FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 297, 1 October 1928, Page 4

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

STEADY GROWTH SHOWN. _ * DOMINION AND COUNTY. The report of the Registrar of Friendly Societies for the year ended December, 1927, indicates the steady groAvth of the Friendly Society movement in the Dominion, and incidentally discloses the very valuable Avork in the relief of sickness and distress carried on by the various societies. The folloAving figures taken from the report provide interesting reading:— Lodges in NeAv Zealand total 864, Avitli a total membership of 98,251, and accumulated funds of £3,526,717, equal to £35 17s lid per member, compared Avith £35 6s Bd' the previous year. The increase in membership for the year was 2868, equal to 3.01 per cent., compared with 3.41 per cent, the previous year. ' . The funds increased during the year by £189,034. The receipts amounted to £668,252, the principal items being: Contributions, £387,447; interest and rents, £173,244. The expenditure amounted to £531,975. The principal items were: Sick pay, £124,892, equal to £6 13s 8d per member sick; death benefits, £33,305; medical fees, £146,457. The figures for the chief Friendly Societies throughout the Dominion are as folloAV: —

The figures for the Ashburton County are:—•

Society. Capital Member- per ship. Capital, member £ £

M.U. Od’fl’ws 31,399 1,356,177 43.19 Druids 21,810 729,224 33.48 Foresters 19,068 731,706 38.37 I.O.O.F. (A.C.) 13,060' 292,418 22.39 Rechabifces 4,539 157,205 34.63 Hibernian 3,779 92,312 24.34

M.U. Od’flVs 1065 28,162 I.O.O.F. (A.C.) 338 1,565* Druids 274 5072 Foresters 265 7873 Hibernians 63 1303* Rechabites 37 18* *Funds consolidated. .