The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-11-04 00:00:00

The ROYAL COMMISSION on FRIENDLY

SOCIETIES.

The Commissioners appointed to inquire into the
working of friendly societies resumed their investiga-
tions at St. George's-hall, Liverpool, on Monday. The
coroner for the borough (Mr. C. Aspinall) said that an
immense amount of parental neglect of children goes
on in Liverpool, and he was strongly disposed to believe
that it was increased by the prospect of receiving club
money in the death of children. He did not think it
desirable that the certificate of a medical man in re-
gard to the death of a child should be dispensed with,
and the registrar's certificate regarded as sufficient
He believed it was very common for one child
to he insured in several clubs. He considered
clubs an excellent institution. A fault he had
to find with them was that they were too liberal.
and did not dispute claims sufficiently often. If
they would manfully resist payments, instead of paying
claims, whether they were Just or not, a great improve-
ment would be the result. A society refrained from
disputing clahns partly from a desire to have a reputa-
tion for liberality, and partly to avoid the expense of
an inquiry; and as the members belonged to the lower
classes chiefly, it was a necessary ingredient in the
management of the society that it should not be con-
sidered captious or too particular when the day for pay-
ment arrived. He was a member of the Guardian
Committee of the Protective Burial Society. The
committee formed a court of appeal for deciding dis-
puted claims which could not be settled by any other
means.

Mr. Shepherd, sub-treasurer of the Liverpool Pro-
tective Burial Society, said he had considered for
twenty years that the extravagant sums expended in
the management of burial societies generally called for
Government interference. The members had often no
control whatever over the funds, and had no means of
redress for extravagant expenditure. Considering the
large sums ,d money which officers had at their com-
mand, public meetings of members were a farce. He
would advise that a public auditor should be appointed
by Government, with power to compel all societies to
give a balance-sheet of their income and expenditure,
and with power to surcharge illegal items.
Mr. Hugh., corresponding secretary in the Liver-
pool district for the Manchester Unity of 011 fellows,
said he did not consider that the system of registration,
by which every lodge WM registered as a separate
society, was satisfactory. He would prefer that the
whole Unity should be registered as one society. He
thought also that the funds should be managed in
C.ollllllon.
" . .

Mr. Harding, secretary to the Liverpool Clerks'
Provident and Annuity Association, and Mr. Owens,
secretary to two Tontine Societies in Liverpool, were
examined in reference to the management of their re-
spective societies.
Mr. Finney, accountant, said that three things were
necessary to put burial societies upon a solid basis-1,
the correctness of the a;counts issued to the members
should be tested ; 2, an improved system of settling
disputes should be established; and, 3, means should
be taken to ascertain whether societies were solvent or
not. The witness gave in detail a variety of sugges-
tions for attaining these ends.

The sitting of the Commi,3soners in Liverpool then
terminated.