ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 217, 13 March 1914, Page 3

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

THE MANCHESTER UNITY. j DISTRICT MEETING AT ELTILVM. ANNUAL KEPOftT. At the District meeting yesterday, the annual fcnort, presented by Messrs W. Mountford, Prov. C.M., A. Melville, and C. E. Bellringer, Prov. C.S., congratulated members on a successful year. All the lodges had been visited, and while somo of the meetings, notably in the smaller districts, were well attended, the attendance on the whole was unsatisfactory. Dealing with the work of the year, the report stated that the outstanding question was the consolidation of the Bick funds of the New Zealand branch, which had been discussed at many district meetings, and, as directed, at meetings at Hawera, Eltham, Stratford and New Plymouth. The Auckland and Nelson districts had affirmed the principle of consolidation for the district, presumably as an alternative to the New Zealand branch proposals. The Hawke's Bay district had a proposal on the agenda of the B.M.C. for a general scheme worked on an average principle. The central funeral fund scale of payments had been criticised, there being a feeling that in view of the favorable mortality experience the scale was too high. The Hawke's Bay district had a proposal on the B.M.C. business sheet which would doubtless bring the whole matter under review. The Order continued to advance. The Unity figures showed that in 1912 £1,061,902 was received in contributions for Sick and Funeral Fund purposes, and £520,019 for interest. In the same 1 year sick and funeral benefits totalled J £1,101,547, being £39,645 more than the sum paid as contributions. This showed the imperative necessity for building up substantial funds during the early days of a Lodge. If the figures were taken for the twenty-five years ending 1912 they showed that £22,761,162 was received for contributions and £22,642,807 was paid for sick and funeral benefits. The margin between the two was only £108,355. As showing the tremendous influence of interest earnings on the financial .position during the same period, the funds increased by £8,871,874, the total accumulated funds at the end of 1912 being £16,135,353. j The membership over the same period -' had grown from 627.594 to 1,472,815. j In addition to the benefits already enumerated for 1912, the following sums I were paid: Medical benefits £173,278, J widows and orphans £48,120, juvenile j members £38,392, benevolence £34,307. The year had been a fairly prosperous ■ one as far as the district was cdncerncii. The membership showed an increase of 36. The total membership was 1143 (1099 males and 44 females), an increase of 38 males and a decrease of two females. The admissions numbered 103, of whom 99 were males and four females, 58 left by arrears, five by clearance, and five died, a total of 68. Five members' wives died during the year. The financial position was eminently satisfactory. The sick funds of lodges amounted to £20,188 IDs 2d and management funds £275 17s 7(1. The receipts on account of sick and funeral funds were £3520 Cs, managenot funds 1625 4s lOd, medical expenses funds £1364 14s lid, making a total of £5510 5s 9d. The expenditure for sickness benefit reached £982 2s Id. an increase of £ll7 3s fid; funeral benefits £2lO, or £6O more than last year. Medicines and medical attendance cost £1364 14s lid, the total paid tor benefits being £3.556 17s. The viilue of all the funds amounted to £30,024 0s 3d, showing an increase of £1517 14s Id for the year. The amount of the funeral assessment for the Central Funeral | Fund for 1913 was £691 lis Bd, being I £4Bl Us 8d in excess of the amount I paid in funeral benefits. The figures for the past three years were as follow:—Contributed 1911, £753 Is 6d; 191-2, £7-21 7s 7d; 1913, £691 lis Sd; total, £2166 0s 9d. Funeral benefits: 1911, £390; 1912, £150; 1(113, £210; total, £750. It would be noticed that the amount contributed annually was decreasing, because of the death of the older members who, at the inception of the fund, being very advanced in years, were assessed at high rates of contribution. This was particularly noticeable in the case of the oldest Lodge in the district, the Loyal Egmont Lodge, their amount having fallen from £256 10s 6d in 1911 to £2OB 7s 2d in 1913. The Central Fund had undertaken very heavy risks for these aged members, and as they passed away the contributions would be materially lessened. The report on the Lodge Management Fund showed that two lodges had overdrawn, but the outstanding- contributions would more than meet the deficiency. The funds amounted to £275 17s 7d. It was recommended that the levy for the ensuing year be lOd per member per quarter.