MAJORITY REPORT. 
237 
or other conditions should be attached to the administration 
of any of the benefits comprised in this Scheme, the benefits 
shall be administered by the Society as if those conditions 
had been incorporated in and formed part of this Scheme.” 
576. We do not, however, regard it as satisfactory that a pro- 
vision of so important a nature should rest upon no higher 
authority than a clause in a Society's scheme. Having regard 
to the large sums which are now available for distribution in the 
form of additional benefits, we consider that all schemes should 
be subject to regulations in force at the time and that the Minister 
should be empowered to make and amend those regulations as and 
when necessary, and we recommend that Section 75 (2) should 
be amended accordingly. 
FLIGIBILITY FOR ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. 
577. It is provided by Section 75 (4) of the Act that *‘ additional 
benefits shall not, except as otherwise prescribed, be distributed 
among any persons who were not members of the Society or 
branch on the date as at which the valuation was made.” The 
regulations made under the Section provide that persons who 
have been members continuously for a period of five years may be 
entitled to participate in additional benefits, notwithstanding that 
they were not members on the date as at which the valuation was 
made. 
578. Tt has been suggested to us (Kinnear, Q. 23,651) that 
the Section as worded is not satisfactory inasmuch as it does 
not state in positive. form the persons who must be allowed to 
participate in the additional benefits provided by any Approved 
Society, but merely lays down certain limitations on the power 
of Societies to provide in their schemes what persons are to be so 
entitled. 
579. We think that the qualifying conditions for participation 
in additional benefits should be uniform in all Societies and should 
be laid down in the Act itself or in regulations. On the whole, 
and particularly in view of the possibility of the conditions having 
to be varied from time to time, we think that they should be 
contained in regulations and we, therefore, recommend that 
Section 75 (4) of the Act should be amended so as to provide that 
the conditions under which persons shall be entitled to participate 
in additional benefits shall be such as may be prescribed. 
580. Our attention was directed by several witnesses to the 
Present arrangement under which the title to participate in 
additional benefits does not accrue until the beginning of the fifth 
year after that in which an insured person joins a Society either 
as a new entrant into insurance or by transfer from another 
Society. In the latter case in particular it appears to us to be 
open to serious criticism that the theoretical right of free choice