3

H.—l

Annual Returns of Receipts and Expenditure, etc. The Friendly Societies Act requires these returns to reach me on or before the 31st March in each year. The number outstanding at that date in the respective societies was as follows :— Annual Returns outstanding at '51st. March, 1924. Name of Society. Bodies) 1 Blanchos - M.U.1.0.0.F. .. . . .. V' 11 1.0.0. F. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 38 A.O.F. .. .. .. .. .. * .. ..3 15 U.A.O.D 12 1.0. R. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 10 H.A.C.B.S. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..1 29 G.U0.0.F. .. .. .. ..1 2 1.F.5., &c. .. .. ... .. .. .. .... 31 8 148 156 Statistics of Membership and Funds. The following tabic shows the membership of 771 lodges* of the Dominion for the year 1923 : — Number of members, Ist January .. .. .. .. .. 80,777 Number admitted by— Initiation, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 8,713 Clearance .. .. .. .. .. .. 951 9,664 ■ 90,441 Number who died .. . . .. .. .. 681 Number left by— Clearance . . .. .. .. . . 1,037 Arrears, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,492 6,213 Number of members at 31st December .. .. .. .. 84,228 The above figures show an increase in membership equal to 427 per cent., as compared with 3-81 per cent, for 1922. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December, 1923, amounted to £2,747,952, made up as follows : Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus, £2,565,684 ; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c, £182,268. 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 £32 12s. 6d. Taking the several years 1914-1923, the number of lodges whose returns were tabulated, the number of members, total funds, and average capital per member at the end of each year were as under: —

These sums are, of course, held againf the societies' liabilities under (heir sickness and funeral insurances, and the actuarial reports issued from time to time indicate how far they are sufficient or otherwise. The above figures include the latest statistics received from lodges. * The word "lodge," when applied to all societies, is to he understood as embracing the synonymous terms " court," " tent," &c, as used in the various orders.

Year. Number of Lodges tabulated. Number of Mombers. Total Funds. Average Capital. " I 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 717 728 727 730 731 735 732 731 746 774 74,074 73,027 70,360 08,771 67,527 70,598 74,210 77,814 80,777 84,2-28 £ 1,744,456 1,852,355 1,954,940 2,052,753 2,100,443 2,184,653 2,321,176 2,445,843 2,593,692 2,747,952 £ s. d. 23 11 0 25 7 4 27 15 8 29 17 0 31 2 1 30 18 11 31 5 7 31 8 8 32 2 2 32 12 6