Hill. — National Pensions. 687 



a means of doing much good in the way of creating a self- 

 rehant spirit among men, and in minimising the evils that 

 must always be an attendant upon a system of individualism, 

 as distinct and separate from socialism, which aims to mini- 

 mise poverty and to raise man among his fellows, so that life 

 may be at least worth living. 



The friendly societies in New Zealand constitute an im- 

 portant factor in the promotion of thrift, if what has been 

 quoted above is true. And no doubt there is a certain 

 amount of truth in what Mr. Hughes stated. For example, a 

 man joining the Order of Oddfellows, say, in Napier, at the 

 age of twenty, as a participant in sick and funeral benefits, 

 may be so fortunate as to have no sickness throughout life. If 

 we suppose such a man to die at the age of sixty years, the only 

 benefit derived by the payment of forty years' subscriptions 

 would be the receipt by his wife or friends of a sum of £30. 

 During the forty years the subscriptions would have amounted 

 to £120, exclusive of special calls, which, compounded, would 

 provide a large sum compared to the amount paid on the 

 man's account. No doubt this is an extreme case, yet it 

 illustrates the pomt that a member of a friendly society may 

 do something to ameliorate the lot of his fellow-man by 

 making a sacrifice. But sickness will make its appearance 

 under all conditions of life, and unless provision can be made 

 beforehand, as is done by members of friendly societies, those 

 who are sick must either be neglected or they must inevitably 

 fall into the lielpless condition which is now the lot of many 

 even in this country. 



And yet, with so many possibilities in favour of friendly 

 societies, it cannot, I think, be urged that the system is one 

 that should be more generally extended. The admirable sum- 

 mary forming a portion of the statistics of the colony, as 

 compiled by tbe Eegistrar-General, gives 30,905 as the total 

 membership of all the orders of friendly societies in New Zea- 

 land, the three principal orders being the Independent Order 

 of Oddfellows, the Ancient Order of Foresters, and the Ancient 

 Order of Druids. I am not in possession of the detailed 

 reports issued by the sixteen or more districts into which the 

 colony is divided by the Oddfellows, but the valuation report 

 of the Hawke's Bay District by Mr. Mason, the Registrar of 

 Friendly Societies, contains some valuable and suggestive 

 information, which, it may be assumed, will apply generally to 

 the whole of the order. On page 5 the Registrar says, " The 

 rate of secession is high. Of 735 members admitted before 

 the quinquennium preceding the valuation twelve died. Of 

 the remaining 723 members the numbers sick and not sick 

 were 278 and 445 respectively. Of the 278 who were sick 

 twenty-eight lapsed, being 10 per cent. ; and of the 445 who 



