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 31st March, 1937. Name of Society. Bodies. Branches - M.U.1.0.0.F. .. .. .. •• • • •• •• 1 8 1.0.0. F. .. .. ■• •• •• •■ •• •■ H A.O.F. 3 16 U.A.O.D 7 1.0. R. 4 H.A.C.B.S •• •■ 1 12 P.A.F.S.A ■•• .. 1 10 G.U.0.0.F. .. .. .. • • ■• ■■ •• 1 I.F.S. &c. 25 7 95 102 Statistics op Membership and Funds. The following table shows the membership of 945 lodges* of the Dominion for the year 1936 : — Number of members, Ist January .. .. .. •■ 103,612 Number admitted by — Initiation, &c. ■• •• •■ •• ..9,558 Clearance .. ■. ■ • • • • • .. 1,226 10,784 114,396 Number who died . . .. ■ • • • • • 951 Number who left by — Clearance .. .. • • • • ■ ■ ■ ■ 1,284 Arrears, &c. .. • • ■ • • • • • 4,102 6,337 Number of members, 31st December .. .. •• 108,059 The above figures show an increase in membership equal to 4-29 per cent., as compared with 2-88 per cent, for 1935. The total funds of the societies and branches as at the 31st December, 1936, amounted to £4,956,948, made up as follows : Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred tō special funds out of surplus), £4,571,363 ; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c, £385,585. 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 £45 17s. sd. Taking the several years 1927-1936 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 terms " court," " tent," &c, as used in the various orders.

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Year. omemfrs. Total Funds. Average Capital. £ £ s. d. 19 27 864 98,251 3,526,717 35 17 11 1928 885 100,928 3,728,087 36 18 9 1929 900 105,154 3,927,433 37 7 0 1930 906 107,167 4,130,117 38 10 9 1931 912 105,660 4,277,715 40 9 9 1932 912 102,052 4,398,158 43 1 11 1933 918 100,237 4,538,095 45 5 6 1934 929 100,708 4,676,427 46 8 9 1935 936 103,612 4,812,787 46 9 0 1936 945 108,059 4,956,948 45 17 5