The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1883. THE AGED MEMBERS OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1440, 26 July 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 26, 1883. THE AGED MEMBERS OF FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

The Newcastle Examiner has recently published an article on a movement on foot in the Home Country for friendly societies to make some provision against old ago as well as against sickness. The strong point of such societies is the liberal provision they make tor sickness, the weak point the want of provision for aged members. Major Atkinson has attempted to supply this particular want by his National Insurance Scheme, but if friendly societies could relieve the state of the onus of insurance against old age wo are. disposed to believe that they would manage matters much better than any state department, The practical success of friendly societies in dealing with sickness is undoubted, No Government could vie with them in the economical and at the same time liberal administration of sick funds, They have practically solved one groat social, problem, and what is there to hinder them from grappling with another? Members of friendly "societies are absolutely independent of state and all other extraneous aid when laid on a sick bed, but when they have the misfortune to be disabled from work by old age and yet retain their health, their position is frequently an embarrassing one. They havo possibly been paying money for fifty years into their society, I but they have no right to claim relief from it. for hunger, , cold, or nakedness, they must be absolutely ill before they can- be benefited by the brotherhood Jo which they belong. Under these circumstances the steps which are beiug taken sit home to provide a superanuation fund should be hailed with hearty satisfaction in this Britain of the South, The Foresters at home have gone into the question, and have come to the conclusion that a certain weekly payment would enable the executive Council of that Society to pay five shillings per week to every member after he has reached the age of 65 years. The proposed contributions range from about two pence per weok, that sum being the minimum amount fixed for young members eighteen years of age.' Of course members beginning at a greater age pay more in proportion, For example a man fifty years of age is assessed at about" one shilling and eight pence per week, With the larger interest for money obtainable in the colony we believe colonial Friendly Societiescouldpromisemoreliberal benefits than those which the home Societies propose. Itappears to us that if a young member at the age .of eighteen paid a contribution of three pencejper week, the society to which he belonged could," without risk, pledge itself to give .him ten shillings per week after he attained the age of sixty-five years. The aspect

of the question is of course one which only an';actuary could solve with accuracy, bufc; _ any intelligent person can niake.a l'pugli guess : at the benefit which a giveritSyeekly payment -ought to yield, and will also be: able to realise the greater rapidity with which money accunmlatedn a colony where interest is high as contrasted with an old country where rates are low. We commend the .question to the considertion of friendly societies in this district. Our Newcastle contemporary in commenting on the proposal says : " It is of vital importance to the moral health of a nation that its inhabitants should be dependent upon themselves, and upon themselves alone, for the necessaries of life," We echo this! sentiment, and would say to the brotherhoods established amongst us: "depend upon yourselves alone, not on Major Atkinson's scheme. You can if you choose do better for yourselves than the Government can do for you. What Major Atkinson proposes is a compulsory insurance, but' if you meet the difficulty by a voluntary insurance, which will command the support of every man who respects himself sufficiently to be selfreliant, you will have initiated a great work, which will be carried on from generation to generation and which will enoble the name of every friendly society taking part iii'it."