FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL. (Hansard, 22 November 1916)

Mr. HAZLETON
I did not happen to be in the House when this Bill was introduced, and I should like to know whether it was explained at that time?

§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. McKinnon Wood)
The National Conference of Friendly Societies have requested the Treasury to try to obtain the passage of this Bill through Parliament as soon as possible. Two difficulties have arisen in their administration owing to circumstances arising out of the War. In the first place, the question of a quinquennial valuation presents some difficulty to them, partly from the fact of the shortage of staff, and partly from the fact that the enlistment of a large proportion of their members makes the valuation especially difficult at the present moment. They therefore wish to have some relaxation in regard to valuation. The other point arises from the fact that the friendly societies have given benefits to a considerable number of members who have enlisted, and they have done this without appreciating that it required an alteration of rules to put them in proper order. In many instances an alteration of the rules requires an annual meeting, and it is an expensive matter and not at all convenient at the present time of stress to call an annual meeting for that purpose. They have therefore asked that they shall have a relaxation in that respect, and that with the consent of the Registrar, the privileges which are indicated in the Bill and the variation of the usual practice might be permitted by Parliament. The House will agree that the friendly societies are entitled to consideration in this matter, therefore I hope the House will give me the Second Reading of the Bill.

Mr. NUGENT
I understand that this Bill has been introduced at the request of the Conference of Friendly Societies, but there are one or two things in reference to it which will require a little consideration. In the first place, most of the friendly societies fixed their tables of benefits and risks at a date previous to the War, and, as a result, most of them find at the present moment that they are 1533 practically at the present rates faced with insolvency. This Bill gives them facilities to alter the rules. It says: Provided that nothing done under this Section shall deprive a member so serving as aforesaid of his membership, or suspend or diminish any benefit payable to him under the rules without providing an equivalent relief of contributions. I should like to know whether it is possible for the friendly societies, if they find that the rates of contribution are inadequate at the present moment, to alter the rules at either their annual meeting, or a meeting called in accordance with these rules, because if it does not make that provision these freindly societies will find in the majority of cases a state of solvency which will compel them to overload the contributions of people on the membership at home. I have heard that the Registrar of Friendly Societies refuses to permit an alteration in some of his societies. No one suggests that the friendly societies themselves should alter the rates affecting the men who have joined His Majesty's Forces, but whatever alterations are necessary to make these societies solvent, facilities for them should apply all round. The postponement of the quinquennial valuation will not help much. Does the Government anticipate giving some relief to friendly societies who are saddled with a liability which was never contemplated when they were fixing their tables? If not, the Bill as it is contains nothing for them. It prevents them going to the expense of an annual meeting, or prevents them having a valuation for this particular period, but affords no relief whatever.