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MAJORITY REPORT. 
the extent to which the rules ought to provide. It is a very 
difficult question, because a very large proportion of insured 
members do not take any interest in the management of their 
Approved Societies *’ (Kinnear, Q. 23,571). At this stage it 
ray be sufficient to quote further the view of the National Asso- 
ciation of Trade Union Approved Societies, that as a condition of 
continued approval a Society ‘‘ should give reasonable opportuni- 
ties to its members to exercise some influence in its control and 
management *’ (Q. 21,837). 
213.- We have also received evidence suggesting the unsuit- 
ability of Societies, and especially the smaller Societies and 
branches, as agencies for the administration of any benefits in 
the nature of treatment. Under the Act as it stands, every 
Society and branch, however small, can provide for its members 
an additional treatment benefit within the limits of the amount 
allocated for the purpose out of its own disposable surplus. In 
the case of a Society or branch with a membership of about 100 
the sum available each year under the allocation would not 
ordinarily exceed. a few pounds, the whole of which might be 
exhausted in the first two or three claims for benefit which had 
to be dealt with. In consequence, in the not improbable event 
of the number of members desiring the benefit in any year being 
greater than the anticipated average, later claimants would be 
unable to obtain any benefit. 
214. In the case of additional benefits, other than the increases 
of the normal cash benefits, it is also contended that the smaller 
Societies, in particular, are handicapped by the difficulties under 
which they inevitably labour in seeking to institute the necessary 
arrangements on behalf of their members, The peculiar 
character of these benefits has already been commented upon, 
and while it is true that they do not, in strictness, assume 
the form of treatment, but are rather payments towards the 
cost of treatment, nevertheless the work to be performed by 
Societies in their administration may involve the organisation of 
arrangements under which their members may receive treat- 
ment. For such work as this the small isolated Society or 
branch is, it is contended, obviously unsuited. To this con- 
sideration may doubtless be ascribed the fact that organisations 
such as the National Insurance Beneficent Society have been 
evolved to afford- aid to Societies in such matters. 
215. A further ground on which the Approved Society system 
was criticised was that it * stands in the way of the unification of 
social insurance which so many people now desire ’’ (Cohen, 
Q. 19,892). In support of this, appeal was made to the fact that 
the Societies had not been considered to be suitable bodies for 
the administration of Unemployment Insurance or of the newly- 
introduced scheme of insurance for Widows’, Orphans and Old 
Age Pensions. In this connexion we may also refer to the