favour ofi the giving of frea medical treatment by the State to all soldiers for auy trouble contracted through their serving in the military forces, for the proyiding by the Government ( ,of maternity benefits for wives of soldiers, and for the payment by the State of medical and dental 1 ' services for dependants of soldiers on active service. It was decided t"b take no action in these matters, upon the ground that they did not come within the provinco of the Council. In view of complaints of non-receipt of notices of meetings of the Council, it was decided that in future the secretary should send out duplicate notices to the secretaries of the lodges and the delogates to the Council. A vote of £3 3s was made to the secretary. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the out-going officers.

In its last issue the 'Katipo," the official organ of the New Zealand Post and 1 olograph Officers' Association) dealing with the subject of resignations, says:—"The increasing number of officers who are grasping the better-oppor-tunities ruling in private employ was brought' up by the deputation which waited upon the secretary on the rent question. It had a most encouraging roception, the secretary taking up the tale on behalf of _ the men who are tempted to leave in a most thorough, and practical manner. He took I.he deputation very fully into his confidence, and, while we are not permitted to give details or even a general indication oi what the Department has in mind in order to provide a counter attraction to the tempting offers now held out by the private employer, we can say that the Department is facing the problem in a thoroughly practical wayIt is fully alive to the necessity of improving the rates of pay, and those who have loyally stood by it in its hour a? need may yet reap the reward their loyalty deserves. While on this subject we again note that tho number of officers receiving refunds of their superErnuatior. contributions as the result of leaving the service is again on the increase. For the first time in the history or the Superannuation Board over one hundred postal contributors were granted refunds, the actual total being 11G. Excluding men away with the Expeditionary Forces and telegraph message boys (who do not contribute) there were 4900 postal contributors to the fund in March last. By the time .March comes rouua again nearly 9 per cent, of these men and women will have turne l their hands elsewhere for a living. Such a loss is very eorious. and it is good to know -mutgrs arc in train io effectually check