ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 3 April 1907, Page 2

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

THE NEEDS OF THE OKDEK. EXPLAINED HY CM. 11K0. JiATCHELOIi. Speaking at the Loyal Egmont Lodge meeting on Monday night, Jtro. A. M. liiKi-hiOov, (irniiil Master'of the NewZealand branch, of the Manchester liiity, alter apologising for his inab 1il.v in visit this district at other than holiday time, touched on some of the principal masters exercising the minds ff Oddfellows in the colony to-day. The fine was not far distant', he thought, when the Annual Moveable CouimitLee would be fully representative of the Order in 'New Zealand, three districts having recently fallen into line whilst others were likely to do so in the near future. The management expenses of the central body were light, and despite the small levy ' there was even now a credit of xi(ll) or more to the fund. Touching on the FlllrlNDLY SOCIETIES' ACT

ollj ISS2. imilcr winch the work in , New Zealand had become a little ■>nL-t>l'-dalc as tin- Societies grew ami progrcsscd : and 1 lit- late Premier had hart an amending measure drafted and submitted lo a conference of the Friendly Societies. Amendments were made in certain (lirec- i tiiiii.-, and these (he Government agreed In. He thought thai during the fuming ses-ion the new Act would lie placed on the Statute Book, and lie could assure members of the Order of Oddfellows I hat it would give a position more satisfactory than that obtaining in the past. Then there was ihe scheme of ""*" NATIONAL AX K I'IT IKS. promulgated by the late Right lion. K. •J. Seddon to assis! the people of New Zealand to secure annuities by payment of nominal sums. The scheme provided for the payment of subsidies to Friendly Societies to reimburse the lodges tor the amounts disbursed in sick pay. There was a mistaken idea that the subsidies would he paid lo members in addition 1o the sick pay f.-om the lodges, hut Hint was not so. Now, at first glance, this seemed a first-rale thing for the Friendly Societies, hut they must look a little into the future. What was the object of offering these subsidies to an Order like the one of,which they were, members, and which had been established for over a hundred years in England and for over (ifty years in the colony ? What object was therein oU'ering to subsidise such a Society, which had built up funds out of an adequate rate of contributions, and which was prepared to pay all that it promised to pay, and to meet all its claims ; which had always met its just claims without any outside nssUtairc or interference 1 ! 'The Manchester I'nlty of Oddfellows was independent of Ihe Government, or of this charitable and scheme, or any subsidy oll'ered (applause). The Oddfellows prided themselves on their independence, for did they not by their own thrift and saving lay u]) savings for use in time of illness, or for payment to relatives at death of a. member '! There was no charity in that ; it was a reward of prudence and forethought. The Grand Master said he could see in Ibis annuities proposal a plan for getting in the thin end of the wedge of Government control, with the ultimate idea of mopping up the Friendly Societies in a sort of big charitable aid scheme. One of the provisions of the proposed measure, stated that the management, of these funds, and the payments of subsidies to the societies, would i be subject to regulations to he, made by ■ the Government in the Council, or in • other words, Hiat the Covcrnuicnt-in- ■ Council would not be compelled to pay - over any subsidy until the Government • Auditor had examined the claim and the ! Society's books, and so forth. Hut the ; Manchester Unity of Oddfellows was puite capable of looking after its own - affairs, as proved by the successful nd- ■ ministration of airairs in the past. The ; passing into law of the Act providing ; for the establishment of this scheme. ; would bring with it a great drawback ■ to the successful operations of tlrs SoE ciety, and members would do well to t watch the matter carefully; and on behalf of the Order, do all 'they could to > prevent its becoming law. They could , not all'ord to accept 'this thing' at the - expense of their independence and of the i right to control their own nlfnirs. , ADDITIONAL FUNERAL BENEFIT. 1 Touching on the suggested scheme for • an additional funeral benefit of £1(10 i for members, the Grand Master said the . limbics ami condition* showed that if this - were made compulsory it could be worki ed on a much lower rate than bv anv i other Order, and the CIOO beneiit could ■ be obtained at a much smaller cost than i in any insurance society. It must, 100, be absolutely compulsory to be of any f use. llisownoplmon.afterinntiiroconsi':" deration, and that the increased contribu- ■ lion necessary would operate against the i success of the Order in New Zealand. Of course, he knew other societies offered CIOU funeral beneiit, and that that selfsame oiler was making it harder for , 'die Oddfellows to obtain members ; for 1100 was looked on as far belter than tiic ,c:! 0 paid by this Sociely. Hut howwas the .CIOO provided 1 / Hut of (he ordinary contribution 1 No. It was really an optional levy of sixpence on each member to meet each call of CIOO and this levy generally amounted in one growing society to about Ills a year. The thing operated very unfairly,' ftii l the younger members, was not countenanced by law, and might be wiped out at any time. He also made a point that this system would prove very costly with an increase in the death rate. | AMUSEMENT HA U.S.

