Auditors' Report.

To the Provincial Grand, Master and Delegates, Otago District, M.U.I.O.O.F.

Resolved—That the Balance Sheet and Auditors' Report be received and adopted.

Nominations for District Officers—

For Prov. G.M.

• D.P.GM. Leslie
• P.D.P.G.M. Hopcraft
• P.G. Fish
• P.G. Godso
• P.G. Harrop
• P.G. Sherwin
• P.G. Woodland
• P.G. Black
• P.G. Gilchrist
• P.G. Gibb
• P.P.C.S. Bond
• P.G. Lucas
• P.G. Templeton.

For Deputy Prov. G.M.

• The same Brothers as above, with the exception of the present D. Prov. G.M., and with the addition of P.G. Coverlid.

For Prov. C.S.

• P.C.S. Sligo, Permanent Sec. Burton, P.G. Black, P.G. Woodland, P.P.G.M. Palmer, P.G. Sherwin.

For District Treasurer.

• P.P.G.M. Robin, P.G. Harrop, P.P.G.M. Swan, P.P.G.M. Sherwin, P.G. Sherwin, P.G. Black, P.G.M. Anderson.

4. Resolved—That the next District and Purple Lectures be held at the Odd Fellows' Hall; Dunedin, on the last Wednesday in July (26th), at 7.30 p.m.

5. Resolved—That the Trustees of the Otago District be recommended to withdraw the sum of £200 now in the Standard Investment Society, and re-invest it in other legal security as opportunity occurs.

6. Resolved—That the books of the District be closed on the last day of February and last day of August in each year, and that the Balance Sheets and Auditors' Report be printed and sent to all the Lodges prior to the District meetings.

7. From Albion Lodge—Notice of appeal against the fine of 10s. 6d. inflicted on the Lodge at the last annual meeting of the District.

The Prov. G.M. being a member of the Albion Lodge, the D.P.G.M. presided while this matter was being dealt with. The D P.G.M. ruled that, in this case, an appeal could only lie to the Grand Master and Board of Directors, and that the appeal not being in order, it cannot be entertained by this Committee. See General Rule 83.

8. To consider Interim Report of Finance Committee.

Interim Report of Committee appointed at District Meeting held 10th November, 1875, to consider and report on the general financial position of this District:—

"To the Officers and Delegates, Otago District Committee' April, 1876—

"Shortly after appointment the Committee met, and having agreed that their first and principal duty would be to try to have a valuation of the various Lodges made, decided that in the preparation of tables for such valuation, interest should be calculated at the rate of 4 per cent. The reasons for this rate being fixed upon are: That Lodges are entitled by resolution of District Committee, to appropriate all above 4 per cent, to Incidental Fund, and that, while some of the Lodges regularly get more than 4 per cent., numbers get less. It was also resolved that the data for sickness and mortality should be the experience of the Manchester Unity 'Combined Rural, Town, and City Districts,' as published in Mr Ratcliffe's Supplementary Report of 1872. D.P.G.M. Bro. Leslie, assisted by P.G. Bro. Black, has been engaged for a long time back in making the necessary calculations. This onerous task is now almost completed, and a valuation of a number of the Lodges can now be made. But it is found that in a good many instances the returns for 1875 will not be so full and complete as they ought to be to enable a satisfactory valuation to be made. From the trial valuations which have so far been worked out, it appears that while there are some few Lodges having a surplus, there page 12 will be a number showing a deficiency. Your Committee, however, hope and believe that with the co-operation of Lodges and members, it will be comparatively easy (our position being ascertained) to take such steps as will tend towards, and soon bring about, a sound financial condition. Your Committee desire to express their settled conviction, that in order to do justice to each individual member, as well as bring about the desideratum of a sound financial position, it will be necessary to initiate a system of graduated contributions, according to the age of members.

"Your Committee desire, in the most emphatic manner to direct attention to the fact that their investigations relate to the Sick and Funeral Fund only. It must be borne in mind that members really pay two separate and distinct contributions—one to Sick and Funeral Fund, for the purpose of assuring the receipt, by themselves or friends, of certain fixed sums in sickness and at death; another to defray working expenses, to pay for medical attendance and medicines, and to meet other Incidental Fund expenses. That the amount necessary for the first can be calculated for the whole district; while for the last, it varies in every locality in which a Lodge is established. Therefore, in addition to the uniform contribution required throughout the District to Sick and Funeral Fund, Lodges must make their members contribute to the Incidental Fund according to the amount rendered necessary by local circumstances. We beg to direct special attention to the above, because, while it is, to our minds, very evident that the contribution to the Sick and Funeral Fund is not too much; some few of the Lodges deal with the moneys of the separate funds as if they were common property. The Lodges doing this have largely decreased in number of late years, but your Committee would be glad to see any systematic borrowing from the Sick and Funeral Fund wholly cease.

"The Committee would strongly insist upon the desirability of Lodges investing surplus funds to the best advantage. The importance of this may not be generally seen, but when it can be proved that Lodges habitually investing profitably are found in a good, or fair position, while those receiving page 13 little or no interest on capital will be found uniformly in a worse position, the necessity for this recommendation will become more apparent. Another reason for fixing a 4 per cent, interest basis for the valuations may be here alluded to, viz,—that almost every lodge in the District can (failing better investments), procure that rate of interest at the Post Office Savings Bank."

Resolved—That the Report be received and adopted.

Resolved—That it be left to the Finance Committee to draw up what they may consider a proper scale of contributions, to be submitted to a special meeting of District Committee, and that Lodges be specially urged to appoint delegates to attend such meeting when called.

Resolved—That the scale of contributions, when agreed upon by the Committee, shall be printed and circulated prior to any District meeting considering it.

9. Resolved—That the Funeral Levy be at the rate of Is. 6d. per member.

That the Incidental Levy be at the rate of 6d. per member.

Questions were submitted from Loyal Roxburgh Lodge, in reference to medical attendance on members and payment of medical contributions, and the District Officers were instructed to reply.

Resolved—That a vote of thanks is due, and hereby given, to P.P.G.M. Bro. G. S. God free, Secretary of the Loyal Brunswick Lodge, Brighton District, England, for his kindness and promptitude in forwarding to our D.P.G.M. Bro. Leslie, valuable documents connected with the valuation of Lodges, which documents will be of great benefit to this District.

Attention was drawn to the fact that some of the Lodges have been borrowing Sick and Funeral Fund capital for Incidental purposes, and the District Officers were instructed to take steps to cause such borrowing to cease.

Resolved—That a vote of thanks be recorded on the minutes to D.P.G.M. Leslie and P.G. Black, for the zealous labor bestowed by them on the preparation of tables for the proposed valuations.

Resolved—That the usual number of Reports of Proceedings of this meeting be printed and circulated to Lodges.

Resolved—That the Auditors and Tyler receive the usual fees.

Resolved—That a vote of thanks be recorded on the minutes to the P.G.M. for his conduct of the business of this meeting.

The minutes were read and confirmed, and the meeting closed.