MANCHESTER UNITY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2773, 31 March 1910, Page 6

MANCHESTER UNITY.

— BIENNIAL CONFERENCE. (Per Press Association.l - • NAPIER, March 30. The meeting of the Biennial Movable Committee of the New Zealand Branch of the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows was continued to-day. _ It was resolved that the coming into operation of the central funeral fund be left in the hands of the Grandmaster and Board of Directors, and that they have power to alter or add to any rules as may be suggested bv the Registrar. It was also resolved “That the Manchester Unity of the Independent Orde r of Oddfellows, New Zealand Branch, desires to place on record an expression of its extreme regret and disappointment at the deleting of clauses lo and 16 of tilie Friendly Societies Consolidation Bill, 1908; that it trusts the Government will, in response to the request of a very largely preponderating majority of the friendly societies of the Dominion, take an early opportunity of introducing an amendment of the Friendly Societies Act by incorporating the principles of clauses 15 and 16 as being eminently desirable, in order to promote the usefulness and stability or the friendly societies, and to prevent organisations which are making no pretensions to financial solvency, from undertaking obligations which actual -experience has amply demonstrated cannot but prove disastrous to _their membership and consequently to friendly societies generally. It was decided that the scheme tor increased funeral benefit, with the table of contributions to be supplied to the Grandmaster and Board of Directors by the Registrar of Friendly Societies, be approved. , . A remit from the Wellington District was moved as follows: “That this meeting is favorable to the establishment of a central sick fund, and recommends the Grandmaster and Board of Directors to brine' forward a scheme for establishing such a fund in connection with the New Zealand branch.” As an amendment it was moved—- “ That it be a recommendation to the Grandmaster and Board of Directors to have a (report made by an actuary on the question of spreading the liability .for sickness, so that each lodge shall pay on the average experience of sickness in the New Zealand Branch as ascertained by a quinquennial valuation, a proportion of tlie sickness cl a 1 ms which have been paid by lodges, if below such averages, to be collected from or distributed to such lodges by the New Zealand Branch while having the sick funds in the control of the respective lodges.” . . The amendment wa s carried: unamm Attention was drawn to sub-section 9 of section 3 of the Consolidated - Friendly Societies Act, which provides that, when any money is invested on mortgage or other security over land, A the amount so invested shall, not ex- % ceed three-fifths of the unimproved m value of the land, together with onefflk half of the value of Hie improvements ijm. thereon, and it was resolved J hat a 1 A protest bo entered against the cla Vms interfering with the investment 01 »dge funds, and that at least twoCffiiiids of the value of freehold property ■ llj&he basis of investment.” ; froiwas resolved “That the attention iPlh.Grandmaster and Board of Direj- '• drawn to the proposals of t • 'tent re . a National Sick and OTT r*reinsurance Bill, and that they VV- K 'lVto take such action, either * v •* other friendly societies 01 / ERSICINE’Siy as tho Hoap ' 1 ' may s.‘WHEEE THE officers resulix'd aft r J-‘‘ . bister, Bro. C, R* ;• '.My moil til), Deputy \ [\ y v ' ' y '"‘y

Grand Master, Bro. John Clark (Auckland) ; Corresponding Secretary, Bro. Kershaw (re-elected) • Treasurer, Bro. G. E. Godber (re-elected); Auditor, Bro. T. S. Powell (re-elected); Directors, Bros. F. A. Moore, A. N. Ba-tche-»lor, J. B. Fielder, D. P. Loasby; G. W. Sellars and John 'Smith; Parliamentary Agent, Bro. Kershaw. An invitation from Ashley district to hold the next biennial meeting in Christchurch, was accepted. The nextgmeeting was fixed to,be held on Easter Monday (April 8tli), 1912. The meeting has concluded.