3

E. - -1,

Annual Returns of Receipts and Expenditure, etc. Tlie Friendly Societies Act requires these returns to reach me on or before the 3Lst March in each year. The number outstanding at that date in the respective societies was as follows : — Annual Returns outstanding at 31st March, 1928. Name of Society. Bodies' Branches. ALU.1.0.0.F... .. .. .. ' 2 1.0.0. F. . . . . 25 A.O.P ■ .. .. .. i ; 4.. .: U.A.O.D .. 6 1.0. R. ... 10 0.5. T. .... 1 H.A.C.B.S. .. .. .. I 28 P.A.F.S.A. .. .. . . .. .... 2 G.U.0.0.F. .. .. I 4 1.F.5., &c. .. .. . . .. ... . . .. ~ 26 3 108 Y ' 111 Statistics op Membership and Funds. The 1 following table shows the membership of 864 lodges* of the Dominion for the year 1927.:— Number of members, Ist January .. .. .. .. .. 95,383f Number admitted by — ■ ■ ■ Initiation, &c. .. .. .. , .. .. 9,313 . . r *.p ;! Clearance .. ... .. ... l( -i .. .. 1,125 10,438 105,821 Number who died.. .. .. .. 776 Number who left byClearance .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,183 Arrears, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,611 ■ - 7,570 Number of members at 31st December .. .. .. 98,251 The above figures show an increase in membership equal to 3'ol per cent., as compared with 3-41 per cent, for 1926. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December,- 1927, amounted to £3,526,717, made up as follows: Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus), £3,277,479 ; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c., £249,238. 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 £35 17s. lid. Taking the several years 1918-1927, 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 against the societies' liabilities under their 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 be understood as embracing the synonymous term* "court," "tent," &c., as used in the various orders. | Includes 916 members Auckland City Tramways 'Club: 1 '

I " ' ' I 1 I 1 NUm trul 0 a f t^ 0 . ageS of Members. Tota! Funds. Average Capita,. I I" 1 I . J -I " " '~ £ £ a. d. 1918 .. .. .. 731 67,527 2,100,443 31 2 1 1919 .. .. 735 70,598 2,184,653 30 18 11 1920 .. .. .. 732 74,210 2,321,176 31 5 7 1921 .. 731 77,814 2,445,843 31 8 8 1922 .. .. 746 ; 80,777 2,593,692 32 2 2 1923 .. .. .. 774 84,228, 2,747,952 ■ 32 12 6 1924 .. .. .. 782 87,433 2,955,340 , 33 16 0 1925 .. .. .. 817 91,353 3,136,237 ' 34 6 7 1926 .. .. .. 843 94,467 3,337,683 35 6 8 1927 .. .. 864 : 98,251 3,526,717 35 17 11 J 1 _ _ii _ Hii *