H.—l2

4

ADDENDUM.

In my remarks on the "Leading Features of new Rules Registered," page 3, I stated that "the provisions of' The Friendly Societies Act, 1867,' required that the rules of a society could not be registered until the tables of contributions payable for the assurance of sums on sickness or death had been certified by an actuary or person appointed by the Registrar." It appears to me, on reviewing this portion of the report (which has been printed off), that, as it 6tands, it may lead to the belief that all rules registered under the Act of 1867 contained tables of contributions that were duly certified by an actuary. As a matter of fact the case is almost exactly the reverse of this. The provision of the Act requiring this certificate was not, until latterly, in any way earned out; and, as a result, there is hardly a single set of rules registered under the Act of 1867 containing a table of contributions that was certified to, or even that would have been certified to, by an actuary. This registration of insufficient tables of contributions has produced much evil, as it has resulted in a feeling of confidence in their sufficiency and in the solvency of the societies which the tables themselves did not justify ; and a low rate of contributions having been established, there is a general disinclination to add thereto. Much work has in consequence been thrown on this department in the way of endeavouring to set forth to societies the unsound basis on which they were working. It is, however, very satisfactory to have to state that the action taken by me under section 9, subsection 5 (b, c) of the Act of 1877, is apparently bearing fruit, as, since the 30th of June last, two districts of the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows, containing in the aggregate 19 lodges, have submitted for registration new rules containing tables of contributions that are satisfactory in amount, and give a better assurance of the future success of these societies. Since the report went to press a few slight alterations have been found necessary in the Statistical Tables appended thereto, which will affect one or two of the figures given on page 12. The total expenses of management for 1877, it will be seen, were £5,378 Os. lid., instead of £5,691 15s. Bd., as there stated. This is equivalent to £'635 (12s. 9d.) per member. The expenses of management for the lodges of the Manchester Unity amounted in the aggregate to £3,-116 16s. 9£d. f or £'650 (135.) per member. Again, the total cost of medical attendance was £7,715 10s. 6J., or £'912 (18s. 3d.) per head, of which £6,889 9s. s£d. was paid from management funds. The medical expenses per head in the Manchester Unity were £'885. Lastly, the aggregate of mortgages on freehold property should have been given as £35,783 15s. Bd., instead of £35,933 15s. Bd. Wm. R. E. BROWN, Registrar of Friendly Societies.