The (,'rand .Master asked his hearers lo use their inlliunec at all times i tij tlie direction of preventing lodges from using funds in the erection of halls for public entertainments, for in nearly every case these were a linaneial failure. MEDICAL TROUBLES.

A very important matter was mentioned, thai the present somewhat, disturbed relations existing in some districts between the Friendly Societies ami tile medical fraternity.' The doe-

tors had handed themselves together in oppu-itiou to the Friendly Societies, and in Xelson district, had gone so far as In refuse to examine a candidate for .mcftibei'Hiip if he were the sou of a man in anything approaching allliicut

I circumstances. One young niau, a candidal.!' for ndinissam to the Oddl'ollows' Lodge, lnul been met with a reply something to this cll'cet: 'Tin not going to pass you; your father can all'or.i to pay for your doctoring." Put one doctor there could not all'ord to puss by the ciis.om or patronage, of the friendly soeietids, and his need of support saved the fort. His advice to lodges was to prepare to meet the doctors on their .uni ground by opening a Friendly Societies' dispensary. When (h's ' was •lone in Auckland it caused some nnamongst the doctors, and they limited retaliation by asking the Premier to have the laws amended so that no doctor jliut one holding a Hritiwh • iiploma should be allowed- to practice in (he colony. ]}„t the late l>rev.v>)' had promised that no such step would be taken without the matter being lirst referred to the Friendly Societies." This was a matter that would ],. lve to lu , watched, for it was an attempt on the part of a few men to cut at one of tho : great supports of .Friendly Societies' work. Pro. liatchelor concluded by limiting statistics showing the Munehos'- <•'!• I'nily of Oddfellows to be by far ihe largest Society, both niiuicrteallv and financially, in New Zealand, and in. Hi'' world, and staled his pride at being II member. He concluded his remarks \v touching on the method of audit, and lie necessity for centralising funeral funds as district funds.

[ Secretary, m a short address, coimrntiilated the Tnrannki district on its'".. T eat strides in O.hlfellowship. (;„od workwas being one, showing that there were somu good Ine luembers „|„„|| . v , ]»-; had heard will, pleasure .that "ihe Lodges were getting hold of „ien win, might be expected to become (he backbone of the Order in years to com,..' ,],', expressed the regret of the deputation froin (he A.MXI. thai they would |,„ „,, ii ilc o attend the juhileo of Oddfellowsiuii m Taranaki.

l'rov. CS. Pro. 0. K . Pollringer, i„, ii.oying a yo o of thanks to the ,„.,,„. iation, pointed out that in Taran'li tho tuneral fund was worked as -, ,iis fl'-t '»™«nl: that tho district meet inhad en ere, its protest against (he u," ''"■ lies' 11.11; and that they had a-re-l to Ihe increased funeral benefit ",„„■ poses. '

V.V.G.M fro. Aimnrortu , nml liisdnn j.r ilS p of tli, noVr* of the Or ov in No„- Z«,in„,l, as evklom,,! ] )v llia clear mid lucid nianiiflv „f nvldivsn ' Ti,o vol, ofllmnk-, was oaiTioj'hvac. (-liiimunlKiii, after P.P.d.M. 11,,, j,,,... U\v<lo„ (known ns (lie "T.o,l Re planter") «»'l VXI liro. Ahior ]iad i Ua ,l e a few complimentary remarks.