The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-08-06 00:00:00

HALEBOWEN.
CHARGE AGAINST A FRIENDLY
SOCIETY.

At the Oldbury Petty Sessions, On Tuesday, before
SI .W. James and F. Adkins, William Hodge, the
Secretary of the Halesoweo Holly Bush Society, held at
the Holly Bush Inn, Red Hill, Halesowen, was tuna.
waned to answer a charge of having refused to pay to
Joseph Westwood, ode of the members of the society,
the sum of £2 tis, sick pay alleged to be due to him a,'
cording to the rules of the society.
Mr. Topham appeared for the complainant, and Mr.
Shakespeare for the defendant.
Before the case was gone into, Mr. Shakespeare said
the society admitted that the complainant was entitled to
£1 Bs, which they would pay over to ham at once if he
would allow the case to be settled in that way. The
complainant, however, said he claimed the elide sum,
and would prefer We case being tried.
From the opening remarks of Mr. l'opham, it appeared
that the society had been in existence about 45 years,
and that during that period the complainant had been a
member. At about Christmas he went en the sick list.
Rule 3 provided that each stele member should receite
7s per week over and above whet was allowed by the fund
from the date he gave notice to the book-keeper, until
after the expiration of six months, if he should continue
sick no long, after which it should be reduced to 49 per
week during the next six months, and at the end of that
period, if he continued sick, he should receive 31 per
week as long as his sickness lasted. He gave due notice
to the book-keeper, nod for some time received his pay
as lie expected it. After being ill about eighteen week.
he went off the sick list, but as his sickness continued
he found It necessary to full back upon the funds of the
society, after being off two days only, and received sick
pay for twelve weeks longer. Six months was considered
to consist of twenty-four weeks, and for the last six
weeks 58 per week only was paid, whereas complainant
contended that be wee entitled to is, and hence the per-
cent proceedings were instituted.
Mr. Shakespeare, for the defence, stated that at one
time the society was in a vary flourishing condition, bat
lately the funds had been reduced, and the claims for
relief increased. Accordingly, on the 25th of April,
le7o, the members, finding that during the last two years
the amount paid out exceeded by £lOO the receipts, and
that not so much as £5O was left in the society, held •
consultation, and ultimately came to the conclusion that
it would be better to make some fresh arrangements
than to allow the club to be broken up. Therefore,pnr•
maul to rule 33, a committee consisting of twelve mem-
bers was chosen to consider the matter, and ultimately
• resolution was passed to the effect that 519 per week
should pe paid instead of is, as heretofore ; that at the
expiration of six mouths the pay should be reduced to
39 Instead of Is, ais formerly, and to 2s instead of 3s.
The contention on behalf of the society, therefore, was
that the defendant was only entitled to £.l Bs, being at
the lower rate of payment.
Mr. Shakespeare asked for the production of the
original rules.
Mr. Topham faid the Registrar, at London, was in
possession of them.

. -
The case was, therefore, adjourned for BA weeks, in
order that they might be procured. Mr. Shakespeare
consented to pay to the complainant without prejudi
the .C.l rho, which he contended was all that he was en-
titled to. The facto, therefore, were admitted, the only
disagreement being as to whether complainant was en-
titled to 7s or So per week.