7

H.—l

Incorporated Societies Act. During 1916 there were 68 societies, clubs, or associations incorporated under this Act, and amendments of rules of 41 societies were accepted. One society was wound up and 30 dissolved. On the 31st December, 1916, there were. 1,051 incorporated bodies on the register. A classification of these societies gives : 426 sports clubs ; 281 automobile, social, and musical clubs ; 178 professional commercial, industrial, &c. ; 79 public-hall societies ; and 87 miscellaneous. EXPLANATORY NOTE OF TERMS USED IN REPORT. A.0.F... .. .. .. .. Ancient Order of Foresters. A.O.S. .. .. .. .. Ancient Order of Shepherds. 8.U.0.0.F. .. .. .. .. British United Order of Odd Fellows. E.T.B.F.S. .. .. .. .. Eden Temperance Benefit Friendly Society. H.A.C.B.S. .. .. .. .. Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society. I.F.S. .. .. .. .. .. Isolated friendly society. 1.0.G.T. .. .. .. .. Independent Order of Good Templars. 1.0.0.F. .. .. .. .. Independent Order of Odd Follows. 1.0.R. .. .. .. .. Independent Order of Reohabites. M.U.1.0.0.F. . . .. .. .. Manchester Unity Independent Order of Odd Fellows. N.1.0.0.F. .. .. .. .. National Independent Order of Odd Follows. P.A.F.S.A. .. . . .. .. Protestant Alliance Friendly Society of Australasia. S.A.S. .. .. . . . . Specially authorized society. S.D.T. .. .. .. .. Sons and Daughters of Temperance. U.A.O.D. .. .. .. .. United Ancient Order of Druids. W.M.C. .. .. .. .. Working-men's Club. REPOBT BY THE ACTUARY. To the Registrar. 27th June, 1917. The completion of valuations during the year has been affected by general staff disabilities connected with the war. Appendix IX contains particulars of those completed. Regarding these no special comment is required beyond noting the fact that one of them —J1.0.R., N.Z. District (Auckland) — is a consolidated society, and its position on valuation is very satisfactory. As I pointed out last year, no allowance is made in the valuations for the prospective effect of the war on the societies' liabilities, and the valuations are therefore subject to a reservation. Though the demands upon the funds of the soc'elies may continue for a very long t'me after the war, yet the source of the difficulty disappear, when once the war is finished. The strain being consequently of finite dimensions will naturally tend to become dwarfed in comparison with the continuous future. One of the problems for solution at the close of the war involves the determination of the stress; the extent (varying with different societies), to which the call for immediate measures is insistent; and the question how far the burden may, where practicable, be left to distribute itself over the future. The effect of the war on the societies will of course depend largely upon the eventual proportion of members engaged. Many of the societies could deal unaided with the strain up to a given point. For instance, in a growing society a final war membership of, say, 15 per cent, might, by the continual accession of new members, rapidly fall to a lower and perhaps negligible percentage. Should the whole of the Second Division have to be called up, however, the proportion of members enrolled might be very high, and if the strain took an acute instead of a gradual form the immediate effect on the finances might be very marked. A. T. Traversi, Actuary.