RAILWAY BENEFIT SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1576, 8 March 1879, Page 3

RAILWAY BENEFIT SOCIETY.

A very good meeting of tho Railway Employes Benefit Society was held on the 6th instant at the railway station, Christchurch. Mr Back, the general manager, was voted to the chair.

Mr Back stated that he would be unable to remain in the chair for any length of time that evening as he felt seriously indisposed. He might however state that, with regard to the society, what appeared to him to be everybody’s business seemed to bo nobody’s business, and the very great amount of work devolving upon the successful working of the society was neglected. He was of opinion that this society was becoming a very big child, and that it would be constantly crying out for sustenance, towards which the Government ought certainly to contribute. There were now 600 miles of railway opened in the Middle Island, and it was most probable that tho Dunedin, Christchurch, and Invercargill branches of this society would amalgamate and thus form one large society, which it would be impossible for one man to manage. He thought that the very best thing that could be done would be to ask the accountant to take the management of the society under his control, and he was sure it would then be efficiently worked. There would then be no difficulty in dealing with the amounts to be paid by each man, and it could be very easily taken off the pay sheet. If the meeting would take this into consideration, and he thought it was high time to do so, then he, for one, should give it his support. He was sorry that he was so unwell as to bo unable to remain with them that evening, but h» could assure those present that the society had his earnest support, and he was certain that Mr Hannuy, whom he would ask to be kind enough to take his place for that evening, would see that everything was carried out as the meeting desired. Mr Back having retired, Mr Hannay, the secretary of railways, was voted to the chair, and after the minutes of the previous special general quarterly meeting had been read and confirmed, he called upon Mr T. B Bain, secretary, to read his report. This was done, and in it Mr Bain detailed what had transpired since tho last meeting, and expressed a hope that before long the subscription money might be stopped from the pay-sheets, as, in his opinion, this was the safest and speediest mode of collection. He asked leave to resign his position as secretary, and took occasion to thank the Commissioner of Railways, Mr Back, the General Manager, Mr Hannay, the Secretary of Railways, and Mr A. D. Smith, the locomotive engineer, for the courtesy which these gentlemen had invariably extended to him whilst he was acting as secretary to the society. He stated that, although retiring from the secretaryship, he would always take a deep interest in the society, and would at any time lend a helping hand towards its advancement. Mr Bain then asked the chairman to call for Mr Dowden’s report and that of the treasurer. After receiving those reports they were read to tho meeting by the secretary, as follows : Christchurch, March 6th, 1879. To the Chairman of the Railway Employes

Benefit -ociety. Sir, —The report that 1 furnish herewith cannot bo considered satisfactory, so far as I am conc rned, for the reasons subjoined : First—lt was to be desired that the financial position of the society should be ascertained as soon as possible. This could only be done by the pence cards being rendered t.) me, from which I would be enabled to extract the amounts each member has paid. Notwithstanding the several notices that have been issued by me, in accordance with the instructions of the committee, I can only arrive at the result that out of 979 cards, only 542 have been submitted for the purpose of my inspection and entering up the roll book of the society. Secondly—The payments entered in the pence cards, and initialled for the month of July, I cannot regard as representing actual receipts, although doubtless many members paid that month’s subscription. Still, I am persuaded that in many ca ea it was not paid ; yet, as they have been entered up and initialled in the pence cards, I can have no other resource than to enter them in the roll book as having been paid, and therefore request the collectors to institute the necessary inquiries upon the return of the cards, as to whether the amounts were paid or not. I am perfectly aware that the collectors in the majority of instances, have experienced great difficulty in obtaining the pence cards that have already been forwarded, but as none of the cards have been retained by me more than one day after their receipt, doubtless those who have not already done so will regain confidence, and send their pence cards in. The cards are arriving daily in small numbers, but at so slow a rate that unless some measure is taken to hasten the supply, a long period must necessarily elapse before the roll book can be comxdeted. The following are the amounts as entered, up from the 512 pence cards, as cash received up to February, 1879 : £ s. d. July ... ... 107 8 0 August 96 18 0 September 96 6 0 300 12 0 October 96 2 0 November ... ... ... 83 4 0 December 82 8 0 261 14 0 January 62 12 0 February 43 17 0 106 9 0 Grand total _ <£66B 15 0 I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, E. A. Dowden, Clerk R.E.B.S. Railway Employes Benefit Society (Christchurch Branch). treasurer's report. March 6th, 1879. To the Chairman of the Third Quarterly General Meeting of the above Society. Sir, —I have the honor to submit to you a report and an abstract of accounts showing the financial position of the society from the date of its formation, July Ist, 1878, to present date, extending over a period of a little more than eight months. £ s. d.

