RAILWAY EMPLOYES’ BENEFIT SOCIETY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2718, 26 December 1882, Page 3

RAILWAY EMPLOYES’ BENEFIT SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Christchurch Railway Employes’ Sick Benefit Society was held in the Oddfellows’ Hail, Montreal street South, recently. The committee’s report was read as follows : —“ Gentlemen, —Your committee, at the close of this our financial year, have great pleasure in reporting that their labors have not been of a very arduous nature, and our business has been conducted very harmoniously. No very serious matters have been brought to our notice. One case in which a member was absent from his residence and left no information where he was, called for the action of the committee, and the offending member was fined the number of days’ pay he was so absent. Charges of working while in receipt of sick pay were made against a member, but the committee decided the charge was ‘ not proven.’ The alteration to rules, limiting the age of candidates for membership, and that referring to continuing periods of sickness, have been printed and placed in the hands of the members. The number of members on the books at the commencement of the year was ninety-seven, sixty-two have been .admitted, two have left, leaving us a present membership of 157. The sickness rate during the past year has been unusually high. Thirty-five members have received sick pay, averaging over four weeks two days per sick member. Some of the members have been ill for long periods—2 for 20 weeks, 1 for 16 weeks, 1 for 8 weeks, 1 for 7 weeks. Of course this makes the average considerably higher than ordinary, the average on the total membership being over five days per member. The receipts for the year, including a balance of £2 7s 4-id from last year, is .£197 18s S.jd; .£135 5s lOd has been paid as sick money ; £3 as funeral donation; other expenses, £ls Os 6d; leaving a balance of £44 12s 4Jd, which will amount to 6s 6d per full member, and an item of 9s 10 Jd to be carried forward to next year’s account. The figures before us prove the great good the society has achieved, and although the dividend is not large, we have the satisfaction of knowing that many of our members have had their sufferings alleviated by the assistance afforded.”

The reports of committee and auditors were adopted. The Chairman at this stage referred very feelingly to the bereavement of one of the members., Mr Carrigan, whoso son had just died, and a vote of sympathy was passed. The election of officers then toot place as follows: —President, Mr Handisides ; vice-president, Mr S. Wils*n ; secretary, Mr J. A. Efford ; treasurer, Mr J. I’Anson ; auditors, Messrs J. Young and J. Greenwood ; provincial auditor, Mr Corley. Committee —Pitting shop, W. Osborne and H. Hancock; smiths’ shop, W. Tillott and H. Trengrove ; carriage and waggon shop, A. Beeves and T. Bullock; paint shop, S. Beast; sail shop, P. Pearson ; goods shed, B. Began ; running shed, G. Bunge and B. Prino-le. Visiting Stewards —N. E. Shaw, Sloan, Duguid, N. W. Boyd, Gibson, Davis, Burns, S. E. B. Bruce, Andrews, Edwards. S. W. McDonald, Taylor, Stewart and E. Stokes. Some other formal business, with votes of thanks to the retiring officers, and lastly the paying the dividend to the members, closed the proceedings.