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NEWTOWN.

LLANIDLOES.

MONTGOMERY.

BERRIEW.

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BERRIEW. ODDFELLOWS' ANNIVERSARY.— The anniversary of tae Rhiew Lodge of Oddfellows was celebrated in the usual way on Thursday,and the whole of the day's proceedings passed off in a highly satis- factory manner, despite tho fact that showers of raiu fell at intervals. The membership of thelodgn totals 110, the average age of each member is 31, and the amount of funds per member is JE4 12s, alt but a. smalt fraction. Tnere is a balance in hand on the sick and funeral fund 19s 4d, and on the management, fund of £6 6s 4(1. The juvenile branch had a balance in hand on the 31st December last of £15 5s lid. The amount of money invested in the Post Office Savings Bank and in property belonging to the lodge totals £505 lis 7gd. This cannot but be regarded as a very satisfactory state of affairs, the lodge having now been in existence for the comparatively short period of fourteen years.—The members in the morning attended divine service in the Church, where an eloquent sermon was preached by the Vicar (Rev W. L. Martin). They afterwards formed in procession, arlit, headed hy the Newtown Silver Band, hey paraded the village, paying visits to Vaynor, Giansevern, and other places. At three o'clock the annual dinner was held at the Talbot, where a capital repast was provided by the Host and Hostess Gregory. Mr A. C. Humphreys-Owen, M.P., presided, Mr Lewis, Trwstllewelyn, being in the vice-chair. There were also present the Vicar, Messrs C. Shaker, Kearn, M. D. Jones (secretary), Rogers (grand master), and about 100 others. The cloth having oeeu removed, the Chairman said he rose to propose the first of the loyal toasts—that of The Queen. It needed few wo"ds from him or from any Britain, to commend the toast to tin Assembly like that. Tnev had lived under the Queen now for close upon 60 years. They sincerely hoped that she might, live to attend the sixtieth year of her reign, which was as longsthat of any English sovereign and longer than that of any English sovereign in full possession of those faculties which she had always exerted for the good of her people (loud applause).—The toast having bpen received with musical honours, the Chairman aain sub- mi" "d the toast of the "Prince and Princess of and the Rest of the Royal family." He said the toast was one which came with especial signi- cance at this time, because in the course of next week they hoped to weL-ome the Prince and Prin- cess of Wales and their two unmarried daughters into this county, where they are to be the guests of Dowager Marchioness of Londouderry, in order that they may be present and that the Prince himself may take the lead in the great ceremony—the unique ceremony—of his installation as the" Chan- cellor of the University of Wales (applaase). This evidence which he too in all of those over whom at some uistant time it would be his lot to reign, and especially of those in the Principality of Wales gave him greater claim upon their loyalty and respect (applause). He might add that it was no small tax upon him, and upon his family, to under- take in thi3 weather, a long railway journey, a long and fatiguing day of ceremonial, and then another long journey, and all this to show his goodwill towards the people of Wales (cheers). He there- fore called upon them to drink most heartilv to the toast which he had so much pleasure in proposing (applause).—This having been done, Mr King gave the Bishop and Clergy and the Ministers of all denominations," corpled with the name of the Vicar, who suitably replied.—The Chairman after- wards submitted the toast of "Pro-perity to the Rhiew Lodge of Oddfellows." He said he particu- larly rejoiced in having been able to get away for this ceremony, and to show the great interest which he took, and which dated now for nearly five and twenty years past, in the prosperity of the great frieudly societies of this country (applause). He thought there were some people who were not fully aware of the immense part which the benefit societies of this country were playing in its social history. When he told them that reliable official evidence was placed before the Old Age Commission, that some- thing like seven millions of persons were interested in friendly societies in one way or another out of a population of 37 millions. That would give them stinking proof of how widespread friendly societies were and how great their interest was to the nation. And moreover the same authority pointed out to the Commission that the invested funds of these societies amounted to the sum of 23 millions sterling (applause). TliRt, again, showed them the stability of the societies and the immense advan- tages which they conferred upon the nation in providing a nest egg in the inevitable events of sickness and old age, which must come to all (hear, hear, and applause). And of those large numbers, and of those vast sump, their own order had no mean share (cheers). According to the authority the number of enrolled members of the order at that time was 769,503, and their invested funds amounted to something like seven millions sterling (loud applause). He hadltttle doubt if he had at his disposal the figures of the last financial year that be would fiud a substantial increase to those figures (applause). This great society of theirs had done much, was doing much, and he hoped would