RECHABITE DISTRICT MEETING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5583, 19 February 1879, Page 3

RECHABITE DISTRICT MEETING.

The annual District Council of the Independent Order of Rechabites opened in the Rechabite Hall on Monday, Bro. A. Levy, D.C.E., presided, and representatives were present from tents in all the provinces of the colony with the exception of Auckland and Westland. Some formal business was disposed of, the reports of various committees were considered and adopted, and the meeting then adjourned. The Council resumed at nine o’clock yesterday morning. The officers’ reports were read, from which it appeared that five now touts had been opened during the year. The funds of the order showed a considerable increase. The amount in the hands of the district was reported to be £1133; and the funds held by the various tents amounted to £3IBB, making a total of £4321, or £B2O 12s. more than last year. The total membership was stated as 815, including 85 honorary members. Correspondence was read from the 6.L. (1.0.G.T.) of New Zealand, in reference to the anticipated visit of Dr. Lees, the celebrated temperance author and lecturer, and it was unanimously resolved that the district should co-operate with the other temperance organisations in this matter, and contribute to the fund now being raised for the purpose. The expenditure for the coming year was considered, and the salary of the District Secretary was fixed at £6O. The next district meeting was appointed to be held at Christchurch. At the afternoon session the election of officers for the ensuing year was proceeded with, and resulted as follows :—D.O.R., Bro. W. Hialop ; D.D.R, Bro. I'. Sidey ; District Secretary, Bro. F. H. Fraser (re-elected) ; Auditors, Bros. Brown and Bennett. Brother the Rev. J. W. Inglis, from Victoria, visited the Council, and conveyed to the assembled delegates the good wishes of the brotherhood in Victoria. Ho also favored the meeting with an able aud stirring address, for which a hearty and unanimous vote of thanks was accorded.

Mr. Frankland, the Government Actuary, attended by invitation, and gave a very full explanation of the tables of contributions, compiled by the Government for acceptance by the Friendly Societies, and of the principles on which they were calculated. He also answered a number of questions put by various members. In reference to the question whether an association of abstainers did not show a [lower death-rate and greater immunity from sickness than other orders, he replied that the fact was undoubted, but that there did not at present exist sufficient data upon which to base a separate calculation. Any benefit of this kind would become apparent at the quinquennial valuation, and the society would of course profit by it. He added that the returns from benefit societies consisting of total abstainers were a subject of great interest to actuaries for purposes of comparison. Ho further explained that acceptance of the Governmeut-tables was not insisted on as a preliminary to registration ; but that a society working on a lower scale of contribution would most probably be pronounced insolvent at the first valuation.

The subject «f the admission of females to the ordinary tents came on for discussion at the evening sitting, and was debated for some hours. The same question formed the subject of a long debate at the previous annual session, but was left in abeyance for a year, the matter having been complica l ed by the action of several tents—notably the Dunedin tent—initiating females without any definite permission from the district, Several motions in reference to this subject appeared on the business paper, and it was ultimately resolved that any tents having admitted ten or more than ten female members should be requested to form them at once into a separate branch; and that any tent having a lesser number than ten should be requested to obtain that number as soon as possible, with a view to the formation of a separate branch. It was further resolved that the district take no steps in making laws for mixed tents until such time as the proposed Southern board of directors bo formed, or until such time as provision be made for mixed tents by the board of directors in England. The meeting adjourned at 1 a.m. till 11 a.m. to-day. The only matter now remaining for consideration is that of financial reform. There is no doubt that the Government tables will be adopted, and as the district has already very large accumulated funds, it will no doubt take the first rank as a benefit society in these islands.