and I should have thought that the only point at which a bar could be placed would be across the door of entrance. Again, Mr. Hardy says that “an increase of expenditure for death money and sick allowance must reasonably be expected up to a certain point.” I should like to ask where is that point? Surely if Mr. Hardy had known the ages of all the members he would have told us whether it was past or near at hand.... He also tells us that too many annuitants have been already admitted, and £625 are now wanted to meet their just claims. We might have concluded, then that the society was in iminent(sic) danger of breaking up, had not the same authority told us that “it is in a very good condition at the present time”. What, then, is to be done in this particular? Is the expenditure to be immediately reduced to £625, or are steps to be taken to add as much to the permanent fund? I may also remark that Mr. Hardy declares the sum of £3,625, even if the society had it, to be insufficient for the annuities alone. From what source, then are the payments on death to be derived? Of course, there is some way of explaining all this, and I hope Mr. Richardson will make it clear to ordinary readers.”
The Annual Dinner. The great festival of the year among the Hastings clubites was that of walking in grand procession on Whit Monday, and dining together – each society at its own headquarters. The Old Friendly’s rendezvous was the Swan Hotel, and there, after dinner had been partaken of, the chairman, Mr. J. H. Job, entered into a long explanation of the position and prospects of the society. At a later period of the afternoon, he also alluded to Mr. Hume in somewhat disparaging terms, notwithstanding that his own statement of the society’s affairs formed a fitting corollary to all that Mr. Hume had put forth in his arguments and proposals. In explaining what he called the balance-sheet, the Chairman said “I must speak to the young members in particular. You are all aware we have had a very expensive year, but perhaps not more so than perhaps some of the sister societies. When I occupied the same position last year as I do today, I told you the society’s rules were under revision. That revision has been completed and the new rules have been certified; but I am sorry that they have not pleased everyone. The Committee sat, I may say, for twelve months, and for six months they had an arduous task in consulting with the members and revising the rules. The expenses we had in the past year will show the necessity that existed for a change of laws. The sick-payments were £1022. Eight deaths cost us under the old laws £174, and there are three deaths which, under the new rules, are not yet paid. Four deaths of members wives cost £32, making altogether for funeral money £206. The salaries of -
