Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Illinois - University Library

368 JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS
) N.v^Ys^lon
in England, we have requested the views of and report thereon of
Bros. Geo. T. Clarke and J. C. Smith, who are Past Grand Representatives
and also Past Grand Sires of the Grand Lodge of Aus-
tralasia, and have given the subject attention and have just received
from them the following, which is submitted as part of our report.
The Grand Lodge of Australasia, I. 0. O. F.
Office of the Grand Secretary,
"Tasma," Oak Street (near Victoria Bridge),
Hawthorn, Victoria, August 7, 1913.
The Grand Sire and Grand Secretary Sovereign Grand Lodge,
I. O. O. F.:
Dear Brethren.—In compliance with your request that we should
again report to you on the subject of the establishment of the Order
in England, in time for submission to the approaching session, we
have the honor to offer the following:
That the fact of the Manchester Unity having the field in England
is, in our opinion, no bar to the Independent Order being established
there, and efforts in that direction would not be likely to disturb the
fraternal relations at present existing between the two societies.
The laws relating to friendly societies might give a little trouble,
for the name of the Order, its tables of contributions and benefits and
the management of its fiscal concerns, would certainly come under
review of the authorities, and possibly some alterations would be
asked for by them, before registration would be allowed. However,
we are satisfied that all these matters could be adjusted, if handled
tactfully by an officer on the spot, who had been appointed by the
Sovereign Grand Lodge and in whom that body had full confidence.
Very many conferences with actuaries, registtrars and other officials
who control friendly societies in England, would doubtless be required,
and in addition to tact and a good general knowledge of friendly
society work, a little social knowledge of English methods would be a
desirable acquisition for the officer whom the Sovereign Grand Lodge
might select, to clear the way for an organizer entrusted with the task
of establishing the Order in England.
In view of the somewhat disturbed state of friendly societies in
England at the present time, caused by the coming into operation of
the National Insurance Act, we beg to suggest that the actual effort
to establish our Order in that country should be delayed for about a
year, and, in the meantime, the preparatory work which we have
roughly sketched should be taken in hand, fully carried out and reported
on, so as to place the Sovereign Grand Lodge on solid ground
at the 1914 session, and thus enable it to satisfactorily decide the