INDEPENDENT ORDER OE RECHABITES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1868, 18 February 1880, Page 3

INDEPENDENT ORDER OE RECHABITES.

Tho annual meeting of the New Zealand Central District of the 1.0. R. was opened yesterday afternoon in the Templar Hall, the following officers and representatives being present :—R. C. Harding, D.C.R. ;F. Sidey, D.D.R. ; A. Levy, P.D.C.R. ; F. H. Fraser, D.S. ; J. Okell, D.T. Representatives—A. J. Bennett, F. Coles, and T. J. Davies, No. 1 Tent ; J. T. Smith (proxy), No. 2 ; W. B. Earll, No. 4 ; W. Kent (proxy), No. 5 ; H. B. Parsonage, No. 6 ; W. Grant, No. 11 ; J. Masters, No. 14 ; Rev. J. B. Richardson (proxy), No. 15 ; W. T. Sherwood, No. 17 ; Rev. J. Clover (proxy), No. 18 ; A. Huggins, No. 19 ; D. C. Cameron and G. Watson, No. 20 ; R. Kerr (proxy), No. 24 ; H. Hen wood, No. 26 ; Lonnie and Dick, No. 27 ; A. Grant (proxy), No. 28 ; J. Sowry, No. 32 ; W. Hislop (female branch), No. 1 ; P. Rankin (female branch), No. 2. Tho District C.R. then gave his opening address, remarking that as the amount of business on the paper was unusually large this year, he would confine his remarks within very brief limits. For tho first time since the institution of the district, the returns failed to show an increase of membership, but, on the contrary, a falling-off. This was not to bo accounted for by any want of vitality on the part of the Order, or of energy on the part of its officers or members. The cause was sufficiently obvious in the general and severe depression under which the colony had been labouring, and which had loft its traces on every public institution, whether social, religious, benevolent, or purely oob>« mercial. It was gratifying, in the face of this depressing state of things, to be able to report a substantial increase in tho funds, a fact going far to indicate the financial soundness of the Order. The great bulk of the business to be considered at the present meeting had reference to the proposed re-arrangement of the financial basis of the Order—a matter which had agitated the various branches ever since the recent legislation on the subject. He hoped that this important matter would be definitely settled upon a sound and satisfactory basis, for it came within the experience of all present that the unsettled state of this question had deterred many outsiders from joining, and had thuß unfavorably affected the membership returns. As there was a great deal of work before the Council, and the time before them was short, he had only in conclusion to urge upon them to speak as briefly and as much to the point as possible, and to conduct the whole of thoir discussions in the same spirit of harmony aB had characterised former meetings. A committee waß appointed to consider the travelling expenses and fix the levies for the current year, after which the report of the district officers was read. From this it appeared that the total number of members in connection with the district amount to 717 J, divided as follows :—63B£ financial, and Beventy-nine honorary. Four deaths had occurred during the year. The balance to the oredit of the district was £1137 18s, showing a slight increase on last year's total. The total funds hold by tents amounted to £3115 9a lid to the credit of the sick and funeral fund, and £284 5s Id to the contingent fund. The total amount disbursed in sick pay during the year was £l6O 6a 4d. The report was unanimously adopted. The correspondence was then read by the district socretary, after whioh a large amount of formal business was transacted, and the meeting adjourned till 9 a.m. to-day.