do more (cheers). Recent legislation had made it much easier te bring into the scope of the societies a juvenile section, and that he was particularly glad of, for the reason that it led to the secret of providing for old age pensions of which they heard so much, and perhaps did not see quite so much, as in the young people joining the friendly socieries at an early age, because if they did that their contiibutions extending over 30 or 40 years, and accumulating at compound interest, would effectually provide for a pension at a time when the limbs failed and the powers became less capable of coping with the work of life (applause). Another point to which he looked forward was the extension of the work of the society to women. It was one of the characteristics uf the present day that women were taking more and more their part—and a most useful and admirable part it was—in the various duties of public life. He was sure that those duties did not involve any neglect of those domestic duties which were the primary sphere of women. He did not hink there would be any difference amongst them when the time cam for the female courts would become as general if not quite so numerous as t hvse of the men (applause). A great question which was agitating the minds of friendly societies, and especially that of their own Order, was that of aid from the State, cither to the individuals who be- long to clubs or the clubs themselves. Now, he could not say that he thought the question was as yet ripe for solution. It was one of tho greatest magnitude and importance, and a step of that kind once taken could never be retraced, and therefore it was of supreme importance that before any step of that kind was taken its consequences should be well weighed (hear, hear). He would contribute a suggestion which was not original, but still one that was worth the consideration of the Order, and it was that the State should so far aid the friendly societies as to use them as the means to dist.ribut9" its old age pensions. If that was done strictly in the way in which he had put it forward it would not involve the friendly societies in the conse- quences whiciywoulc1 now from state aid in other forms. He meant of their being subjected to State examination and inspection. Again friendly socie- ties had protested, and he thought hey were right in protesting, against any such interfereoce. State aid would not necessarily involve thi" because al1 that was required would be a certificate that the man was paying to his club. There was only one objection to that and that was that all the clubs of this country he was sorry to say were not in a thoroughly financial condition. It was said that in those cases ifjja mans' fund failed through his club an the State pension was therefore withdrawn it would be as a very serious hardship and irresistible pressure would be put on the State to continue the pension, and that instead of encouraging thrift it would encourage them to make rash investments. that that was a serious point for con- „ fa 1,on'. fought that as education increased, and as badness habits extended as they were now ofthetf? anTSSt the c!asses wh<> took advantage tl.at there W 7 that ifc -«uld be seen LndTind rn°H V n,drn the 0ther ha,ld making a vast and undefined liability. Havintr tom-h„H safety of,clubs being Lured b^y contribution from the members, and also by having good rules and laws, in which theie should be no cak.iges, and also alluded to the rate of interest at whicn the money of the societies was invested chd IT;]01 to See in that Parish so strong a ubi as this one certainly was, and he rejoiced to see so many young men about him that afternoon not, he assured them, because he was a victim to the old idea that the young men's subscriptions were to pay for- the old men's benefits—(laughter) out because it was desirable that young men should enter early, and that by paying a much oner subscription they obtained much better better benefits because of the magnetic power of compound interest in raising up funds (hear, hear) His colleague on the Friendly Societies Commis sion, Brother Stockall, said the Montgomeryshire district was a bright spot in the Order (applause) stars"hf The' h° t0 Spea! -something l^e those stars in tho heavens which appeared afe one to the naked eye, but once viewed through a tele- scope, turned out to be a number, and that one star exceeded thDse of the others. He hoped the bright- ness of tho Rhiew Lodge was second to none in the district >cheers).—The Noble Grand Master (Mr. John Francis) replied, after which Mr. H. H. Owen submitted the "Army and Navv aud Reserve Force."—Mr. Shuker gave the County and Borough members, and the Chairman, in response, remarked that though his colleague and himself might differ on some points of minor importance they agreed in doing their best to promote the best interest and welfare for Montgomeryshire (applause). — The toast of "The Vicar" was proposed by the Vice- Chairman, and duly acknowledged. Other toasts were given, incuding The Chairman" and Vice-Chairman," The Visitors," proposed by Mr. M. D. Jones, and responded to by Mr. Shuker; The Press and the Host and hostess," which were also acknowledged.—An adjournment was afterwards made to an adjoining field, where an excellent programme was gone through.

LLANFAIR.,

!llanerfy:,.

T&EWERN.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE ROYAL VISIT.

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