I. O. O. F., M. U.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 22, 26 January 1881, Page 4

I. O. O. F., M. U.

The following are extracts from the address delivered by P.G.M. Acto^ Adams at the annual meetinjr o f the District Committee held O n tho 18th inst. : — Worthy D- putt Gkand Master and Delegates, — The Manchester Unity. According to our time-honored custom, it is rny duty to address to you a few words upon the position of our Order and the business of the District. In seeking to govern our District well, we ■cannot do better than glance at the position of the whole Order : On Ist Jan., 1880, the Oddfellows of the Manchester Unity numbered about 500,000. Tho capital of the Society was about £4,500,000. The income for 1879 about £750,000. The Sick and Funeral Benefits paid about £500,000, and the saving in the year, added to capital, about £250,000. This shows that the Unity is thoroughly solvent, and that the scales of contributions and benefits adopted in England provide a handsome margin for periods of unusual sickness. Scale of Benefits. , The benefits provided by the new Uules are slightly less than those named in the old rules, as both the Nelson and Howard Lodges have given notice to alter the scale back again, it is desirable to see how the alteration came about. The Revision Committee who drew up the new Rules, after carefully calculating the financial strength of the District, recommended that the first payment of 20s. per week should be paid for six months only. The Delegates, however, decided not to interfere with the first year's benefit, but to reduce the second payment to 10s. per week for six months, and the Funeral Benefit from £18 to £15. These were the only alterations made by the District, and they are comparatively small to those the Revision Committee proposed, as nearly all the Sick Pay is paid under the first benefit. Illness seldom last a year, and few except those who come permanently on the Funds ever draw any part of the second benefit. Ours is almost the only District in New Zealand that pays the first benefit for more • than six months. Even Districts like Otago and Westland, who have a graduated scale of contributions from 2s. to 45., do not venture to pay the £1 for longer thau six months. The question of increasing the benefits involves the question of the ability to pay the increase. It is useless and almost fraudulent to promise an increase, unless we are certain, after careful calculation, that we can pay it. If we ultimately fail to pay it, we deceive ourselves and all who join us. Our District has never yet been valued, and our ability to pay can be best ascertained after the present, valuation is made. In the absence of precise calculations any decision would be founded upon a mere guess. It might, therefore, be desirable to refer the proposed alterations back to the Lodges forwarding them, to enable them to further consider their financial effect, after the valuation is made. Position of the Lodges. You will see by the tables that will be appended hereto, that during 1880 our Members have increased from 606 to 624, whilst in 1879 they increased from 594 to 606. The Howard and Mansion of Peace appear to be the most progressive Lodges. The following table shews the changes in numbers for the last three years : —

The capital of the Sick and Funeral Funds was increased during the year from £7,310 8s 4d to £7,731 15s 7d. The average sickness per Member has been

This last table shows that the greater average age of the Town Lodges is beginning to tell ; and it is a question "whether even they have arrived at an age that will give the average amount of Sickness to be expected in future. I hope they have done so, as for the last two years the contributions of the Nelson Lodge have been insufficient to discbarge their Sick and Funeral Money, and during 1880 their contributions were £319 5s to meet Sick and Funeral benefits of £532 5s 6d, and this deficit absorbed all their interest and a portion of their capital. In the face of this, I am not surprised at their auditors reporting against any increase of benefits. Their burden is as great as they can bear, unless the contributions are increased. By way of comparing the benefits paid with the contributions received, I may point out that the average Sick Pay of the Otago District last half-year was 6s. 2d. per member, and they have adopted a graduated scale of contribution ranging from 2s. to 4s. per lunar moutli, whilst we only pay 2s. and a small initiation fee. Conclusion. Many people ask. Why we call our Order the (t Independent " Order of Oddfellows ? I say, it truly depicts our position. Our Members do not look forward to being kept by the Parish, when they are past work or disabled by sickness or accidents. By means of a prudent thrift, we become absolutely independent of government or private charitable aid. Receiving no aid from the government, we provide for more sickness than all their hospitals do. The Dumber of depositors in our Savings Bank exceed those in the Government Bank. By the "Union" of our resources we offer to working men tho advantages obtained by capitalists. Reasons like these have kept me a member of the Order for upwards of fifteen years, and though I may never avail myself of the benefits I am entitled to, yet I trust that my example will induce others to recognize that Oddfellowship is the sheet anchor of the working classes of the Colony and deserving of support by every member of the comjoounitv.

Days. Sick Pay. Nelson Lodge ... 16| £2 4 Travellers' Rest ... 3} 010 10 Howard 9} 1- 6 7| Mansion of Peace... 2 0 7 7 General Cameron ... 4£ 014 9|

Name of Lodge. Ist Jan., Ist Jan., 1878. 1881. Nelson 236 221 Travellers' Rest ... 73 72 Howard 163 198 Mansion of Peace 55 79 General Cameron 53 fi_