THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 576, 24 April 1876, Page 4

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

(N.Z. Herald.) Some time since, when the Government Actuary declined to recommend for registration certain friendly societies unless their tables of payments were reformed upon a scale in strict accordance with the scientific average disclosed upon the general bas;s afforded by the bills of mortality, we endeavored to fix the attention of the public and those fraternities upon the great importance of the question raised by the refusal of the Actuary to certify to their soundness. We are now in a position to state that the Government have determined between this and the next session of Parliament, which is convened to meet for “ despatch of business” on the |lsth June, to have a draft bill prepared upon the basis of the English Friendly Societies Act, and circulated throughout all the cities and lodges of such societies in the colony. We understand that this undertaking has been definitely given by the Minister of Justice to Mr Swanson, who represented to him the general interest taken in the subject, and the anxiety naturally entertained by the officers and members of such bodies in respect to any probable legislation with reference to it which may be contemplated. The Minister of Justice was one of the first to .recognise the importance of the question, and his testimony to the great benefits conferred by these societies upon the whole body politic, is upon record. Mr Rolleston indeed recognised the importance of placing th so societies upon a sound basis, and suggested the propriety of obtaining fuller and better info' mation than was then in the hands of the Government, The Government appeared to be inactive upon this question, possibly because of the urgency of other matters. That there is an immense mass of unsystematised and unarranged information to be gathered upon this subject, which information only the societies themselves can give, is evident. It will be the business of the Government Actuaries to institute a comparative analysis with reference to results already ascertained under different conditions. The members of the Friendly Societies at Nelson are holding meetings in reference to the relation of these societies and the Government, which relation, it will be remembered, we fully explained in a leading article some weeks since. The position is this—an Act exists providing that no society shall be registered until its tables have been properly certified. The Government has appointed an actury. who practically asserts that the societies are in an unsafe position. At a meeting held in Nelson on the 11th instant, of those interested in Friendly Societies generally, and in Oddfellowship particularly, Mr C. P. Kearns, the secretary of the Oddfellows, produced a tabulated statement to combat the doubts expressed by Mr Rolleston regarding the actuarial solvency of the society. He thought the best answer that could be made to this statement was the fact that whereas the lodge, when it was first opened in Nelson in 1842, consisted of nine members, with a total capital of 15s ; it now could boast of 445 members, with a capital of over £6OOO. The great grievance, however, of which the lodge had to complain, was that the Government refused to register its rules because they did not consider the monthly contribution to the sick and funeral fund sufficient. They wanted, in fact, to make it nearly double, and there was a strong feeling that they were taking too much upon themselves in dictating to a society which considered itself to be in aflourisbing financ'al condition, what should be iterates. The general opinion of those present was that a commis sion should be appointed to inquire into the whole matter. T 1 e members, it is stated, did not feel at all oisposed to increase their monthly payments, because they themselves had no doubt of their actuarial solvency, and yet, unless they did so they could not be registered. It is rather to be regretted that the course now determined upon by the Government had not been resolved upon at an earlier period of the recess. There remains but a abort time for deliberation, There has been a great deal of time lost, which would have been occupied veiy p-ofit-ably upon this matter alone. Having, by their actuary, sent it abroad that these friendly societies are in an unsound position, they ought to have taken counsel with their chief officers, and convinced them that it is so. by the report of a commission. It is satisfactory to know even now that the period of taking some definite action has arrived. It will be for the officers of all friendly societies to prepare tables of information to be laid before the Government officers, so that for the legislation that may follow, the fullest information should be at hand.