3

H.-l

Court Sherwood Forest, Nelson District, Ancient Order of Foresters. ~ Eobin Hood „ ~ From Schedule 11. appended to this report it will be seen that 36 bodies, which are actually branches of societies within the colony, still retain their place on the register as separate societies. It is obvious that at the present rate of conversion it will be long before the registration of all these bodies will be placed on its proper footing—before their legal status will correspond to their de facto position; and, as the Friendly Societies Act makes the conversion dependent on the will of the branch, it is open to lodges and courts which value the anomalous position of independence secured to them to resist a change which would legally subject them to the control of the District authorities. CANCELLATIONS OP EEGISTEY. 12. The registry of the following societies was cancelled on the ground that they had ceased to exist:— Limehills Working-Men's Club. North Waimate Working-Men's Club. New Zealand Prudential Assurance Society. Instruments of dissolution were registered in respect of— Winchester Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. New Zealand Bail way Employ6s' Benefit Society (Christchurch Branch). Waimea Branch, Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society. STATISTICAL TABLES FOR 1882. 13. Appended to this report are seven tables, compiled from the returns for 1882, showing the progress during that year as respects both membership and funds ; the receipts and expenditure both of the Sick and Funeral Fund and of the Management Fund; the nature of the investments, with their respective rates of interest, &c. 14. The number of societies and branches (exclusive of central bodies) dealt with in these tables is 272, distributed according to orders as follows : — Manchester Unity Independent Order of Odd Fellows ... 107 Lodges. Independent Order of Odd Fellows (American) ... ... 13 Lodges. National Independent Order of Odd Fellows ... ... 2 Lodges. Ancient Order of Foresters ... ... ... 75 Courts. Ancient Order of Shepherds ... ... ... 2 Sanctuaries. United Ancient Order of Druids ... ... ... 22 Lodges. Loyal United Friends' Benefit Society ... ... 1 Lodge. Independent Order of Eechabites ... ... ... 26 Tents. Sons and Daughters of Temperance ... ... ... 6 Divisions. Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society ... ... 6 Branches. New Zealand Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society..-. ... 4 Branches. Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australasia ... 5 Lodges. Eailway Employes'Benefit Societies ... ... ... 2 Societies.] Isolated Local Society ... ... ... ... 1 Society. 15. The number of members of the above-mentioned lodges* was 19,206. The total funds amounted to £232,469 14s. Bd., of which £204,780 os. 9d. belonged to the Sick and Funeral Fund. This gives an average of £12 2s. Id. per member in respect of the total funds, and £10 13s. 3d. in respect of the Sick and Funeral Fund, and shows, as compared with the previous year, a decrease in the former of ss. 7d., and in the latter of 7s. Id. The difference is accounted for by the fact that nearly all the lodges which appear in these tables this year for the first time have been established at a recent date, and have therefore a small average fund per member. 16. The numerical progress, mortality, and sickness are shown in Table 11. The total number of admissions during 1882 was 3,386, of lapses (including transfers—styled " clearances " —to other lodges) 2,109, and of deaths 129, giving a net increase of 1,148. As in the year 1880 a net loss was reasonably assumed to be a consequence of depression of trade in the colony, it seems only fair to suppose that the above considerable increase in membership indicates that there was in 1882 some improvement in the general prosperity at any rate of the working-classes. The following table gives a comparative view of the numbers of lodges varying in membership from under 50 to over 400 :—

The average number of members in a lodge was 70-6. The number of deaths of members for the year was 129, or 6'92 per 1,000 members, as against 7'36 in the year 1881. The number of deaths of members' wives was 68, or 3'65 per I,ooo 'members, as against 3-86 in 1881. Owing to the incompleteness of the marriage statistics furnished, it is not possible to give the death-rate per 1,000 members' wives.

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

Total. Under 50. 50 to 100. 100 to 150. 150 to 200. 200 to 250. 250 to 300. 300 to 350. 850 to 400. 400 to 450. umber of lodges 272 131 85 30 11