FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1374, 8 February 1905, Page 2

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

AND DISCONTENT. (Per Fresa Association.) Palmerston North, Inst night. Speaking at a social last night Mr T. Wilson, secretary of Court Manawatu, A.0.F., stated that the individual who presided over the department whioh affected friendly societies had become antiquated. Tho attitude ho took up towards secretaries and heads of various organisations was such as to cause a considerable amount of discontent and dissatisfaction. - No amendment had been made in tho Friendly Societies Act since 1882, consequently a vory large number of flaws and defects had been discovered in it. Reforms wore nocosaary, particularly in the direction of making the law more elastio in regard to the division -of funds. It was a'most impossible for members of friendly societies to pay their way so far as the management fund was eonoernod. , The amount of money which they were compelled by Act to pay into the management fund was altogether insufficient to carry on administration. Another point was the somewhat exorbitant amount whioh was required to bo placed to the credit of the general fund of any _ society. Mr' Wilson strongly disagreed' with the Regi?traf-General in his statement that the lodges were unfinanoial. Ho hoped before long to see tho amendments required put into foroo. Mr W. G. Wood, M.H.R., speaking on the same subject, said that if he had the last speaker’s support he would, be prepared to fight the Registrar, and show bis statement that only two of tho societies in the colony were solvent was wrong. At the present time the total membership was 41,286, and the accumulated funds reaohed ,£804,757. The latter had increased in five/'years £176,742. An amendment would have been brought down last session, except that the Premier was prevailed upon to defer tho matter until the whole of the societies had had an opportunity of expressing their requirements.