Jr"E 29. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



495 



GARDENERS AND THE 

 NATIONAL INSURANCE ACT. 



The Tnited Horticultural Benefit and Pro- 

 vident Society, in the institution of which 

 Mr. William Marshall, V.M.H., and the late 

 Mr. Shirley Hibb?ird, took a prominent part, 

 has carried on it^ good work under the 

 Friendly Societies Act, for a long number of 

 years, and has be^n rei>eatedly referred to 

 as one of the most succe^se^ful societies in the 

 United Kingdom. The wonder is that so few 

 (comparatively) gardeners have joined the 

 U.H.B.P.S. Probably the chief reason i8 

 that 60 many join the juvenile branches of 

 such societies as the Oddfellows and the 

 Foresters, and eventually join the adult 

 ledges. With ^41, (XX) invented and a mem- 

 btrship of about IM)0, the Society is in a 

 fipancial position of unusual strength. Tliese 

 funds will not be affected at all by the 

 National Insurance Act, but it may be at 

 once stated that individual balances (sonie 

 old members have over £100 to their credit) 

 are not likely to acc imulate so rapidly under 

 the new regime as they liave done in the past. 



At a special general meeting of members, 

 held at the Eoyal Horticultural Hall on 

 Monday, June 17, it was decided by a majo- 

 r-ty of 81 to 2, that the Society should seek 

 the approval of the Commistsioners, and be 

 thus enabled to do business under the Na- 

 tional Insurance Act, which comes into force 

 Oil July 15. Previous to the meeting, a copy 

 of the old rules, slightly revised, and a copy 

 of the new rules for tlie working of the In- 

 surance Act, were sent to every meml>er. 

 These rules were approved, and the Commit- 

 tee of Management was empowered to make 

 the f^w necessary additions required by the 

 Commissioners. 



Gardeners who are exempt from the pro- 

 visions of the Act may still join under the 

 old rules, as the business of the Society will 

 b3 conducted under two sections. Every em- 

 ployed gardener whose income does not ex- 

 ceed £160 a year must pay 4d. a week under 

 the Government scheme of national health 

 insurance, and his employer must pay 3d. a 

 weak, after the Act comes into force. To 

 this total of 7d. a week, the Government do^as 

 not pay 2d., but it will contribute 2d. to- 

 wards every 9d. Avorth of benefits adminis- 

 tered under the Act. No one is compelled to 

 join a friemdly society, but the advantages 

 of joining an approved society, as against 

 becoming a deposit member through the 

 medium of the Post Office, are so obvious that 

 even the National Health Commission urges 

 attachment to an approved society. 



Considering that gardeners have, on the 

 whole, excellent, health, and the profession 

 occupies a very high position on the Actuarial 

 Tables, it surely does not need much argu- 

 ir.ent to show that if gardeners band toge- 

 ther for the purposes of the new Act they are 

 likely to get far greater benerfits foy the 

 amounts contributed than would be the case 

 if they joined other societies to which varied 

 trades are admitted. Under the old rules a 

 meml^er of the United Horticultural Benefit 

 and Provident Society received 18s. per week 

 for 26 weeks if ill, and 9s. per week for a 

 further 26 weeks in case of continued illness, 

 while if the illness proved chronic he then 

 received 6s. per woek as long as illness lasted. 

 And all this for 3s. per month, plus 3s. per 

 annum to the Benevolent Fund, and 2s. 6d. per 

 annum to the Management Fund. Supposing 

 such a member now comes under the* pro- 

 visions of the National Health Insurance Act. 

 In the past he has paid, roundly, lOd. per 

 week. In the future he must pay 4d. a week, 

 and for that sum, plus his employer's and the 

 State contribution, he will obtain all the 

 benefits the State scheme provides. He pre- 

 fers to secure these benefits through the 

 medium of the U.H.B.P.S., and it is antici- 

 pated that this society will be able to increase 

 the benefits as a result of good manageonent 

 and the good health of its members. So far, 

 this meml>er pays 4d. a week, but he may see 

 no good reaso:! why, for ben-otfits receivable, 

 he should not still pay lOd. a week, as afore- 

 time. He may do one of three things: Pay 

 2e. p^r month, plus 3s. and 2s. 6d. per 



annum to the Benevolent and ^lanagemcnr 

 Funds, and receive 12s. ])er week for six 

 months. 6s. per week for a further six months 

 in case of illness, and 4s. per w-eek if chroni- 

 cally ill. Tliis would mean Kfe. in cash per 

 W'?ek under the Insurance Act, and 12s. per 

 week under the Society's own business, 

 thus making 22s. per week, in addition to 

 the other benefits of tlie Act, during six 

 months of illness. Secondly, pay Is. 4d. 

