7

H.—l

The increase in membership during 1910 was 3-20 per cent., as compared with 2-27 per cent, for 1909. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December, 1910, amounted to £1,367,282 Is. Id., made up as follows : Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus), £1,263,819 10s. Id. ; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c, £103,462 11s. 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 £20 2s. Id. Taking the several yoara 1901-1910, 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 disposal of the total funds (including those of the central bodies) as on the 31st December, 1910 : —

The next 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 : —

Sickness. The number of members sick during 1910 was 11,850, equal to 18-67 per 100 members at risk. The sickness experienced during 1910 was 97,534 weeks 2 days, equal to 8 weeks 1 day per sick member, and 1 week 3 days for each member at risk. Owing in great measure to differences in the proportion of members at the several ages, the averages in the several districts differ considerably, also in the several societies or orders. The figures for the five large orders for 1910 are found to be as follows : —

,. Number of Lodges * ear - tabulated. 1901 .. .. .. 445 1902 .. .. .. 462 1903 .. .. .. 465 1904 .. .. .. 479 1905 .. .. .. 501 1906 .. .. .. 500 1907 .. .. .. 516 1908 .. .. .. 505 1909 .. .. .. 567 1910 .. .. . 609 Year. Number of Members. 41,236 43,408 45,255 47,302 51,103 53,759 56,817 58,517 64,428 68,006 Total Funds £ 804,753 846,315 883,751 936,388 996,224 1,057,821 1,118,217 1,123,886 1,260,297 1,367,282 Average Capital. £ B. d. 19 10 4 19 9 11 19 10 7 19 15 11 19 9 11 19 13 6 19 13 7 19 4 1 19 13 1 20 2 1

Funds. Assets. Assets. lick and Funeral Funds lurplus Appropriation Funds, &o. .. lanagement Funds, goods, &c. Vidow and Orphans' Funds )istress, Benevolent Funds, &c. £ .. 1,221,372 Investments at interest .. 42,448 Value of land and buildings 70,502 Cash not bearing interest.. 11,478 Value of goods .. 21,482 Other assets Owine by Management Fund £ .. 1,134,748 164,149 44,3G7 13,823 8,864 1,331 Total .. £1,367,282 Total .. £1,367,282

State or Dominion. Date of Beturn. 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, 1909 1908 1909 1906 1909 1908 1909 1,441 1,414 567 506 464 179 260 136,340 125,063 64,428 52,165 39,871 19,571 16,044 £ 2,012,417 1,272,989 1,266,297 743,795 503,812 170,483 147,186 £ s. d. 14 15 3 . 10 3 7 19 13 1 14 5 2 12 12 9 8 14 3 9 3 6

Order. Percentage Sick. Sickness per Member. ' Ratio (per Cent.) to Total Sickness. <5ir.k At. Kink First Second After sxck. Alius*. 6 Months. 6 Months. [ 12 Months. M.O.I.O.O.F. I.O.O.F. A.O.F. U.A.O.D. .. I.O.R. 18-77 10-06 19-73 18-50 10-72 Weeks. 903 603 868 5-96 8-04 Weeks. 1-81 49 8 43 0-97 73 8 19 1-71 55 8 37 1-10 73 9 18 1-34 05 9 26 1-54 56 8 36 All societies 18-67 8-23