•^'^'v-J'M,!;^/? . '^'^ 
 
 
 
 'Mi?. 
 
 
 
 m
 
 'J
 
 FEIENDLY SOCIETY 
 
 ASSOCIATION. 
 
 REPORT OF THE CONFERENCE 
 
 HELD IN THE 
 
 TOWN HALL, MAIDSTONE, 
 
 ON OC'LOBER 26th, 1870. 
 The Ear^ of Lichfield in the Chair, 
 
 CONTAINING 
 "THE REPORT OF THE SECRETARIES". 
 
 "BENEFIT CLUBS, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THK 
 AGRICULTURAL LABOURER" 
 
 BY THE HON. EDWARD STANHOPE. 
 
 « BENEFIT SOCIETIES AND THE POOR LAW." 
 EY THE REV. J. Y. STRATTON. 
 
 "THE FRIENDLY SOCIETY OF THE FUTURE. 
 BY W. H. MICHAEL, ESQ. 
 
 « MEDICAL ATTENDANCE OF FRIENDLY SOCIETY MEMBERS. 
 BY THE HON. AND REV. SAMUEL BEST.
 
 JricttMn ^0ckt|| |^KS0rmti0iT. 
 
 THE EARL OF LrCIIFIELD. 
 
 EARL OF PORTSMOUTH, 
 EARL OF ROVINEY, 
 E\RL NELSON, 
 LORD VISCOUNT EVERSLEY, 
 LORD LYTTLETON, 
 LORD HEYTESBURY, 
 LORD WYNFORD, 
 T.IE RIGHT HON. W. COWPER 
 TEMPLE, M.P. 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. T. S. ESTCOURT 
 THE RIGHT HON. SIR STAFFORD 
 
 NORTHCOTE, BART, M.P. 
 THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL 
 
 OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS, 
 THE RIGHT HON. GATHORNE 
 
 HARDY, M.P. 
 J. BONHAM CARTER, ESQ., M.P. 
 
 RALSTON. W. Esq,. 
 BEACH, W. W. Esq., M. V. 
 BEST, Hon. and Rev. S., 
 BINGHAM, Eev. C. W„ 
 BOUSFIELD, Rev. H. B., 
 
 Council. 
 
 GRANT, Ven. Archdeacon, 
 HOWARD, J. Esq., M.P., 
 MARX, F.EsQ. 
 MICHAEL, W. H. Esq., 
 PATTISON, W. P. Esq., 
 
 CORRANCE, F. S. Esq., M.P., PHILLIPS, Rev. J. E., 
 DODDS, J. Esq., M.P., PORTAL, W. S., Esq., 
 
 FLOYEB, J. Esq., M.P., RAVENHILL, J. Esq , 
 
 RICHARDS, E. M. Esq., M.P, 
 STANHOPE, Hon. Edward, 
 STRATTON, Rev. J. Y.. 
 TALBOT, J. G., Esq., M.P., 
 WELLS. W Esq., M.P., 
 WETHERED, T. O. Esq., M.P. 
 
 Con^ttlting ^ctttari?. 
 ALEXANDER GLEN FINLAISON, ESQ. 
 
 The Association has for its object the promotion of Friendly Societies or Benefi t 
 Clubs upon sound principles of assurance suited to the Industrial and Labouring 
 Classes; — 
 
 jst. By devising plans for the development of the principles of Insurance 
 
 Societies. 
 2nd. — By the examination of the Rules of Societies, and suggestions for their 
 
 alteration or improvement. 
 Srd. — Ey the encouragement of the interchange of rights and privileges between 
 
 the members of different Societies. 
 4th. — By consideration of the bearing of the Poor Laws on Friendly Societiei. 
 5th.— By the suggestion of legislative measures. 
 6th.— By acting as a Court of reference or arbitration. 
 
 ^errttartCiS. 
 
 THE HON. AND REV. S. BEST, Abbotts Ann, Andover. 
 THE REV. J. Y. STRATTON, Ditton Hector]/, Maidstone. 
 
