PAYMENT OF HOSPITAL DUES.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1918, Page 6

PAYMENT OF HOSPITAL DUES.

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES IN CONFERENCE. At the meeting of delegates of benefit -wietie-- in Stratford on Thursday after fixing the levy for the next quarto; - , the President, Bro. Tunbridge, said il:o Association's rules required amending. Rule 2C, granting a member £3O in any one year was not clear. He thought the rule should be interpreted to mean that when si member had incurred expenses (lio.spit.ii) up to that amount the liability of the Association shall cense, an 1 Hint at least twelve months shall elapse before 1 the Association meets any further claimsBro. Sole admitted it was an awkward position. A man might be in the hospital for five months and incur the £3O allowed by the Association, and then soon afterwards break a leg. It would be hard if he had to bear this expense and then have to pay his hospital fees for the seven months In the year. The President, remarked that the Association would have to do something to protect members. They, unfortunately, had members who had been under, treatment for four yean, incurring a .liability of £l-20 to be met by the Association. A delegate s aid that a member's wife and some children might have to seek hospital attention and absorb the £3O in a very short period. Mr. Sole, touching on the £l-10 liability, said they sfiould understand that the board did not accept chronic cases, and patients of that description were merely there at the discretion of the Board. A' letter was received from a member contending that the year meant the Association's financial year ending March, and that a patient in the hospital then, a.nd going into April woubl be entitled to £3O for the year ending and a further consideration for breaking into the new year. The President said ho believed it necessary to have an alteration. However, lie was prepared to let the matter drop for the present. Bro. Little suggested that Rule _ :., class D, should be altered to read ".six" month', instead of "'three" before any member can claim hospital benefits Lodges generally safe-guarded then fundi by'ruling that a member should I,<. six months in the Order before receiving sick pay, and,,yet they granted hospital privileges at three months. Jj, was open to abuse. They had ncanv WOO members and these must be protected. As things went a man might receive medical advice that; an operation would be necessary in, say. six months, and, knowing this, he might re, (rain from joining i'lll the last possible moment. Bro. Brabant: But a member has to make a declaration that he is m a sound state of health when joining the Association. Tiro. Little: That would not stick :;cmo members. By making it six months chey were only bringing this into line' -vith the general rules of the Order. It would certainly do no harm, and probably could save them a fair sum of money. Bro. Draper expressing the opinion that the alteration was a necessity. It would Tninimise the risk of members joining when they knew an operation was possible in the near future. Thev should profevf. the Association, and this rule would he In that direction. This alteration was calmed.