FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 365, 15 September 1874, Page 2

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Unow we give the recommendations of the Eojal Commission appointed to consider the position of friendly soeii ties. As the principal societies have a largo number of subscriber* in this colony, their recommendations cannot fail to prove interesting :—: — C> l That the Registration of Friendly Societies should lotitiiiiie. 2. T'uit while registration should, if practicable, bo rendeied more easy for the societies, the requirements of the ) i\v should be more strictly enforced upon them by penalties on oflli''M"s or othorwise, than they have been hitherto. . 3. T lat in this view a system of local registration under tlif control of a central office be adopted, the country being divided into u certain number of registration districts (either coextensive with counties or not), with a deputy registrar in each. I. 'lhat the central authority consist of a Chief I!egistrar in London, with one or more assistant registrars in London. 5. That tlioro should be assistant legistrars in Scotland ami Ireland, subordinate to the central authority. G. Tlmt the Chief Eegistrnr should be immediately subordinate to tl<o head of some Government Department responsible to Parliament. 7. Tliat a competent acturial staff" bo attached to tha Liegistinr'd office. 8 Tli it there should bo an appeal to tue Chief Registrar from tin) refusal of a deputy registrar to legister a society, or fioin that of an assisl ant for Scotland or Ireland (except on pom 1 s of Scotch or Irish law, when the appeal should be to Dine competent legal tribunal), and from the Chief Registrar mmsell, on legal points, to a court of law. 9. That while it should be the duty of the Registrar to refuso registration to societies which he considers to be formed for illegal purposes, the certificate or acknowledgement of registration should only purport so testify to the fact of compliance with statutory requirements, and not to general conformity of the rules with law. 10. That tin- Regktrar should, at his discretion, give advice to the piomoters and managers of Friendly Societies. 11. That tobies ot premiums for sickness and death claims should be prepared mid published from time to time by tho Government (or general information, but that the use of Bucli tables should not bo compulsory. 12. That e\ciy Registered Friendly Society should borequired to submit its affairs to valuation once at least in every live years. 13 That the forais of such valuation should be issued by the Gowrnment. 14. That tho first valuation of a society should bo made, if desired, without charge to the socsety, by some, vakof named by the Government, and subsequent valuations at a small fee. 15. That c\ cry valuer's report shonld be accompanied by an abstract in u lorm to be prescribed by the Government. 16. That suc'i valuer's report and abstract should bo re: gisteiel local'v with the documents relating to the society, and with such explanatory or additional matters as tho central authonly may from time to time think fit 17. That the law should enforce the keeping of accounts in a proper form. 18. That mi efficient system of andit should bo enforced. 19. That competent public auditors should be appointed and in part pud by the Government, whose service should be available on lixed and moderate terms, but whise employment should not be compulsory. 20. That annual and quinquennial returns in an improved form or improved forms should bo enforced, with penalties for wilful misstatcments. 21. That the existing, quinquennial returns should bo examined with a view to the sifting out of any useful data which they may afford towards the construction of model tables. 22. That it should bo the duty of the Registrars from time to time to collect from the returns nnd from other authentic sources, and to popularize and publish information on the statistics of life and sickness in their application to the business of Friendly S)cieties. 23 That it should bo the duty of tho Registrars from time to time to publish in the respects c local districts such particulars, founded on tho returns and valuations of soeietifs, as they may deem fit. 24. That societies for friendly purposes be not excluded from registration merely on account ot their dividing any part of their funds, if their rules contain satisfactory provision for meeting existing claims before division. 25. That tho power to hold land should bo extended, so as to enable societies to .acquire local offices. 26. Thnt the membership of minors bo limited to commence with the age of 16. 27. That provision bo made for bringing oiphon children within the scopp of Friendly Societies legi-lation. 28. That the Central Office should havo power to grant a certificate conferring in such cases as it may deem it advisiible. £9. Tbafc in societies composed of a central body with branches, rules giving control to the central body over the brunches be allow id to be registered. 30. That tho registiars or deputy registrars be empowered to arbitrate in disputes, on request of both parties. 31. That the power of tho registrars to prosecute be made more effective. 32 That individual members, on behalf of their societies, bo enabled to prosecute officers with the authority of the Central Office. 33. That the Central Office bo cmpowpied, on tho request of a n'uen number or prescnbul proportion of meinbeis, to appoint inspectors of accounts, and to call special meetings of societies. 3t. That tho nmalgomntion of societic, not being biaLchcs of the saDi'j body, be subject c I to special piovisions.

