5

H.—l.

Annual Returns of Receipts and Expenditure, etc. The Friendly Societies Act requires these returns to reach me on 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, 1918. Narao of Society. M.U.1.0.0.F. °Body! Branohes. New Zealand Branch . . .. .. ■ 1 Auckland District .. . . .. .. .... 1 New Plymouth District . . .. .. .. 1 11 Wanganui District .. .. .. .. .... 2 Wellington District . . . . . . .. . . 1 1 Lyttelton District .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 Ashburton District .. .. .. .. 1 2 South Canterbury District . . .. .. . . .... 1 Southland District .. .. .. .. .... 1 1.0.0. F. of New Zealand .. . . .. .. .... 26 N.1.0.0.F. .. ..1 1 A.O.F. of New Zealand .. .. .. . . 1 Auckland District .. . . .. .. .... 9 Hawke's Bay District .. .. .. .. .... 2 Taranaki District . . .. .. . . .. .... 1 Wellington District .. .. .. .. .... 1 Nelson District .. .. .. .. .. .... 1 Canterbury United District .. .. .. .... 5 South Canterbury District .. .. .. .... 2 United Otago District .. .. .. .. .. 1 3 Courts not in any District .. .. .. .. .... 1 U.A.O.D.— Grand Lodge of the North Island of New Zealand .. .... 7 Grand Lodge of Canterbury .. .. .. .... 1 Grand Lodge of Otago and Southland .. .. .. 1 4 1.0.E.— New Zealand District .. .. .. .. 1 New Zealand Central District .. .. .. .... 9 SD.T. Divisions separately registered .. .. .. .... 1 H.A.C.B.S. .. .'. .. .. .. .. .... 28 1.F.5., &o. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... 28 10 153 163 Statistics of Membership and Funds. The following table shows the membership of 730 lodges* of the Dominion for the year 1917 : — Number of members, Ist January (including 326 members of three suspended branches omitted from the count, at 31st December, 1916) .. .. 70,686 Number admitted by— Initiation, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 2,038 Clearance .. .. .. .. .. .. 384 2,422 73,108 Number who died .. .. .. .. .. 1,287 Number left byClearance . . . . .. .. .. .. 430 Arrears, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 2,620 4,337 Number of members at 31st December .. .. .. .. 68,771 These figures show therefore a decrease in membership equal to 2-7 per cent, for the year. The total funds of the societies and branches as on the 31st December, 1917, amounted to £2,052,753, made up as follows : Sick and Funeral Funds (inclusive of amounts transferred to special funds out of surplus), £1,898,129 ; Medical and Management Funds, goods, &c, £154,624. 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 £29 17s. *Tho word "lodge," when applied to all societies, is to be understood as embracing the synonymous terms " court," " tent," &c, as used in the various orders.