ASSISTING THE PROVIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1767, 4 June 1913, Page 5

ASSISTING THE PROVIDENT.

SUBVENTION TO FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

(Contributed.) The question of Government subvention to friendly societies lias been agitating tiio minds of members of friendly societies, and deputations have waited on the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers in different parts of the Dominion to endeavour to ascertain what tne proposals of the Government are in regard to this question.' The most that the deputation have been able to ascertain is that the Government propose to bring in a scheme . on the same lines, but not oil the same terms, as the scheme in operation, m New South Wales. The question of Government subvention to friendly societies in this Dominion was first Suggested by the lato Hon. It..J. Seddon in 18UB. At that -time a conference of delegates from the several friendly societies was being held in the Parlaimentary Buildings, and a communication was received from the then Premier that he had drafted a scheme of subvention which he proposed to bring before Parliament, and that ho would hand a copy of the scheme to tho president of the conference, but it was not to, bo made known to the conference. Tho conference was not prepared to blindly accept the scheme, and as some of tho delegates held very strong opinions against receiving any sul>vention or assistance from the State,, the question was not further considered. Somo time after the late Hon. E. J. Seddon visited Australia, and it is understood that whilst there ho was requested to supply the details of his scheme, which he did, aud the result was that the New South Wales Government adopted a subvention scheme in 190S on lines that are set forth in tho' report of the New Zealand Registrar of Friendly Societies for 1912. , , , It is thought by some of the leaders of Friendly Societies that the adoption ot i the National Provident Fund Bill, and ; the terms on which it is worked, tends ] to unfair'competition with friendly socie- - ties, for the following reasons:— (1) That whilst friendly societies have i to bear all the cost of propaganda work in the extension of. their several societies, and the cost of working tho same, these expenses in connection with the national insurance scheme are paid out of the Consolidated Fund. The consoquonce is that the Government have been paying lecturers and canvassers, with a view to increasing the number of subscribers to the fund. The action of the Government in .making provision for persons to provide for sickness, mortality, or old age is considered to be a commendable one, but tho societies are of the opinion that having made the provision, the Government should have left people to avail themselves of it or not, as they thought fit. The societies consider that the same result could have been attained at what they have reason to believe a much-less cost, if this scheme had been worked through the several friendly societies, as it could have been worked, under the ordinary operations of the society. (2) The National Provident Fund Act provides "the Minister of Finance shall, in the month of April in each year, commencing .jvitn the year 1912, pay into the fund by way of subsidy out of the Consolidated Fund, without further appropriation than this Act, a sum equal to onefourth of the total contributions paid into tho fund during the last preceding year ending on December 31, together with ance with the report of the actuary, to be ed by the Governor-in-Council in accordance wit lithe report of the actuary, to be required to meet the charges on the fund during tho current financial year." This is considered to act to friendly societies, ana it is on this ground, as well as for tho general good that friendly societies have done and are doing, that somo of tho members of friendly societies are of the opinion that the Stale should provide a subsidy to assist the societies in making provision for the aged sick membors. It may bo stated, however, that this question has not yet been officially beforo the friendly societies of this Dominion, and it is well known that some branches of friendly societies are opposed to receiving any Stato aid, for fear that in accepting such, the door will 1» opened Ar the Government interfering more than they do at present with the working of friendly societies. Tho societies are, therefore, still in the dark as to what tho Government's proposals are. A request was made to the Minister to supply tho societies throughout the Dominion with a copy of tho Bill, in order that it could be considered by the societies at their annual mooting at the beginning of this year, and k> give thorn an" opportunity to oxpress their opinion on the Act' before it came before Parliament. This request, however, was not acceded to.