H.—l.

Membership and Funds.

The following table shows the increased membership in 505 lodges* which furnished returns for 1908:—

* The word " lodge," when applied to all societies, is to be understood as embracing the synonymous terms " court," " tent," &c, as used in the various orders. The increase during 1908 was 643 per cent., as compared with 7 - 6 per cent, for 1907. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December, 1908, amounted to £1,123,886 4s. 6d., made up as follows : Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus), £1,034,195 10s.; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c, £89,690 14s. 6d. Dividing the total funds by the number of members at the end of the year, it is found the average capital per member is now £19 4s. Id. Taking the several years 1900-1908, the number of lodges whose returns were tabulated, the number of members, total funds, and average capital per member at the end of each were as under :—

The following statement shows the total funds (including those of the central bodies) as on the 31st December, 1908 :—

The following table shows the number of members of friendly societies, the amount of their accumulated capital, and the average capital per member, in each of the Australian States and in the Dominion of New Zealand, according to the latest received statistics, arranged in order of membership : —

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191 W. Number of members, 1st January Number admitted by— Initiation, &o. Clearance 7,700 566 54,980 8,266 Number who died Number left by— Clearance Arrears, &c. 376 599 3,754 63,246 4,729 Number of members at 31st December 58,517

Year. Number of Lodges tabulated. Number of Members. _ J Total Funds, Average Capital. 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 443 445 462 465 479 501 500 516 505 40,257 41,236 43,408 45,255 47,302 51,103 53,759 56,817 58,517 £ 766,480 804,753 846,315 883,751 936,388 996,224 1,057,821 1,118,217 1,123,886 S. s. d. 19 0 9 19 10 4 19 9 11 19 10 7 19 15 11 19 9 11 19 13 6 19 13 7 19 4 1

Funds. Assots. Sick and Funeral Funds .. Surplus Appropriation Funds Management Funds, goods, &o. Widow and Orphans' Funds Distress, Benevolent Funds, &c. £ 1,006,057 28,139 58,557 10,451 20,682 Investments at interest .. Value of land and buildings Cash not bearing interest.. Value of goods Other assets Owing by Management Fund £ 927,742 137,644 38,885 11,665 7,020 930 Total .. 1,123,886 Total .. 1,123,886

State or Dominion. I Date of Eeturn. Number of Lodges. Number of Members. Amount of Funds. Capital per Member. Victoria New South Wales .. New Zealand South Australia Queensland Tasmania.. Western Australia .. 31st December, 1907 1906 1907 1906 1907 1906 1906 1,376 1,314 516 506 424 156 237 123,443 107,723 56,817 52,165 35,622 17,736 14,630 £ 1,793,186 1,069,975 1,118,217 743,795 424,576 152,023 103,320 £ s. d. 14 10 6 9 18 8 19 13 7 14 5 2 11 18 5 8 11 5 7 13