FRIENDLY SOCIETIES ACT 1883.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1521, 29 October 1883, Page 2

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES ACT 1883.

Thb delegates from the Foresters, Oddfellows, Druids and Rechabites branch lodges at Masterton met Mr Buchanan M.H.R. on Saturday evening to lay before him their resolutions as to the value of the above Act with a view to obtaining his assistance in Parliament should the Societies- of the Colony decide to make an effort to procure the repeal.of.the present Act and the passing of one really in their interests and framed after consulting the whole of the lodges through their delegates or otherwise. Mr Buchanan s&id he had not had time to go into the matter very deeply and came more to gain information than to impart it on the Act, Ho endeavored to remove an impression that appeared to exist that Major Atkinson was endeavoring by his Compulsory National Insurance Scheme and the establishment of the Industrial Insurance Branch to supplant the Friendly Societies, He quoted from Hansard to show that Major Atkiiißou always spoke in the highest terms of Friendly Societies and the good they were doing, An Oddfellow delegate pointed out that at the time of his speeches he was trying his best to persuade the societies to give his scheme their support, and that therefore his praise had to be taken with a good deal of salt. Mr Buchanan asked, Were not the returns required by the Act for the benefit of the societies themselves, in as much as they were building up a reliable set of tables for future guidance 1

A Forester delegate replied that tho returns were useless as they were not required for the working of the Order. That they were most injurious to societies as the Government actuaries had based a calculation upon thorn which showed that nearly all the lodges, <fcc, in New Zealand were more or less bankrupt. That they weie injurious to the public, as men were prevented from joining a Society, by suoh reports, and many were thus deprived of very great benefit. These'returns were solely for the purposes of the Government Insurance Department as was proved by .the announcement in some of the insurance circulars that the benefits had been calculated on the; basis of the doings of older Friendly Societies, The Government Industrial Branch was touted for in this district as a rival to tho Societies, and the statement that the latter were bankrupt was freely made to induceporsons to take up policies in the former.

Mr Buchanan asked why they considered the Actuary's report as to the state of the societies incorrect, as no doubt the report was prepared in a careful manner 1

It was replied that the report was based on a wrong principle. Actuaries would only take a lodge as it stood on its own bottom, and debited branch lodges with a liability (funeral money) which was really not a liability of'a single lodge, or, in fact, of a single district, but of the whole Order all over the world. Tho actuaries would not apparently tako into consideration the fact that the accumulation of funds at head centres belonged to the whole Order, whether in New Zealand or Great Britain. The tables of the Oddfellows were adopted *fter careful consideration in 1832. So far from proving, during the last fifty yoars, to be insufficient, the funeral fund had increased so; largely that it was a serious question what ultimately to do with the money. The laws of the Order forbade its use, for any other than the one purpose, and! the surplus was simply accumulating by interest and contributions till it would becomo a sort of white elephant—and yet a New Zealand actuary could report that a branch having an interest in such a fund was insolvent,

Mr Buchanan wished to know if the delegates were quite sure as to what basis the actuary founded his report upon 1

It was replied that the report showed it was based on individual branches as one was set down say at being only able to pay lis 8d in the pound, while another was declared solvent. It was a fact that with regard to the benefits promised a branch lodge could not possibly be insolvent without the whole order became bankrupt. The proof of the soundness of the Societies which had branches in New Zealand was the fact that they had existed for a great number of years, and their funds were constantly increasing. ■ ' Mr Buchanan pointed out that it had been found necessary to pass a stringent law in. England upon the friendly sooieties. The cause of this was explained, and the admission made that some societies founded on a wrong basis had become bankrupt, but it was pointed out that the Friendly Societies Act did not prevent the starting of such societies in any way, and as a proof that the Act was not much valued in England it was pointed but ttoHßtof 4000 Oddfellows' Lgdges

thei'e only 900 were Registered. The fight the Foresters had over' the matter was also mentioned, Mr Buchanan then referred as to clerical labor demanded byf.'tb'e Registrar, and stated that he had been informed en good authority that the whole could be done b-six hours, Two secretaries of branches stated this Was a-statement made/by some person hot familiar with, the work required. ' .'■. A Eechabite delegate said secretaries often did a large amount of work for their Tents or Lodges freely and cheerfully, and if the information sought by the Registrar was demanded by the head centres for the good of the order it would be freely sjiven, but they objected to have their labor requisitioned by the Government.. Thoy intended absolutely to decline to work at the bidding of the Registrar without pay, and to refuse to supply him with information which was used Friendly Societies. . ■ An Oddfellow pointed'put that the Registrar by the Act was. empowered ' after receiving the returns, to only publish what he thought fit, '"' Mr Buchanan said no doubt he would publish that most valuable to the Societies. ;'■'•• !; ■• It was objected that the Registrar was not in a position to know what was most required by Societies. They objected to allow theßegistrar'to have any control over the Societies. After considerable further discussion, the matter resolved itself into this," That it is the desiro of the Masterton branches of the Friendly Societies, as represented by their .delegates, to obtain the repeal of tho present Act, and the substitution, if an Act was really necessary for the protection of Societies, of one that they should aIIVW a full opportunity of considering (jjforo it became law. Mr Buchanan promised to carefully consider tho whole question and' communicate with the delegates on the matter. He wished them to understand ho had responded to their invitation not as a champion for the Governbut to learn their requirements, and givo them the best assistance he could. A cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr Buchanan for his kindness in meeting the delegates. They knew they stated that they were trespassing upon him, as ho was the representative of the southern portion of the district, but their own membor was absent from the colony, and they ; really regarded both Mr Buohanan and Mr Beetham as" Wairarapa members;' 1 , t Mr Buchanan quite approved this view, and would at all times do what he could for the benefit of all parts of the district. The meeting then adjourned.