MINORITY REPORT 
health of its membership. If it is composed of extremely healthy 
members it can, by providing a wide range of additional benefits, 
many of a medical character, enable them to become still more 
healthy. If, on the other hand, it is composed of members 
whose standard of health is below the average, or who may be 
engaged in hazardous occupations, or occupations which call for 
a higher degree of physical strength than others, the current 
expenditure on cash benefits leaves no margin for surplus, and, 
as a consequence, that section of the community who need all 
possible services of a preventive and curative character are 
limited strictly to the bare statutory benefits of the Act. As we 
have been told, the position of such a member is as follows :— 
““ . . . . the Act goes on providing him with medical 
treatment necessary for dealing with the consequences of his 
defective teeth, but unless he happens to be in a Society which 
has some sort of dental benefit . . . . nothing whatever is 
done for his teeth.” (Brock, Q. 1,080.) 
HINDRANCE TO DEVELOPMENT. 
54. We consider that the Approved Society system in itself 
militates against a variety of developments which might be 
found desirable. HFvidence was given to show (1) that the 
extension of cash benefits to dependants would accentuate the 
present deviation from the general average which results from 
the system of insurance through Approved Societies (Second 
Report of the Actuarial Committee and Kinnear, Q. 23,460) 
and (2) that ** it would not be practicable for Approved Societies 
organised on their present lines to administer Workmen's Com- 
pensation (Kinnear, Q. 23,461). The Friendly Society 
Movement was unanimous in desiring the limitation of cash 
benefits, notwithstanding that the present rates were admittedly 
insufficient (National Conference of Friendly Societies, Q. 10,649- 
10,679: Heather, Q. 5590.) ‘It may be thought that that 
answer is prompted by selfish motives, or by a desire to protect 
an existing vested interest. Tf that is so T plead guilty to that 
quite frankly (Duff, Q. 4,070); and again, ‘‘ We are advo- 
cating that nothing shall be done which will injure the Friendly 
Societies.” (Shaw, Q. 10,725.) 
55. The Friendly Societies submit that they give an oppor- 
tunity to the insured population to insure themselves privately, 
and urge that it is desirable that personal thrift should be en- 
couraged. We express no opinion on this latter point, but it 
is important to note that the representative of one of the largest 
Orders agreed that ‘‘ as regards a very large proportion of seven 
million people, State Insurance is the only form of insurance 
they can hope to get.” (Heather, Q. 5,608.) The system is a 
hindrance to the development of a complete Public Health 
policy, inasmuch as it is primarily concerned with the distribu-