DA38 
MAJORITY REPORT. 
of Society should be fettered by the fact that a person transferring 
from one Society or Branch to another loses additional benefits 
for a substantial period of time. It is true that the new Society 
is not under any obligation to accept the member, nor is the 
member under any compulsion to leave. Nevertheless there 
must be many cases when a change of residence makes it wholly 
reasonable that an insured person should desire to transfer his 
membership to another organisation, and in consequence con- 
siderable hardship must not infrequently be inflicted. But apart 
from cases where the desire to transfer arises from u change in 
the insured person’s residence, it must be remembered that the 
Act contemplates that insured persons should enjoy, subject only 
to such safeguards as may be necessary, a liberal right to transfer, 
when they so desire, from one Society to another willing to accept 
them. It appears to us prima facie indefensible that the exercise 
of a fundamental right conferred by the Act should entail any 
greater loss than is inevitable. 
581. The evidence we have received on this subject varies. 
The hardship is generally admitted, but the difficulties of giving 
the transferring member either the additional benefits of the 
new Society or those of the old are pointed out. The administra- 
tion of Societies is already so complicated as to make it on the 
whole undesirable that they should have to administer different 
schemes of additional benefits for different members. On the 
financial side, the necessity for having the transfer values 
loaded to meet the cost of additional benefits has to be considered. 
If, on the other hand, the benefits granted are to be those of the 
new Society, it is clear that the old Society eannot be expected to 
pay for them. In this event there is a serious risk of the 
financial soundness of a Society being impaired by an active 
policy of canvassing for members. 
582. Another very important point has been put to us in 
connexion with the treatment benefits. It seems very undesir- 
able that a person who has enjoyed treatment benefits, for 
example, dental benefit, in one Society should lose this for a 
lengthy period on transferring. Even more important is the fact 
that young persons, who may have been receiving dental treat- 
ment at school will, for a period of seven years, i.e., the two years 
from 14 to 16 and: the five waiting years, be unable to qualify 
for this important benefit. (British Dental Association, Q. 9227). 
583. The Hearts of Oak Benefit Society (App. IV, 333-339; 
Q. 8756-3757) desire the retention of the waiting period, but 
realise the importance of dental benefit between the ages 
of 16 and 21. They suggest that it should, partly for 
this reason, be made a statutory benefit. (App. IV, 255- 
284.) They also concur in the view that it would not be 
practicable to give a transferring member a title to the same 
additional benefits as he received from his former Society. The