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GENERAL STATISTICS. Membership and Funds. The following table shows the increased membership in 664 lodges* of the Dominion, which furnished returns for 1912 :— Number of members, 1st January .. .. .. .. .. 71,665 Number admitted by— Initiation, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 6,926 Clearance .. .. ' .. .. .. .. 740 7,666 79,331 Number who died .. .. .. .. .. 471 Number left by — Clearance .. .. .. .. .. .. 829 Arrears, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4,788 6,088 Numbei of members at 31st December .. .. 73,243 The increase in membership during 1912 was 2-20 per cent., as compared with 3-67 per cent, for 1911. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December, 1912, amounted to £1,553,339 8s. 3d., made up as follows : Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus), £1,436,489 9s. 7d. ; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c, £116,849 18s. 8d. 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 £21 4s. 2d. Taking the several years 1903-1912, 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, 1912 :• —■

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 : —

Year. Number of Lodges tabulated. Number of Members. Total Funds Average Capital. 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 465 479 501 500 516 505 567 609 658 664 45,255 47,302 51,103 53,759 56,817 58,517 64,428 68,006 71,771 73,243 £ 883,751 936,388 996,224 1,057,821 1,118,217 1,123,886 1,266,297 1,367,282 1,441,353 1,553,339 £ s, d. 19 10 7 19 15 11 19 9 11 19 18 6 19 13 7 19 4 1 19 13 1 20 2 1 20 1 8 21 4 2

Funds. Assets. Sick and Funeral Funds Surplus Appropriation Funds, &o. .. Management Funds, goods, &o. Widow and Orphans' Funds Distress, Benevolent Funds, &c. .. £ .. 1,383,954 52,535 78,481 12,563 25,806 Investments at interest .. Value of land and buildings Cash not bearing interest.. Value of goods Other assets Owing by Management Fund Total £ .. 1,296,556 173,642 56,096 13,996 11,908 1,141 .. £1,553,339 Total .. £1,553,339

State or Dominion. Date of Return. i . I | Date of Return. Number of Lodges. Number of Members. Amount of Funds. Capital per Member. | I £ s. d. 9 2 8 15 2 4 20 1 8 14 16 5 12 16 0 y 11 0 10 6 4 New South Wales Victoria New Zealand South Australia Queensland Tasmania.. Western Australia £ New South Wales .. .. .. | 31st December, 1911 1,793 167,108 1,525,909 Victoria .. .. .. •• „ 1911 1,498 148,603 2,246,396 New Zealand .. .. .. „ 1911 658 71,771 1,441,353 South Australia .. .. .. „ 1909 514 58,292 ; 863,998 Queensland .. .. .. „ 1911 507 45,190 ' 578,355 Tasmania.. .. •• •■ ,, 1911 180 21,708 j 207,290 Western Australia .. .. .. „ 1911 269 17,637 ' 181,950 .. ! 31st December, 1911 1911 1911 1909 1911 1911 1911 1,793 1,498 658 514 507 180 269 167,108 148,603 71,771 58,292 45,190 21,708 17,637 * The word " lodge," when applied to all societies, is to be understood as embracing the syno: ' oourt," " tent," &c, as used in the various orders. lymous terms