 per month in addition to the State require- 

 ments, plus 3s. and Is. 3d. per annum respec- 

 tively to Benevolent and Management Funds, 

 and receive 8s. per week during the first 

 six months' illness ; 4s. per week for a further 

 six months, and afterwards 2s, 8d. per week 

 if chronically sick ; this making 18s, per week 

 for the first six montlis of illness. Thirdly, 

 he may pay his 4d. to the Stat?- scheme, and 

 8d per month, plus 3s. and Is. 3d. per an- 

 num, under the old rules, and receive during 

 the firvst six months of illness ins. \)vr week 

 and other beue-'fits under the Act. and 4s. per 

 week under the Society's old rules. 



The Society will only admit as members 

 those loelonging to the gardening profession. 

 New members must conform to the old rules 

 as to age, etc., if they contribute to that i)art 

 of the Society's business outside the Act, but 

 age alone will not distjualify a gardener who 

 desires to join and obtain the benefits of tlu' 

 Act through the medium of the U.H.B.P.S. 



Head gardeners, nurserymen, and seeds- 

 men, and market gardeners would be doing 

 their men a kindness by securing and placing 

 before them the Society's rules, etc. 



C. H. CUHTIS. 



ROYAL GARDENERS' 

 BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. 



This fine, old, and u^.eful charity held its 

 annual festival dinner at the beautiful hall 

 of the Grocers' Company on Tuesday even- 

 ing June 25, under the presidency of Sir 

 Jeremiah Colman, Bart., V.M.H. There 

 were about 230 ladies and gentlemen present, 

 "id the hall was beautifully decorated. 

 After an excellent dinner, in a few charm- 

 ing words Sir Jeremiah gave " The King." 

 and followed with " Her Majesty the Queen, 

 Queen Alexandra, the Prince of Wales, and 

 other Members of the Eoyal Family," and. he 

 took advantage of this opportunity of point- 

 ing out hoW the instituti<m had been 

 honoured for long years with Eoyal patron- 

 ao'e. 



''in proposing " Continued Prosperity to the 

 Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Fund/' the 

 Chairman said that the love of gardening 

 was either hereditary or instinctive in him- 

 self ; in his childhood, AvheTi his pocket 

 money was Id. per week, he set aside a fair 

 sum for seeds for his garden, but little 

 thought he would have the honour of pre- 

 siding in later years over such a representa- 

 tive gathering of gardeners as was present. 

 Horticulture \va.s progressing, and he was 

 glad to say that the Eoyal International Hor- 

 ticultural Exhibition had proved a huge suc- 

 cess. The recent honours list showed that 

 horticulture was receiving due recoonition , 

 while the Minister of Agriculture had already 

 signified his intention of making horticulture 

 a distinct branch of his board. Lastly, the 

 honour conferred upon Sir Harry J. Veitch 

 recentiv had met with universal approval and 

 pleasure (the meeting enthusiastually en- 

 dorsed the chairuKin's remarks). (Jardening 

 was the most elt valiug of purMii1>. and the 

 purest of human pleasure^. To be orthodox 

 he should string out a long list of figures 

 and facts relative to the working of the in- 

 stitution they had all met to assist. But he 

 would not do so, and simply refer to the 

 annuities grante<l to 253 beneficiaries, the 

 Victorian Era Fund, a..siting 49 poor gar- 

 deners awaiting election; and the Good 

 Samaritan Fund to help the extremely 

 sitous The institution has distributed 

 ^140,000 in assistance to gardeners and 

 needed ^5,000 a year to meet its ^^^J^^i^*;^^' 

 onlv ^1,000 a year being assured, Jeie- 



miah concluded wath a ^^f^/^"^^, ^^^^^^^.^ ' 

 tinguished company present, and his giati- 

 tude to those who had come to assist the 

 c arity in a stately hal( of an ancient 



and honourable company— to whom he ten- 

 dered thanks— and surrounded by portraits- 

 of kings, queens, and nobles, and with tables 

 ornamented by Avonderful plate, and deco- 

 rated with charming flowers by Mr. Leopold 

 de Eothschild's able gardeners, Mr. Hudson 

 and Mr. Bedford, and with the lady friends 

 of horticulture present, he felt that every- 

 thing was conducive to benevolence and 

 practical sympathy. Contrast, said he, these 

 surroundings with those of a disabled bread- 

 winner, or of a gardener's widow, and l>efore 

 the picture fades, please fill up your forms 

 with tlie amounts you feel able to afford for 

 a deserving cause. With the toast and hLs 

 appeal, the Chairman couple<l the name of 

 the treasurer, Sir Harry J. Veitch, and 

 asked that the result of the evening might 



})rove a record. 