 Erca^tirfr. 
 
 W. BALSTON, ESQ., Springfield, Maidstone. 
 
 38anlter^. 
 LONDON AND COUNTY BANK. 
 
 Annual Subscription £1.
 
 CONFERENCE 
 
 FRIENDLY SOCIETY ASSOCIATION. 
 
 (The Report of the proceedings is reprintedfrom the Maidstone and Kentish Journal,/ 
 
 A Conference was held at the Town Hall, Maidstone, on Wednesday, October 
 26th, 1870. The movement has received impetus lately from the announcement 
 that a Royal Commission was about to be issued to enquire into the whole 
 question, and more particularly to deal with the abuses of the large Burial Clubs. 
 The chair was taken by the Earl of Lichfield, the president of the association, and 
 there were also present the Earl of Romney, Lord Fitzwalter, the Hon. E. Stan- 
 hope, Hon. and Rev. S. Best and Rev. J. Y. Stratton (hon. secretaries). Admiral 
 Marsham, Lieut.-General Fletcher, Colonel Lennard, J. G. Talbot, Esq., M.P., 
 Bonham Carter, Esq., M.P., H. A. Brassey, Esq., M.P., Archdeacon Grant, Rev.' 
 T, G. Carter, Rev. H. W. Dearden, Rev. Julius Deedes, Rev. W. A. Hill Rev F 
 J. Richards, Rev. E. T. Yates, Rev. F. E. Tuke, W. H. Michael, Esq., Dr. Wool- 
 cott, C. Whitehead, Esq., W. Balston, Esq., W. Mercer, Esq., R. Cuninghame 
 Taylor, Esq., F. Russell, Esq., T. Goodwin, Esq., J. Clifford, Esq., C. East- 
 wood, Esq., &c. 
 
 The noble President opened the proceedings with a long and eloquent address, 
 in which he pointed out that a Royal Commission was about to be appointed' 
 which he was very sanguine would lead to very important results in its bearings 
 on the question of friendly societies generally. In the appointment of that Com- 
 mission the Friendly Society Association, he said, had been very active. His 
 Lordship then glanced at the causes which had led to that Commission having 
 been appointed, and the efforts that had been made by the Legislature to bring 
 about improvements in the condition of friendly societies generally, and to en- 
 courage provident institutions among the working classes. Under the Consoli- 
 dating Act of 1855, he said, which was passed for the purpose of encouraging and 
 regulating friendly societies, evils had grown up which they had met for the 
 purpose of discussing, and pointing out what are the remedies which they thought 
 ought to be applied. It was not at all necessary for himself or anyone else he 
 said, to enlarge on the importance of provident institutions tor the working 
 classes. On that point he would take it that they were all agreed — (hear, hear.) 
 In pointing out the remedies for those practical defects in the manage- 
 ment of those institutions, he said they must be careful that they did not 
 in any way make suggestions which might interfere with that spirit of 
 independence and self-reliance which had prompted the establishment of 
 many useful and good societies throughout the country— (hear, hear.) His 
 Lordship then noticed the different kinds of provident societies existing in the 
 country. First among these he took the large aflSliated societies, such as the Odd 
 Fellows and Foresters, and he asked whether, as regards this class of society, there 
 were not certain admitted evils connected with the vast amount of good' which.
 
