FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1916, Page 7

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

THE NATIONAL PROVIDENT FUND. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. The Hons. J. A. Hana.n and A. M. Myers nddressed a conference of deleJ?ates from friendly societies to-day relative to the competition of the National Provident Fund. Mr. Hanan referred to the good work of friendly societies and said that since ISB7 Jiey had paid in sickness allowance .-£1,251,933, death allowances £237,030, and medical fees £1,162,105. The social insurance functions of the Dominion are officially directed towards the solution of the provision for old age, the problem for which the policy of the National Provident Fund Act stands. No societies provided for this. The social insurance functions of the Government are not at present directed to provide the benefits of friendly societies, as in Britain. Details of a new annuity scheme would bo laid oefore the conference. The Government sincerely desired to learn the societies' viws on the problem. The extension of the Provident Fund meant the extension of those thrift principles which the societies had done so much to foster and it should be' the aim of all to encourage rather than retard any movement in that direction. Mr. Myers stressed, the importance of the National Provident scheme and expressed she opinion that the conference would be of the utmost mutual benefit. Mr. Hanan was appointed chairman of the conference.