33. That the mode of transforming societies into jointstock companies bo regulated. 3G. That the proportion of me -fibers who tnay apply for a dissolution by award of the Chief Registrar be rsduced. 37. Thnt in addition to Ins power of dissolving the society, the Chief Registrar should have authority, on the application of a certain number or prescribed proportion of members, toinakoan award binding on a society for the adjustment of contributions and benefits. 38. Thnt special provisions bo enacted for societies receiving contributions in more than one district, otherwise than through, other societies or branches of societies as their agents 39. That the insurance of the lives of infants undor a given ago (say three years) be prohibited, and that additional precautions be taken with reference to the certificates of their deaths. 40. That the privilege attached to the deposit of rules bo j withdrawn, but that existing societies which have deposited their rules should retain their privileges for a period not ex(Ojding two years. 41. That tho societies for charitable purposes taking advantage of the Friendly Societies let should be required to niako returns 42 That frinndlj' or choritabls societies depositing with the National Debt Commissioners be empowered to make any special returns that may be required through the Regntrur, and the form of such returns be simplified. 43. That the existing system of Government insurance through the Post Office for death and deferred annuities be extended, so as to cover the whole ground now occupied by what is termed industrial insurance. •14. That the law be emended so as to enable companies to carry on legally the business of industrial assurance within tho same limits and subject to the same restrictions as Friendly Societies. 45 Th.pt tho functions of the Registrar of Friendly Societies and of tho Barrister to certify the rules of SavingsBanks he consolidated. 46. That a new Friendly Societies Act be passed, consolidating and amending the law in conformity w ith these recommendations. The report is signed by the Commissioners — namely, Sir Stafford Nortbcote, Sir M. E. Hicks-Beach, Sir Sydney H. Wuterlow, Mr J. Bonham-Carter, Mr Evan M. Richards, Mr Charles S. Roundell, Mr F. T. Birchcm, and Mr W. P. Pattison ; but Sir M. E. Hicks-Boach, Mr Richards, Mr Birchain, and M> P.i'tison state m a separate report that, in their opinion, the sv.-tem of registration recommended is inadequate to meet the necessities of the casr, and that more might be done to secure sound tables of premiums and benefits. They suggest that the Registrar should grant discriminating certificates of registration, placing in class A societies certified as having approved rates, while those which merely conform with tho law, but whose rates are not approved, would be simply registered. These Commissioners further suggest that incorporation, which wonld be of practical value to the societies in various ways, should be conferred on societies entitling themselves to be certified aa in class A. It is further suggested that there should be nothing to deter from registration ; and (1) that no new society should acquire any privilege by the mere deposit of rules ; (2) that new societies should be admitted to rpgistration giving a legal status on conditions generally similar to those required of Trades' Unions under the Act of 1871, viz., tho bringing in of copies of the rules and titles and names of officers, the previous compliance with such regulations respecting registry as may be from time to time in force, tho I bringing in and subsequent render of accounts and returns , in the form from time to time prescribed by tho registrar, and the presence in the rules of such provisions as may be [ specifically required by tho amended law ; (3) that existing [ societies having only deposited rules, and existing societies certified under the present law, should respectively be at liberty to retain their status and privileges for two years after the pissing of the amended law, and should then lose them unle:^ meanwhile they had at least complied with the conditions entitling them to registration. It is suggested also tliat existing societies should bo assisted to raise themselves into clas3 A by beu.g granted, on application, for the • two years, gratuitous audit and gratuitous valuation. These four Commissioners are of opinion that the result secured would be that all societies would be divided, in a manner generally apparent and tnsy of ap) rehension into two classes — societies presumably sound (being in class A), and societies as to the soundness of which nothing had been ascertained. Mr B>rch;nn nnd Mr Roundell hold that e^cn unregistered societies should have tfllcieiit ic medics in case , of fraud; and Mr Birtham suggests that the legittiars should be entitled to leqiiiu' fiom unregistered societies information as to their condition, and to supply suitable sug1 gesiions to them for tho nnpiovewent o< their condition, and with a view to bring them into rcgistiution.