 undoubtedly, existed in the management of these societies ? He said admitted 
 evils, for he had scarcely on any occasion, when the subject had been publicly 
 discussed, and leading members of Odd Fellows and Foresters had been present, 
 not heard opinions expressed by them as to certain defects in the management of 
 those institutions. They had an imperfect manner of keeping their accounts, and 
 of sending up their returns to the Registrar. As a body, the Odd Fellows and 
 Foresters, undovibtedly, had a very correct appreciation of what rates are really 
 required to make their society, as a society, sound, but, unfortunately, they had 
 not been able to secure the adoption of those rates in all their lodges. Then there 
 was another question in connection with those large affiliated societies which bore 
 Tery materially on their efficiency, and that was the payment of sick benefit after 
 an age when it was very difficult to distinguish between sickness and incapacity 
 from old age. With regard to the accounts, of the 22,000 annual returns asked 
 for by the late Registrar of Friendly Societies only 10,000 were sent in. His Loi'd- 
 ship then referred to the county societies, of which they had such an admirable 
 example in this county, which, he said, were not so popular with the working 
 classes as one would think that thoy deserved to be. Even in this county, where 
 the society was admirably managed, he was afraid that the proportion of members 
 to the population of the whole county was, after all, very small. Now that 
 certainly pointed to the importance that the working classes attach to the manage- 
 ment of those institutions being in their own hands. How that could be combined 
 with the efficiency of management and security provided by such a society as the 
 Kent Friendly Society was one of the questions which might be very carefully 
 considered. Then, he said, there was a vast number of societies attached to public- 
 houses, rcost of them thoroughly unsound. That was a sort of society which, he 
 thought, it would be almost impossible for the Legislature, or the eflfoits of 
 benevolent persons, effectually to deal with. How to provide a substitute for 
 them was one of the subiects which would have to be considered by the Royal 
 Commission lately appointed. In reference to that he wished to say with what 
 great pleasure he had heard that Sir Stafford Northcote was appointed the head of 
 that Commission — (hear, hear). He believed it was utterly impossible for the 
 Commission to be in better hands, and he thought Sir Stafford's appointment as 
 chairman was as good ground as they could possibly have that the Commission 
 would come to a satisfactory report, and afford Parliament an efficient guide in 
 legislating for the future. His lordship then referred to the sharing-out clubs, 
 and said in the town of Newcasde alone there were 18,000 or 19,000 members of 
 those sharing-out clubs, and the argument that was used in their favour was that 
 the population in that district was of such a variable nature that it was the only 
 sort of club which would really suit the wants of that particular class. Those 
 clubs were, of course, utterly and entirely inconsistent with the principles of all 
 provident institutions, but to what extent there was weight in the argument which 
 was used was, of course, a matter for very careful consideration. There might be 
 a great deal to condemn in them, but those societies must not be considered as 
 altogether wanting in some of the features that make provident institutions 
 attractive to the working classes generally. They now came, he said, to Burial 
 Clubs — societies of a totally different nature, and to the proceedings of which they 
 were mainly indebted to the fact that Parliament had at last made up its mind to 
 enquire thoroughly into the subject. He had on many previous occasions called 
 public attention to the veiy serious evils that he felt were connected with the 
 management of that particular sort of insurance office. The operations of some 
 of those insurance societies were upon a gigantic scale. The Royal Liver Society 
 was receiving from the working classes no less than £176,000 a year. That society 
 has at the present moment £232,000 of invested capital, and the expenses of 
 management were about 40 per cent, on the whole of the income. Some 
 of the arguments used in favour of such societies were very plausible. It 
 was said that the only means by which they could persuade the work- 
 working classes, as a mass, to join a provident institution at all was 
 by going from door to door, visiting them, and entreating them to join 
 a society. They were kept up by a huge system of advertizing, which had 
 been most successful. But then came the question whether, having succeeded in 
 securing a desiie for providence among the working classes, the societies were 
 really in a position to meet the liabilities which they were accepting. Upon that 
 point he candidly confessed he had never heard any opinion which placed him in a 
 position to form a very decided conclusion. They were told by those societies that 
 
