ACCIDENT RAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 606, 8 September 1909, Page 5

ACCIDENT RAY.

■'-■■■.-'■'".■ ■,■''•'." ..».',- — '•' ':'i-".. ■/'iFBIENDLY 5 SOCIETIES 'AND CITY;/:, /;:/r:'<:;:-/i ; //;'COTJNCIL.,:; : ';-'■;•:■ ; . i ';";;/;.; ;/TheiFriendly,''tSooieties.- have, ..grievance 'agaihst^the.'City'/Couhcil.'./It'....appears.'.'. that : 'wneh-'a.tramway.employee meets with;an ac-, bidentjthb.corpor'atibri, in;determining .the athountof:sick pay to,,be given.him, deductsJ a ; sum ecjual to any benefit he is: receiving ,from;,any Friendly,Society./This lYrcgarded by tho Friendly Societies as a severe blow to. them,', inasmuch; lis it; mu6i>, tend/ to'' deter tramwaymen from' joining the, societies. -If ■ a; man,' can'/get/as'; much ' by, riot .'joining ;:a .'society'.'as'/he [can;by joining one, 'the result is.equivalent,/they'say, toJplacMg.a'penalty: on'-thrift,' A' deputation'/representing " the Friendly ;Sbcieties'';'Couhcil,'waited: upon : thb Tramways; Committee, on Monday;: afternoon,', ['and'-put'; the.matter 'before 'the '.members.Messrs; A.; J. Bennett';,(vice-president) and , C:\D.' Bobertsbn,, : (secretary) were:the'spokes-, men; They quoted instances of •'the practice :cbmplained:of;;/''; .•■"/-.";■>; ~;:/.■"..;/:•:■ ,;- Councillor Shirtcliffe asked whether,; in the event of: the council) making the' men's .pay iip .to', their full ,wage, it would; relieve'the Friendly ■■ Societies,, f rom, tnaking. their:' con-; tributions:. r" i.i;{;\' ■■. ://;;/■'. •■?'■■ "•' ■";,/i", : ', ~,'Mr. ;A: .J.ißennett.said it would'not. .The' Friendly/ Societies considered :.;that ■_■ the / £1received;from', them fof sick-benefits'.-was-ne-' -cessary;to.a';6ick/man-;over:,and:abo.ve;hiß : :", //', ■;■/':/./ '■'-;: v/■; /; Cpunoillor,: Shirtoliffe j pointed' out'.that ;the payment; made by:, the'.council- was. /purely:; voluntary, arid done from the desire' to/do. the best possible for those men 'ia-its employ, Who meet with;accidents.-. . , ■';•'..;'-'.-'•/'• . The .Mayorsald the system cpmplainedrof had / been l going;ori:fbr"five or six• years,'.bnt this was- the first time .the matter had',been brought before'..the; committee. . ';.'/,: ...Councillor Smith j who/has been 'a'imember 'of. the v. Tramways Committee for .a number, of years- and-has a 'still longer connection with an'important-'FriendlySociety, ■said he, had hitherto been quite,:unaware-tnat-a'..man. was deprived frora that which ho h'as'earned through his own '.■/thrift.:, ./No /'dednction should be made from the •. amount' a member receives from a Friendly Society. ,: ': ./The .Mayor Baid' the oommittee would investigate : the matter,: and communicate ; with the:Council'of Friendly Societies.:..: : ••', /