Sir Harry J. Veitch, who was enthusiasti- 

 cally received, said he found it difficult to 

 say anything different to wliat he had ^aid 

 during th?^ five-and-twenty years he had had 

 to res]5ond to the toa.st. iMr^t he thanked 

 the chairman for his presence' ;!iid advocacy 

 of the claim of the charity, and tendered 

 thanks to the Grocers' Company for the 

 of the hall. Sir Harry said the olde-st pen- 

 .si(HH'r was a widow of 98 years of age. and 

 her tuisband enjoyed the pension Un' eight 

 y^ars after couf ributing £2o 6s. ; the couple 

 }i;ul rcceivvtl oviM ^W), One widow had re- 

 tcived i;4oO frorn the Institution, and her 

 l-.i^sband had contributed £10 to the funds. 

 Seven ])eiisioners were over 90 years of age. 

 After a word of jirjiM' io Mr. (t. J. 

 Infirraiii. th> ('ai)al)le s^'cn'tary the 



Institution, Sir Harry read several pathe- 

 tically thankful letters from pensioners. 

 Althouo-li netwi was the only qualification for 

 ( aiididature, those candidates who had sub- 

 s( l ibed r-x*eived some advantage Ikh^iuw they 

 wxre crotlitcd wiHi vote's in accordance with 

 \hv\r colli ributi^>n<. Sir Harry concluded 

 with a str<>i!tx and finding appeal for fundfi, 

 and thanks for tlu- inception given him; he 

 felt that the lionour he had received was an 

 honour to horticulture in general, and not 

 merely a personal manner. 



Colonel the Hon. Mark liockwood. M.P., 

 proposed The Ladies and Visitors" in a 

 delightful and humorous ^i)c<H'h that wa« 

 much a])preiia1e(l . L<h <1 

 sponded to tlii^ 1o:i>t in a 

 fashion. 



"Our Chairman," ably given by Mr. N. 

 Sherwood, V.M.H. . was 'accorded full musical 

 honours, and Sir Jeremiah Colman and Lady 

 Colman w<'iv heartily cheered. Sir Jeremiah 

 responded in a few sim])le and feeling words, 

 and with pleasing reference t<> the crem^rosity 

 of Sir Harry J. Veitch and Mr. \. N. Sher- 

 wood . 



The 



bv Mr. 



:lid .-.urn. ' Tills .sum iiu-luded i'5<M) from the 

 Cliairnuuu b"* guinea> from Messrs. Sutton 

 and Sons; Messrs. de Eothschild, UK) gui- 

 n-5as; Mr. J. Gurney Fowk^-. 50 guinea^; 

 Mr L, Salomon. 30 guineas; Mr. A. \\ . Sut- 



£20 • Me:^srs. J. Veitch and Sons, 25 

 ' Thames Bank Iron Company. 25 

 and Sir H. Waechter, £50. The 



table (iier Mr. J. Roch- 



outhwark 

 verv i)leasant 



subscription list for the evening, read 

 . Ino-ram, amounted to i;3.250: a spleu. 



ton, 



guineas ; 

 guineas ; 



( ovent 



Garden 



ford) £188 10s.. and the second Covent Gar- 

 d-.n table (per Mr. D. Ingamells). 50 -uineas: 

 Mr. N. N. Sherwood, to celebrate In^ 3"J>^1^^ 

 with Messrs. Hurst and Son^. contributed the 

 munificent sum of MSm; and in acknowledge- 

 ment of the great honour conferred "pon hor- 

 ticulture through them, Sir Harry and Lady 

 Veitch gave £m\ and it need hardly be said 

 that the notification of these magnificent 

 donations were cheered to the echo. \\ ith 

 the exception of the year when there was a 

 special collection, this was a record suWrip- 

 tion at a festival dinner. At the Cliau- 

 mans request, Mr. G J. Ingram w..s ac- 

 corded hearty thanks for h^^""/^^^"^ /"^ 

 successful work as secretary of the Institu- 

 tion, 



\n cditioTi of "SWEET PEAS AND THEIH CUL- 

 TlVXnoT - C. H. Curtis, hn6 ^<^^^'^'''^,^Z 



L<.iidon, E.G. 



