H.—la

Ancient Order of Foresters, Auckland District. Court Thistle of the Forest (CanterburyCourt Star of Canterbury (Canterbury United District). United District). Christchurch Working-Men's Club. REGISTRATION OP PARTIAL AMENDMENTS OF BULES. 12. Partial amendments of rules were registered on the application of the following :— Manchester Unity Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Fountain of Friendship Lodge (Auckland Nelson District. District). North Canterbury District. Waitara Lodge (New Plymouth District), Lyttelton District, Marlborough Lodge. Ancient Order of Foresters. Auckland District. Nelson District. Hawke's Bay District. Canterbury United District. Wellington District. Court Excelsior (United Otago District). Court Manawatu (Wellington District). Ancient Order of Shepherds. Sanctuary Sir George Grey. United, Ancient Order of Druids. Blenheim Mistletoe Lodge, Excelsior Lodge, Linden Lodge. Independent Order of Bechabites. New Zealand Central District. Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society. Otago-Canterbury District, Auckland Branch. Wellington Working-Men's Club. Invercargill Total Abstinence Society. Invercargill United Friendly Societies' Dispensary. STATISTICAL TABLES FOR 1884. 13. The statistics compiled from the annual returns for 1884 are appended to this report. They are cast in the same form as that in which they have appeared for several years past, and are thus available for convenient comparison. The number of societies and branches (exclusive of central bodies) dealt with in these tables is 281, distributed, according to order, as follows : — Manchester Unity Independent Order of Odd Fellows ... 109 Lodges. Independent Order of Odd Fellows (American) ... ... 12 Lodges. National Independent Order of Odd Fellows .. ... 2 Lodges. Ancient Order of Foresters ... ... ... ... 72 Courts. Ancient Orders of Shepherds ... ... ... ... 2 Sanctuaries. United Ancient Order of Druids ... ... ... ... 31 Lodges. Loyal United Friends Benefit Society ... ... ... 1 Lodge. Independent Order of Eechabites ... ... ... ... 27 Tents. Sons and Daughters of Temperance ... ... ... 4 Divisions. Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society ... ... 11 Branches. Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australasia ... ... 8 Lodges. Sailway Employes Benefit Societies ... ... ... 2 Societies. The number of members of the above-mentioned lodges* at the end of the year was 21,144. Their total funds at that date were £290,738 10s. Bd., of which £255,646 2s. lOd. belonged to the Sick and Funeral Funds. In addition to the latter, Funeral Funds held by the central bodies amounted to £22,076 13s. 6d. In Schedule V. (A) is shown the average amount per member of the Sick and Funeral Funds for five consecutive years. The increase of this average ought, up to a certain point, to keep pace with the increase in the average age of members, as well as with the increase in the average duration of membership. The fact that there is very little variation during the quinquennium is partly due to the introduction into the statistical tables from year to year of a number of newly-formed societies and branches. The benefit funds belonging to the nine oldest lodges of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Odd Fellows (hereinafter referred to as the "nine" lodges) amounted at the end of 1884 to £22 9s. per member, as compared with £11 os. lid., which was the average for all that are dealt with in the tables. The numerical progress, and the mortality and sickness experience for the year are shown in Table 11. The number of admissions was 3,216 ; the number of withdrawals (inclusive of those who left

* The word " lodge " is to be understood throughout as embracing all synonymous terms, as court, tent, &c, as used respectively in the various orders.

III