NOMINEES FOR HOSPITAL BOARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 26, 22 April 1927, Page 9

NOMINEES FOR HOSPITAL BOARD

FRIENDLY SOCIETYS’ MEN

The strength of friendship may have a bearing on the result of the forthcoming Hospital Board election. The United Friendly Societies of Auckland, with a strength of 14,000 members, have nominated two candidates, Messrs. R. Darlow, secretary of the Ancient Order of Foresters, and Mr. S. Takle of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. The societies claim that their officers are well qualified to be members of the board for they are used to dealing with problems of finance, of relief, and of organisation. The remarkable strides made by local friendly associations in a few years are pointed out as evidence of the efficiency of these men. New Zealand has now a membership of 76,000 in the societies which are

represented at the annual conference and an accumulated fund of over

£2,000.000. Another reason advanced for the societies’ interest in the Hospital Board is that the Auckland bodies pay in about £3,000 a year for hospital treatment for their members. “It is often said that the friendly societies receive a concession from the Hospital Board,” said Mr. Darlow, but concession is not the right word. It would be better to say that it was a mutual-benefit arrangement. Though the societies pay only 50 per cent, cf the nominal rates, they pay into the hospital considerably more than that institution would receive if it had to collect the money from each individual. “We save the board the trouble of collecting,” he continued. “And the accounts are settled each month, each society being responsible for everyone of its financial members who receive treatment. The money comes out of the benefit funds. When the board has to do its own collecting among the general public it gets only 30 per cent, of the money owing, and 70 per cent, has to be written off. The percentage of money is reduced still more if one does not take into account the patients in shipping and government employ.”