 ^^/
 
 the rate paid as a premidm was sufficient amply to cover the iO per cent, of their 
 expenses of management, but if they came to look for any statistics, or any in- 
 formation which would bear out that statement, he must say he entirely failed to 
 find them. The number of members and their average age was not even known 
 to the managers of the society. Without feeling the slightest desire to say any- 
 thing which mip-ht injure any institution which directly or in- 
 directly benefits the working classes, he must say that that was 
 a subject which would require careful consideration at the hands 
 of the ComTiission to be appointed— (hear, hear). Unless they succeed in obtain- 
 ing infortuation from the hands of the members of friendly societies themselves 
 their labours would be entirely thrown away. How was that information to be 
 obtained ? Obviously but in one way — that of sending Assistant Commissioners 
 into every large town in the country, where they would be able to obtain from 
 members, and those who were carrying on the work of those societies, exactly the 
 mode of conducting the business, and the manner in which the accounts of the 
 society are kept. His lordship ihen referred to the proposal which had been made 
 to establish a Post Office Friendly Society, and in answer to the question whether 
 an equivalent advantage was to be gained in Grovernment security for that tendency 
 which would probably exist to discourage that self-reliance and habits of indepen- 
 dence, which induce so many of the working classes now to manage 
 these societies well for themselves, he said that instead of injuring the societies to 
 which he had referred, it would have the effect of bringing a vast number of mem- 
 bers to join them, simply because there would be a greater appreciation of the ad- 
 vantages of provident institutions generally among the masses of the people. But 
 if it were asked was it practicable for the Government to undertake the manage- 
 ment of a benefit society, he must confess that he had the gravest doubts on the 
 subject, although he should rejoice if such a thing could be brought about. His 
 lordship then referred to the great success attending Post Office Savings' Banks, 
 and the comparative failure of the insurance and annuity scheme, and pointed out 
 what he considered the eauses. If the Government had any real intention of pro- 
 viding the necessary security for the working classes, in the matter of insurance, 
 they must, he said, go at any rate as low as £5. 
 
 The Hon. and Rev. Samuel Best, one of the secretaries, read the report, 
 after which papers were read on 
 
 " Benefit Clubs from the point of view of the Agricultural Labourer," by the Hon, 
 Edward Stanhope, M.A. 
 
 " Benefit Societies and the Poor Law," by the Eev. J. Y. Stratton. 
 
 " The Friendly Society of the Future," by W. H. Michael, Esq. 
 
 The paper entitled " Medical Attendance of Friendly Society Members," by the 
 Hon. and Rev. Samuel Best, was taken as read. 
 
 A discussion on the papers then took place. Mr. Claytox and Mr. Vaughan 
 gave instances of two old-established ai^d well-managed societies, and 
 
 Mr. Pinchbeck, the ParHamentai-y agent to the Foresters, gave some interest- 
 ing information with regard to that society, and he pointed out that if one of their 
 Courts were broken up, the members could come on the district fund, and after- 
 wards on the High Court fund. He could not conceive any question more difficult 
 than legislation on the matter of friendly societies. 
 
 The Rev. R. B. Wright descxibed a" Court of Foresters which had been formed 
 in bis palish, and said he found a very vicious point in the rules. AH paid the 
 same sum, whatever their age. This he had succeeded in inducing them to alter 
 with regard to the admission of new members. He was not at all aware that there 
 was any fund on which the members could rely should their own fail. 
 
 Mr. Keen' expressed a similar opinion, and said he regretted to say that the 
 largest number of members on the sick list of friendly societies generally was when 
 there was a dearth of employment. 
 
 The Earl of Romney referred to the popularity of the small clubs in this dis- 
 trict, and said, speaking upon his own experience of the Kent Friendly Society, 
 and considering those which had been mentioned by Mr. YaiTghan and Mr. Clayton, 
 working men, if left entirely to themselves, did not make their selection very wisely 
 (hear, hear). 
 
 After Eome further observations from Mr. Michael and Mr. Bonham-Carte R 
 (who said that those who advocated "Government interference " had no idea what- 
 ever of taking the control out of the hands of the governing bodies of the various 
 societies), the discussion was adjourned.
 
 THE EVENING MEETING 
 
 Took place at eight o'clock. The Earl of Lichfield again presided, and there were 
 also present the Earl of Romney, Lord Fitz waiter, the Hon. E. Stanhope, 
 Bonham Carter, Esq., M.P., H. A. Brassey, Esq., M.P., J. G. Talbot, Esq., M.P., 
 J. Whatman, Esq., M.P., Hon. and Rev. S. Best, Rev. J, Y. Stratton, Rev. D. 
 D. Stewart, Messrs. Gr. Edmett, Fremlin, M. A. Adams, Wood, (Aylesford), W. 
 Day, sen., Hammond, (Aylesford), S. G. Reader, Jonathan Saunders, &c. There 
 was a large attendance of the working classes. 
 
