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1923-24. 1924-25. £ £ Number of contributors at 31st January .. .. .. .. 6,858 7,443 Number of members admitted and reinstated during period .. .. 1,029 1,044 Number retiring from the fund during period .. . . . . . . 467 459 Net increase in membership at 31st January .. .. .. .. 562 585 Number of allowances in force at end of period .. .. . . 1,078 1,153 Representing an annual charge of .. .. .. .. .. £118,562 £132,687 Ordinary retiring-allowances .. .. .. .. 620 £87,477 667 £98,499 Retiring-allowances under extended provisions of section 12 of the Act.. .. .. .. .. .. 99 £14,544 107 £16,152 Retiring-allowances in medically unfit cases .. .. 11l £12,544 119 £13,818 Allowances to widows .. .. .. .. .. 152 £2,749 165 £2,983 Allowances to children .. .. .. .. .. 96 £1,248 95 £1,235 Funds invested at 31st January— £ £ At 4| per cent. .. .. .. .. .. .. 38,250 38,150 At 5 per cent. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13,004 12,920 At 5J per cent. .. .. .. .. .. 38,360 38,260 At 5| per cent. .. .. .. .. 146,192 137,002 At 5f per cent. .. .. .. .. .. .. 80,825 80,795 At 6 per cent. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. 219,400 376,531 At 6| per cent. .. .. .. .. .. .. 277,306 216,706 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. £813,337 £900,364 Average rate of interest on investments at 31st January .. 5-93 per cent. 5-93 per cent. Approval was given for the continuance of the cost-of-living bonus to widows and children, and, in cases of special hardship, to other annuitants, for the year Ist April, 1924, to 31st March, 1925, the rate being — widows, £13 per annum; children, £13 per annum ; other annuitants, sufficient to bring the allowance up to £100 per annum, but with a maximum bonus of £26. Approval has also been given for the continuance of the bonus at the same rate up to the 31st March, 1926. This bonus is not a charge on the Superannuation Fund, but is provided for out of the Consolidated Fund. Under the provisions of section 36 of the Finance Act of last session, contributors and annuitants who, on the coming into force of the present Superannuation Act, had elected to remain under the provisions of the original superannuation scheme were given an opportunity of revoking such election and so coming under the provisions of the more liberal Act of 1908. All of such annuitants (forty-eight in number) who would be beneficially affected by the change have revoked the election, and of thirty-three contributors under the old Act thirty-two have, up to the present date, also revoked the election. Subsidy to Public Libraries. The sum of £3,000 was distributed to public libraries in country districts on the basis of subsidy on moneys raised locally by voluntary contribution. Some three hundred libraries participated in the grant, receiving amounts varying from £7 to £14. The subsidy is not paid to libraries situated in towns or boroughs with a population exceeding fifteen hundred. Parliament will be asked to appropriate a further sum of £3,000 this year to enable the payment of subsidy to be continued.