MATERNITY ALLOWANCE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 11

MATERNITY ALLOWANCE

POSITION OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AN INCREASE ASKED A deputation from the biennial conference of -the Manchester Unity Order 'of Oddfellows (N.Z. branch) waited upon the Hon. .Arthur M.'Myers, Minister-in-Chargo of ilie National Provident (Fund Department, with a request that (tho Government should increase tlie maternity allowance to members ' of. friendly societies from :£<t to £6, as is paid to ordinary contributors to tho ,'limd. The deputation was headed by i'.tne Grand Master-elect,' Mr. Watt, of iCUhburton, and Mr. J. Kershaw, the' 'corresponding secretary of the society. Mr. Watt briefly outlined the character of the work of friendly societies, wLich he' said was, and had been, of great value to tho State, and lie felt isuro that the promotion of t.hs virtues (and ideals for which they stood, Mich i'as thrift and self-help, would be recognised by everyone as an important ■and durable feature of the State's social fabric. In asking the Government to grant the increased benefit, rMr. Watt stressed the point that the friendly society member was not sublisidisod at present to the extent of the ■National Provident Fund contributor, {and he therefore felt that tho claim Was not an unreasonable one. Mr. Kershaw endorsed the . Grand 'Master's remarks; and asked the further conwssion that the society bo granted the maternity allowance as ;from the beginning of the Act, although they were not, owing to . special circumstances, provisionally approved 'at that time. Mr. Myers, in reply, expressed his pleasure as a fellow member of friend : J.v societies in meet'ng the representatives of the largest and most important friendly society in the Dominion, and he particularly wished to reefer to tfie valuable work they had just o Completed at their conference. Their loyalty and support in these times had -a special interest and value. In regard to the request made bj 'Mr. Kershaw to back date the benefit, ' he had to point out that as this was expenditure of a past financial year he could hold out no hope that the Government would be able to rearrange the year's commitments,. and ho regretted - that he was unable to agree to the request. Turning to the more important pol- ' icy question relative to increasing the benefit, Mr. Myers had to point out . that the present was probably not the ' best time to bring forward such a proposal, but ho would place it before ' Cabinet. Apart from the question of ■finance,' Mr. Myers said that as Min- : ister-in-Charge. of the fund he had to give special consideration to the main purposes for which the fund was created, viz., provision for contributory annuities, and any proposal increasing tbe subsidiary benefits must be looked > at in its relation to the effect it would . have in promoting the annuity side of the Act. He said that a dccided step . towards the co-operation of the State , Fund and the friendly societies had been made, and he could assure the deputation that so long as he occu- ' pied 'his present office they could rely upon his best endeavours to promote' that movement of accord which would, 'he felt sure, bring good results in promulgating the thrift and celf-reli- ; ance of the people.