FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1918, Page 5

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

THEIR WAR-TIME DIFFICULTIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Oct. 30. A brief discussion arose in the House of Representatives to-dnj; with reference to the friendly societies and the difficulties created for them by the war- Messrs Veitch (Wanganui), Talbot (Temuka), and Buddo (Kaiapoi) urged that the Government ought to give some additional assistance to the societies, which were embarrassed by the demands made upon them by discharged soldier members and by the suspension of the contribution.? of soldiers on service. The Hon. J. A. Hanan, in raply, said that there were many difficulties connected with the matter, and it had been necessary for the Friendly Societies' Department to collect much information before coming to a decision. The information had now been obtained and the Department was in a position to make a recommendation to the Minister. He hoped later to submit a proposal to Cabinet. He agreed that the societies were placed in a difficult position by their obligations to discharged soldier members who were in ill-health. These men were entitled to draw sick pay, and they constituted a severe strain on the funds of the societies. He felt that the societies ought to be assisted, and he hoped to make proposals that would enable Cabinet to deal with the matter.