H.—l.

LF.S.—Auckland United Friendly Societies' Dispensary; Christchurch United Friendly Societies' Dispensary ; Otago Daily Times Mutual Provident Society ; The Wanganui United Friendly Societies' Dispensary ; The Palmerston North United Friendly Societies' Dispensary ; The Petone United Friendly Societies' Dispensary; The Devonport United Friendly Societies' Dispensary. W.M.C. —Wellington Working-men's Club and Literary Institute; Petone Working-men's Club and Literary Institute ; Napier Working-men's Club. Annual Returns of Receipts and Expenditure, etc. The Friendly Societies Act requires these returns to reach me 011 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, 1927. Name of Society. Bodies' Branches. M.U.1.0.0.F. .. .. .. .. .. .. i e ' 6 1.0.0. F. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 22 A.O.F. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 9 U.A.O.D 3 1.0.R • 11 H.A.C.B. 1 19 Gr.U.0.0.F 1 6 1.F.5., &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 25 3 101 104 Statistics of Membership and Funds. The following table shows the membership of 843 lodges* of the Dominion for the year 1926 :— Number of members, Ist January .. .. .. .. .. 91,353 Number admitted by— Initiation, &c. .. .. .. .. 9,471 Clearance .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,205 10,676 102,029 Number who died .. .. .. .. .. 748 Number who left by— Clearance .. .. .. ■ .. .. 1,237 Arrears, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,577 7,562 Number of members at 31st December .. .. .. 94,467 The above figures show an increase in membership equal to 3-41 per cent., as compared with 4-48 per cent, for 1925. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December, 1926, amounted to £3,337,683, made up as follows : Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus), £3,103,473; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c., £234,210. 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 6s. Bd. Taking the several years 1917-1926, the number of lodges whose returnsjjwere tabulated, the number of members, total funds, and average capital per member at the end of each year were as under :—

l_ I I ! 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 appliod 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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I I I ir i Number of Lodges j Number ... Year. tabulated. { of Members. Totallunds. Average Capital. £ £ s. d. 1917 .. .. . 730 68,771 2,052,753 29 17 0 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