The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-06-20 00:00:00

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL.

The Government Bill to consolidate and amend the
law relating to Friendly and other Societies begins
with providing that substituting societies whose rules
have been registered, enrolled, or certified shall be
deemed to be registered under this bilL

Part 1 then proceeds to define the societies which
may be registered under the bill. The list includes
not only ordinary friendly socie lea, but also cattle
insurance societies, charitable societies, industrial awl
provident societies, no member to have an interest ex-
ceeding £200; loan societies, with the same limitation;
scientific and literary societies; trade unions, no one
of the purposes or roles of which (whether or not
blued with the purposes of friendly or any other cl o-
il societies) shall, i the opinion of the regiateiii
authority, lie in restraint of trade ,• and, lastly, so•a -
tie; for any lawful purpose, which the KU!,
authority may allow to he egistered.
' ••

l'art 2 relates to the Reeistry-othee. :bud e,tald;
a e jt ejstrar, with a_4-taut regi,tran,
conatitut,iffi; the central office, and aJao local deputy

registrars, the salaries to be provided by Pant &meet.
It is provided that tables are to be from time to time
constructed and circulated, relating to the eontingen•
cies which may form the subject of assurances und*T
this bill

Part 3 provides for the registration of societies en
application, and the incorporation of industrial and
provident societies and loan societies, and of other
societies if the chief registrar shall deem it expedient.
An appeal will be made to the High Court.of Justice
against a refusal ,m the part of the registering
authority.
Part 4 relates to the rules of societies, and a schedule
specifies matters for which the roles must make pro-
vision. Among them are the inspection of the books
by persons interested and the mode of settling die
mites. The rules of friendly and cattle insurance
societies must provide for a quinquennial valuation,
voluntary dissolution, and the right of a certain num-
ber of members to apply to the central office for an in-
vestigation of the :emirs, a winding-up, or an adjust -
molt of contributions and benefit.. Isan societies
must provide f r the issue of passbooks to borrowers,.
and for inquiry charges, which are not to exceed iii. 6d.
Part 5 contains provisions relating to registered
societies generally. In this place conic clauses as
to the holding of land by registered societies; the
vesting of a society's property in trustees; legal
proceedings against registered societies ; and the
rendering of amounts by the officers. By clinse 49 the
superior suthority may app. tint public auditors and
also public valuers, and fix the remuneration to be paid
for their service. by societies employing there, such
employment not to be compulsory, and additional re-
muneration may be paid to them out of the moneys
provided by Parliament. Thera are also clauses pro-
viding for the punishment of fraud and other ofienms
against this Act by summary procedure. Clause 59
allows (but not in trade unions) a member or de
positor to nominate a relative as hissueeessor at death,
to an extent not exceeding Via On the decease of a:
member or depositor payment to a person appearing
to the trustees or the society to be entitled will be vala
against the demand of any other person. Disputes in
societies may he referred to the chief registrar, unless
the rules otherwise direct.

-
Part 6 contains provisions relating only to friendly
and cattle insurance societies. Dividing societies may
be registered. No member of a registered friendly
society (nor his representatives) shall be entitled to
receive more than £/110 as a gross sum, or 4:30 a year
by way of annuity. A. minor, above 16, way be a
member, unless the rules provide to the contrary, but
may not be an officer. Societies with members of any
age exceeding three years may be registered, subject to
such rules as the chief registrar shall think fit; and no
practice of admitting members under 16 in a society
already registered is to be deemed contrary to any
express provision of this bill. There is a long clause
relating to payments on the death of children. There
is to be no money paid on the death of a child under
three years old, nor more than 1:6 on death under
five, nor more than £3O on death under ten, and
no payment is to be made on a death under ten except
to the ptuent, and on production of a certificate
of death from the registrar of deaths, specifying that
it in given for the receipt of A certain s from the
society therein named ; the above a...omits to mean
the total sums payable by all societies. But this sec-
tion is not to apply to insurances tet children of any
age, in whose life or death the insurer has an interest.
Clauses provide for the investment of societies'
funds, and allow loans to members under certain
limits and rules. Friendly societies assuring annuities
to members cannot be iegistered unless the tables
of contributions for such annuities are certified
by an actuary. There are some clauses applicable
only where societies have branches and
the registration of these. Clause 71 applies to
societies receiving contributions in more than one
district by means of collectors. Every member must
receive a copy of the rules, and will incur no penalty
or forfeiture for default in payments until a warning
notice has been sent. In these societies, also, there
can be no transfer of a member to another society
without his written consent. There must be &general
meeting once a year, and no collector is to vote or to
hold any other office in the society. A copy of the
balance-sheet is to be open to inspection before the
meeting, and to be sent to every thember on demand
the annual returns are to be certitici an accountant,
not a member. A dispute with a inembei :eriv be
taken by him to the County Court. This 71:-; was
applies to existing societies, and must app., el the
rules of societies included in it to behereafterregixtered.
A list if penalties for offences against this part of the
Act follows.
_ _ . . . .

Part 7 relates to societies register • r this bill
othsr than friendly societies. On t' • inding,-up of
registered, industrial, and provident t..eieties, no one
is to be liable who has ceased to be a member for a
year, nor for a debt contracted since he left the Is wiety,
nor unless it appears to the Court that the existing
members are not able to pay the demands ; and no
member, past or present, will be liable beyond the
amount 'unpaid on his shares. Registered scientific
and literary societies, with no member entitled to re
ceive any money out of the funds, will be exempt
from rates. Clause 70 relates to Trade Unions. it
provides that the purpoies of a trade union
shall not, by reason merely that they are in
restraint of trade, be deemed unlawful or render a
member liable to criminal persecution for con-
spiracy or otherwise, or render void or voidable
any agreement or trust. Nothing in the bill is
to enable any Court to entertain any legal proceed-
ing. instituted with the object of directly enforcirig
or recovering damages for the breach of any agree-
ment betweea members of a trade union, as such,
concerning the conditions on which any members for
the time being shall or shall not sell gobds, transact
business, employ, or be employed ; or for the breach of
any agreement for the payment by any person of any sub-
scription or any penalty to a trade union ;or of any agree- •
went for the application of the funds of a trade union to
provide benefits to members, to furnish contribution to
any employer or workman not a member, in considera-
tion of his acting in conformity with the rule or resolu•
tion of such trade union, or todischarge any fine imposed
upon any person by sentence of a (loud of Justice, or
it agmenient made between one trade union and
ehother, or any bond to seem* the performance if any
of the above-mentioned agreements. But nothing in
the bill is to be deemed to render any of the a bove-
mentioned agreements unlawful, or to effect any agree-
ment between partners as to their own business, or any
agreement between an employer and those employe I
by him as to smith employment, or any agreement in
consideration of the sale of the goodwill of a business, or
of instruction in any profession, trade, or handicraft.
The section also provide that apemen who is an elm lloyer,
or father, WM, or brothrr, of an employer in the
particular manufacture, trade, or business, in or in
connexion with which any offence under this bill so
far as the same relates to trade unions is charged to
have been concerned shall not act as a member of a
court of summary jurisdiction or appeal for the pur•
poses of this bill.
The bill ends with a clause relating to loan societies
registered under this bilL The interest on loans is not
to exceed 12 per cent, per annum; there is to be no
fines for delay in payment of an instalment, except
that the whole unpaid balance may then become duo;
there is to be no ballot for precedence among appli-
cants for loans; a loan not exceeding £l5 requires no
stamp duty on the note. The bill contains 78 clauses
in all.