ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1918, Page 7

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

REPOJ.IT iX/ll LAST YEAR.' The following supplementary report for the year tinting lull was presented at the meeting ut the New Plymouth District of Oddfellows at EltUam yesterday morning: When the annual report was prepared it was anticipated-that the returns for tiie yetir would be' made up and.printed lis usual. Unfortunately, several of the lodges were unable to balance their books, mainly owing to the accounts between the New Zealand Branch and the District, and the District and the Lodges, not .being adjusted- This was largely a> matter of soldiers' sick pay and funeral benefit refunds due to the various lodges Added to this, the Loyal. Egmont was unable to forward returns, 'the main cause being the u;:fortunate illness of the secretary, Bro. Ainaworth. As regards the refunds, these matters Wero hung up through dilliculties arising in connection with the district secretaryship, as explained i n the annual report. In connection with the Loyal Egmont Lodge we might mention * that" Pro, Little, secretary of the. Excelsior Lodge, Kindly came to the rescue and has now got matters straightened up. With the returns available it is possible to give a statement showing the numerical position of the District and the state of the sick and funeral fund. The membership on January 1 was 106(5, and „„ December ii 11(11, a n ' increase of 35, (ho previous year showing a decrease of 43. As stated in the annual report, tin's was due to the Eltham and Kaponga lodges, the former showing an increase of CO ,and the latter 5. With the exception of Wai, tara the other lodges show a decrease The position of the Sick and Funeral I'und is satisfactory considering the lar<-e amount paid out.in sick benefits bv several of the Lodges din-ing'l.hc.year." The Iwcehior Lodge paid £337, against £"(fj th* previous year, this being largely due to wooded soldier members, The Union Lodge paid £242, against £49 in lflici the increase being, amounts that should have been paid in the previous veav The Loyal Waitara lodge paid £147, against £4l. Several other lodge 3 sho.v a"smaller increase, whilo the Stratford, Toko, and Eltham show n decrease. The total amount of funds on January 1. 1017. wa« £34,234; on December 31; £.15 750 an increase of £1516. ' '

Tim money invested by the various Lodges shows a very satisfactory return some of the Lodges getting as 'much us 7 per cent, on first mortgage, and flic average amount is (i per cent. During the year some £;!000 was invested in (ha V/jkr Lwi In regard to the Medical and Management Funds, .the position is the sami as in the previous year, the majority of the Lodges being in a healthy state,' the. exceptions tfeimr those Lodges which have a difficulty in providing for medical attendance at a reasonable rate. Rev, oral of these have raised considerable amounts by special 'levies (notably Midhirst, 12s IM per member), and despite this there 13 l,ittk' improvement in their position at the' eiid of the year, this is ft matter that is causing some considerable concern to your officers and cannot be viewed with equanimity by the District as a whole.