The total receipts from July Ist to September 19th were ... .. 296 0 G Expenditure during the same term... 0 10 From September 19th to December 3lst. receipts 168 17 6 Expenditure during the same term... 15 6 6 Leaving a balance to credit of ... 419 10 G From December 31st, to present date, March Gth, receipts ... 174 15 0 Expenditure .08 3 0 Leaving a balance to credit of ... S!G 2 G The.eaie, however, some liabilities the amount of which I am unable to state, as the bills, &c., have not been presented to mo for payment. Twenty pounds seven shillings and eightpence of the expenditure for the last quarter has coen for sick allowance, the balance foe incidental expenses, including clerk’s salary, and ,£SO voted to Lr. Campbell for medical attendance, also lawyer's charges for the late defalcation case at Court. From this statement it will bo seen, allowing for certain deficiency, that members’ subscriptions have not been kept tip. This probably is owing to a want of continence in the Society, engendered by the difficulties it has labored under since its formation.

I ui i.y -tufc-3 that I have had pohib chnsidcrabl difficul y in keeping an account of the lunds, there being no proper system of books; and J wish to cdl the special attention of this meeting to tli ■ great neeosaitv for proper hooks for the secro ary or clerk, so that ho may keep the accounts of the society perfectly, according to tho mica. Up to the present time you are wholly dependent oa myself for a statement of accounts n conclusion I beg to state that I resigned the office of treasurer some mouths since, p nd ing the auditin'.' of the accounts, and I shaU be glad to be released from the duties of that office as soon as an audited balance-sheet is obtained. I therefore ask this meeting to elect another tre isuror to tal c my place, as I find my engagements will not permit me to attend to the duties as I could wish, or as it ought to be attended to. —Yours obediently, Petek Ei-eis, Treasurer.

All tho reports were received and adopted. Tfc was resolved that all members of the society pay up their eubseriptiono which were in arrear within one month from date, otherwise they cease to become members of the society. It was also agreed upon that the clerk (Mr Dowdan) should visit the outlying districts and see what amounts were actually due to the society. It was moved and carried that tho present committee remain in office for the next three months, and that the names of Messrs Ashley, Orange, Pender, Walker, Sherris, Ockford, and Olliver, be added thereto. The subject of deducting the subscription money from the pay sheets was adjourned to a future date.

Dr. Campbell, who asked to say a few words, made a most humorous speech, in which ho detailed the difficulties which he had to undergo as surgeon to tho society, explaining how many people came to him for medicine when they had no real occasion for it, and compelling him to write on his prescription “repeat until countermanded.” He was of opinion that six months was too short a time for the medical officer to be appointed for, and he trusted that this would be altered, as it was unfair to put the medical gentlemen to extra expense for a few months and then do away with them. At the same time he would endeavor, so long as he occupied the position of medical adviser to the society, to do his best to please them. It was resolved that a subscription list be opened for the Kaitangata relief fund. Mr Davidson was appointed hon, secretary to the society. After a very animated discussion upon various matters, in which tho Lyttelton and Ashburton contingents (the latter especially) took part, the meeting was brought to a close by a vote of thanks being moved to the chairman, the working committee, and the late secretary.