The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-05-22 00:00:00

dition. Some time since a Royal Commission was
appointed by Parliament to enquire as to whether
friendly. or sick benefit societies were conducted
upon sound principles. Out of a great number of
societies, the Becher Club was one of the few
that was mentioned in a very favourable way in
the report of the Commissioners. The report
stated that "Of the smallest group of societies
which have been mentioned in this class, the most
favourable instance we can give is that of the
Stewponey Becher Club, Worcestershire, thus re-
ported on by Mr. Stanley." That was very pleas-
ing to see, and it was very satisfactory to them to
know that they belonged to a society that was
picked out of all those in England for special
commendation. The only thing that he could not
understand- was that they had not put an 0 to the
end of their numbers before that. He really
could not understand that in a populous district
like that they did not increase in numbers more
rapidly. They ought to have one in 250. Although
this year had been an unexampled one for sickness,
and they were at the end of their first generation,
their ordinary payments for sickness to the so-
ciety were not exceeded by their payments out.
That was a very satisfactory state of things. He
did not know there was anything more to remark
upon the Becher Club, but there was the Allotment
Society. The object of that N‘ as to enable those
who liked it, to have a piece of land to have a bit
of garden. As their report showed, there seemed
to be rather a slackness in that respect. The al-
lotments did not seem to be valued as they should
be, and if they were not valued sufficiently to
make them pay, the Allotment Society must be
given up altogether. The result of that would be
to turn out 600 people from their allotments. If
the people did not want them they did not wish
them to have them. They had had to give up
some of them, and if they were not better taken
up they would have to give up the rest, and let
the people get land where they could. He had to
draw their attention to the way in which both
societies—the Becher Club and the Allotment So-
ciety—were conducted. They required a great
deal of attention, good book-keeping, and a great
deal of honesty, so as to do justice to everybody;
and before he sat down he should like them to ex-
press their sense of what had been done for that
society by Mr. John Taylor—(great cheering).
When he (the speaker) was talking to Mr. Taylor
the other day with reference to the Allotment
Society; he said, "I suppose I must have .210 a
year less salary. He tried to dissuade Mr. Taylor
from this, but the latter said he was indebted to
that society for a great many things, and he could
afford to sacrifice that amount in return. When,
therefore, Mi. Taylor put it in that generous point
of view, lie (the speaker) did not think they had
any right to put it in any other. He therefore
gave them Mr. Taylor's very good health—(pro-
longed cheering).
The Rev. J. H. Hodgson the "Health, long life,
and prosperity of the Committee of Management,"
to that club. They wanted some one to look after
their interests, and perhaps if it was not for the
members or that committee their interests would
not be looked after so well as they were. He had
very great pleasure in proposing their health, long
life, and prosperity, and should couple with the
toast the name of Mr. Osborne.

Mr. Osborne, in responding, said he thought it
was the very first time that a benefit member had
been called upon to respond to the toast for his
health. As a rule they simply met to eat their
dinner, hear a few speeches from the head of the
table, and then separate. They were very glad to
hear those gentlemen speak; but they also wished
for an opportunity for social intercourse. When •
clubs similar to their own had their annual gather-
ings, after the dinner was over they had singing
amongst ',themselves, and passed a few hours to-
gether in a social and convivial manner, thus
strengthening the bonds of union which held them
together, and promoting that feeling of good fel-
lowship which ought always to pervade such so-
cieties. He did not see any reason why some such
course should not be adopted at their annual din-
ner. His idea was that instead of separating, as
they did now, as soon as the speeches were con-
cluded, the chairman should look round for some
one with a singing face—he believed that was the
term—and call on him for a song. If that was done
he felt certain it would have a good effect and re-
move a source of some slight dissatisfaction to the
members. He had heard the remarks of the chair-
man expressing his surprise at the smallness of
their numbers. There was a good deal belonging
to that. If they were few they were good, and
they had better be few than more numerous, and
of a lower standard—(applause).
Mr. Taylor then rose to respond to the toast of
his health, and expressed himself as being much
obliged to the Chairman for the kind way in which
he had proposed his health, and to the ladies and
gentlemen present for the very kind way in which
they had received it. With regard to the Stew-
poney Becher Club he thought nothing more need
be said than what had been said already, and its
condition was fully set forth in the report which
they had all hoard read. He thought every bene-
fit member and every honorary member might feel
every possible confidence that the Stewponey
Becher Club would not break in a few years hence,
but would last as low, as a club was needed in this
world. They had the largest balance now they
ever had, and in the next balance-sheet—unless
something strange occurs—that balance will be
very much increased—(applause). He felt very
great satisfaction at their society having been
mentioned in terms of such high commendation in
the report of the Royal Commissioners on Friendly
Societies. He (Mr. Taylor) had had some corres-
pondence with them, but little did he think that
the Becher Club would be mentioned by them in
such flattering terms as it was in their report—
(applause). With regard to the Allotment:Society
he had no doubt about the ultimate result. Thera
were always ups and downs in societies, and that
probably was now at its jworst, and might next
year be in a much more flourishing condition. He
had been there something like 26 years, and he
began to think that it was almost time he resigned
bis office into other hands—(cries of No, no,")—
but so long as he was honoured with the confidence
of the President, the Vice-Presidents, Officers and
members, he should feel it to be his duty to remain
in office as long as they wished to retain his ser-
vices. He was more indebted to the society than
the society had been indebted to him. He con-
cluded by calling upon Mr. Osborne to sing a song,
amid consinerable applause and some laughter.
Mr. Osborne, in response, sang, "The land we
we in."

The Chairman said he could not allow the pro-
ceedings to be closed, without some reply to the
remarks of Mr. Osborne. With reference to the
singing he was sure no one could have any objac-
tion to hearing a song sung as well as that they had
heard given by Mr. Osborne, and if the members
expressed a desire another year to have singing
doubtless their wishes would be met. Their only
reason for breaking up so soon was that after sit-
ting two or three hours, in that tent it began to
get rather uncomfortable, and they thought it
would be much pleasanter to walk in the grounds.
As far as the management was concerned, they
were all anxious to have as much assistance as pos-
sible from the benefit members, and as the latter
did not attend more regularly they took it for
granted that they were thoroughly satisfied with
what was being done.
The meeting then broke up, and the party ad-
journed to the grounds where the usual sports
were provided. The weather, which in the morn-
ing had been rather threatening, had now cleared
up, and thousands availed themselves of the op-
portunity to visit this popular annual fete.