The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-21 00:00:00

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

Sir Stafford Northcote, on Friday in last week,
received a deputation on this subject in Downing-
street, consisting, among others, of the following—
Messrs. Dale, Poplin, Gillett, .J. H. Lile, C. 17pshaw11,
Walter Williams. \V. F. Pickett, and Mr. Thomas
Marshall, secretary.

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Mr. Dale said the deputation waited upon Sir
Stafford as the representatives of the Hearts of Oak
Benefit Society, which was established 32 years ago,
and Iliad since paid to its members f 400,000. The
members amounted to 48,000, and the sum invested in
the trustees' names with the Commissioners for the
Reduction of the National Debt was £141,000. The
society, therefore, was no small one, and as It
had grown to its present proportions without
help from any Government, it was not unnatural
that the members should be jealous of any ac-
tion or over-interference on its part, knowing as
they did that the success as yet has rested with them-
selves—for the most part real working men, earning a
weekly wage. They were aware of the evils connected
with many societies—evils which appeared to justify
the Government in bringing forward its measure to try
to oust from those societies those who, performing no
labour, or very little, yet manage to receive out of the
subscriptions of the members enough to keep them in
comparative affluence. These being the views of the
deputation after reading the evidence given before the
Royal Commission, it was probable that any Govern-
ment in bringing forward a measure intending honestly
to grapple with the evils of the present system would
receive encouragement, and that the measure so
brought forward would be received in a favourable light.
They regretted, however, to find in the amended Bill
several matters which if passed into law in their present
shape would inflict upon their society very serious in-
jury, and it was because they believe that they had
only to put before the Government their objections to
those portions of the Bill, and to prove that not only
will they inflict injury upon their society hut upon the
Bill itself, that they had sought the interview. The
speaker then went through the various clauses of the
Bill seriatim, detailing and dicussing the points on
which he considered all the Friendly Societies of
England would be most seriously affected, and, speak-
ing of the probable effect of such a measure, he made
a great point of that part of the Bill, which requires
that quinquennial valuations shall be made of the
Societies assets and liabilities by stating that having
paid great attention to the rules of societies he knew
how they differ as to the qualifications necessary to
membership, as to trades, age, and in their own ease
to a man earning wages equal to 225. a week. It could
be stated, without fear of contradiction from any
one qualified to speak, that no tables of payment
drawn up to suit one society would work well with
any other, unless the rules as to age and trade, were
the same. Hence the necessity for allowing large
societies to value themselves on their own experience
and from that experience to draw up tables and pay-
ments; and that all the Government should do would
be to insist on this being done. Scientific evidence
as to sickness could not be regarded as of much value.
Ile also urged that upon the application of 100 mem-
bers, or of one-fifth of the whole number of members
of a registered society, the Chief Registrar or the
Assistant Registrar for Scotland or Ireland, by his
direction, may appoint one or more competent inspec-
tors to examine into the affairs of a society, and report
thereon, and that the number of members should be
500 in lieu of 100, and that the requisition should go to
the Secretary and managing committee to call a general