of management, etc., so that the control of the higher bodies is largely by way of moral influence. Certain material advantages in the way of audit, of relief in insolvency, and other privileges, constrain the local branches to conform to the suggestions of the districts and central bodies, while the power of suspension or expulsion lies in the hands of each superior body for its immediate constituent bodies. A local branch may belong immediately to a central body without the intervention of a district organization.

The principle of equalization as applied in the matter of death benefits in a district may be extended to other features of the society's work, and the commission of 1871 noticed a tendency toward a stronger centralization of responsibility, necessitating also a centralization of control, which tendency, however, is limited by the existence of the local branches, thus clearly distinguishing the affiliated societies from the ordinary friendly societies noted above. Then, too, the local organizations have the power of secession, which has been frequently exercised. Branches that have seceded or have been expelled are prohibited the use of the name of the society from which they have separated. The amalgamation of two or more societies and the conversion of an independent organization into a branch are other changes that may take place in the relations of these bodies.

The wide distribution of societies with branches is evidenced by the report of the chief registrar for the year 1906, which shows, for Great Britain and Ireland, 20,144 affiliated societies and branches furnishing the statutory returns for the year 1905, as against 6,773 ordinary friendly societies. The membership of the former, however, does not come up to the total membership of the latter, the same report showing 2,673,246 members of affiliated societies and branches, as against 3,226,672 members of ordinary friendly societies.

Two great orders compete for the leadership in their class, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity, having 4,196 registered branches at the close of 1905, of which 4,187 with 755,221 members made returns, and the Ancient Order of Foresters, having at the same date 4,158 branches, of which 4,125 with 659,501 members made returns; while the Independent Order of Rechabites, Salford Unity, though not yet of the magnitude of the two foregoing societies, is by its present rank and especially by its consistent and rapid growth contemporaneously with a decline in the membership of the other two, entitled to mention in this connection. The magnitude and importance of registered friendly societies and of the more prominent societies with branches appear from the following summary tables. By the expression "ordinary friendly societies" is meant independent societies separately registered.

NUMBER, MEMBERSHIP, AND FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OF REGISTERED FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND OF THREE PRINCIPAL SOCIETIES WITH BRANCHES, REPORTING FOR THE YEAR 1905.

[Source: Reports of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, 1906. Part A., Appendix N, Section XI, pp. xxii, xxvi, and 14-17.]

a This item includes old-age pay, annuities, distress relief, and all other benefits of an individual char acter. This item includes funds divided among the members and payments to, or on behalf of, the members generally.

Of the amount paid out as benefits by the registered friendly societies the sum of $19,850,561 was for sickness pay, and $4,214,043 for sums at death. Ordinary friendly societies reported payments for old-age pensions to the amount of £163,923 ($797,731), and societies with branches, for the same purpose, £3,950 ($19,223), though no doubt large additional amounts were paid out by both classes as continuous or permanent sick pay. It should be constantly kept in mind, too, that sick pay covers payment for disability occasioned by accident.

The total contributions for the year 1905 of the 5,899,918 persons constituting the registered friendly societies of the United Kingdom reporting were $31,038,591, while the total accumulated funds amounted to $204,125,980. The number of unregistered societies is almost as large as the number of registered societies though no doubt the more important are registered, so that it would be entirely unsafe to assume that the total operations of friendly societies represent twice these sums.

The operations of the principal affiliated orders are closely comparable to those of the accumulative societies among the ordinary friendly societies, while attention has been directed to a very considerable variety of objects and methods pursued by the different independently registered societies. The next table is based on a classification of ordinary friendly societies in three groups-ordinary accumulative societies, burial societies, and dividing societies-societies with branches being given separately. The ordinary friendly societies are further classified as societies admitting both sexes, those admitting males only, and those admitting females only. The average annual contribution per member and the average amount derived from other sources, per member, together with the per cent of income applied to benefits, management, etc., and the per cent saved are shown in the following table under the various groups, according to the composition of the societies.

AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME FROM CONTRIBUTIONS AND FROM OTHER SOURCES PER MEMBER, OF ORDINARY FRIENDLY SOCIETIES, AND APPLICATION OF SUCH INCOME, BY CLASSIFICATION, 1905.

[Source: Reports of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, 1906. Part A, Appendix N, Section XI, p. xxiv.]

In the above table, and in cases where the terms are used in similar connections, the term "contributions" includes dues, levies, and entrance fees; "other receipts" includes interest, rents, fines, honorary members' subscriptions, donations, etc.; "sickness pay" includes medical and other aid to sick and disabled employees, and physician's salary; "sums at death" covers insurances and burial expenses; "other benefits" comprehends all other forms of relief of an individual character, as annuities, old-age pay, maternity benefits, etc.; and "other payments" represents withdrawals of deposits accounts, funds divided, donations to charitable institutions, for the support of convalescent homes, and other expenditures affecting the members generally.

Reference has been made to the wide prevalence of the practice of juvenile insurance, and to the effect on many societies of the advancing age of members. The following table shows the number and percentage of members of all friendly societies in 1899 and 1905, by

age groups:

NUMBER AND PER CENT OF MEMBERS OF REGISTERED FRIENDLY SOCIETIES IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, BY AGE GROUPS, 1899 AND 1905.

[Source: Reports of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, 1906. Part A, Appendix N, Section XI, p. xx.j

This table shows an increase of 13.1 per cent in total membership during the six years considered, the group "20 and under 50 years," comprising about two-thirds of the whole number, having grown 8.5 per cent. The juvenile membership increased 47.7 per cent, and the aged membership, “65 years and over,” increased 20.4.

The table following shows the general trend as to membership, contributions, and application of receipts, expressed in a percentage form.

GAINS AND LOSSES IN MEMBERSHIP, PER CAPITA CONTRIBUTIONS, AND APPLICATION OF RECEIPTS FOR ORDINARY FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND SOCIETIES WITH BRANCHES, FOR CERTAIN YEARS.

[Source: Reports of the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies, 1906. Part A, Appendix N, Section XI, p. xxiv.]

This table shows that while there is a continuing growth, its rate is less rapid in 1905 than in 1885 and 1886, according to the data shown for these years. The movement is the same for both classes of societies except in the matter of per capita contributions, which increased in the case of ordinary friendly societies and diminished in the case of the affiliated orders. The actual growth in members of ordinary friendly societies reporting was from 2,807,823 in 1899 to 3,226,672 in 1905, or a growth of 14.9 per cent in the 6 years, while the growth during the same period for societies with branches reporting was from 2,409,438 members to 2,673,246, or a gain of 10.9 per cent. This is a substantial growth, though from the table above it appears that the net growth of ordinary friendly societies in 1885 was 2.10 per cent of the membership; in 1899, 2.18 per cent, and in 1905, 1.50 per cent. Looking at the same facts for societies with branches, the net growth in 1886 was 1.83 per cent of the membership and the same in 1899, falling to 0.29 per cent in 1905.

The question has been raised whether the enactment of the compensation acts would not weaken the efforts of the working people to provide for their needs by their own providence. Such an effect has been anticipated from the operation of the old-age pension act, but it is too early to present statistical proof of any kind of an effect. From the general trend of the movement there would seem to be a measure of support for the view that the compensation acts have affected the growth of friendly societies. Such an effect is not strongly marked as yet, however, as is indicated from data covering the period of the existence of the compensation acts. As representative available data, that of registered ordinary friendly societies and the three principal orders are shown for the years 1897 to the latest date for which reports are at hand. The table following shows membership and accumulated funds, except that for the orders only male members are shown. and funds belonging to female and juvenile branches are excluded.