 Thd Earl of Lichfield, in resuming the discussion, opened, the meeting by 
 pointing out the principal points raised in the papers which had been read by Mr. 
 Stratton, Mr. Stanhope, and Mr. Michael, and said the case as made out by Mr. 
 Stratton against the sharing-out clubs in this district was a very strong one. 
 Those societies were formed, it seemed, for the purpose of throwing their 
 members eventually on the poor rate. He could not help thinking that they had 
 among them many persons who had been, or were still, members of those sharing- 
 out societies, and it was for them to say whether the serious charge brought 
 against them by Mr. Stratton was really correct or not. One of the most im- 
 portant subjects that was brought before the conference that morning was one 
 that must be of the greatest possible interest to all who desire to see habits of 
 providence cultivated among the working classes. It was a proposal in Mr. 
 Stanhope's paper for the establishment of societies by the Government with Govern- 
 ment security— not only as they at present exist for insurance and payments at 
 deaths, and for annuities, but also for payment in sickness. At the opening of the 
 conference he pointed out the difficalties which would attend any such plan, and 
 several who spoke afterwards pointed out that it would be almost impossible for 
 the Government through the Post OflBce to protect themselves against fraud and 
 malingering. He must confess that if the Government were able to see their way 
 practically to carry out such a scheme, he did not think their doing so could be 
 objected to on anything like reasonable grounds. But here came the next question, 
 which was, to his mind, of the next importance in what had taken place in the 
 morning. That was as regards Government interference with those societies, and 
 on that point he wished very much to hear some further opinion on the part of 
 members of those societies, and persons who have peculiar experience in the 
 working of them. The question was what would they call Government inter- 
 ference ? If the Government required that such accounts should be laid before the 
 pubHc annually, as to enable all persons easily to form a correct conclusion as to 
 the solvency of such societies, would that be called Government interference ? All 
 he could say was that at the present moment the large insurance offices for the rich 
 are under far more stringent restrictions and regulations. Not one half of the 
 societies now sent up their returns, and those who did, sent them in a shape 
 utterly unintelligible to anybody who wished to obtain information from them. 
 This should be remedied in some kind of way. If they did not comply with the 
 regulations laid down by Act of Parliament he thought they should not be recog- 
 nized, as they hitherto had been, by obtaining a Government certificate. He en- 
 tirely agreed that there should be a minimum of interference on the part of the 
 Government, but more stringent regulations and restrictions should be insisted upon. 
 It was of the utmost importance that the Royal Commission about to be appointed 
 should be supplied with every information tha: can be obtained bearing on the 
 constitution and management of all the different clases of societies throughout the 
 country. Then Parliament would be in a position to legislate satisfactorily on the 
 subject. Of this, however, he was perfectly assured that whatever remedies are 
 contrived, whatever Government chooses to do in the way of founding provident 
 institutions for the working classes, that there will always be a number of socie- 
 ties open to all the evils and objections they had heard that day, so long as there 
 was not among the masses of the working population of this country that better 
 education which they all sincerely trusted the legislation of the last Session of 
 Parliamentlwould secure to them — (applause). 
 
 His Lordship then said a question was raised in the course of the discussion 
 that morning as to whether the large affiliated societies, such as Odd Fellows and 
 Foresters, could lay claim to the position they professed to hold as one large united 
 society, seeing thatthoy had branches all over the country, some of which branches 
 might be solvent and others insolvent, and it was implied that if one of those 
 lodges or branches, happened to be unsound, or to fail, the society as a whole
 
 would not be responsible. Now that assertion had been contradicted by Mr. 
 Piiichbeck, the Parliamentary agent of the Foresters, and he had placed in his 
 (Lord Lichfield's) hands a copy of the General Laws of the society, which showed 
 that members of lodges so broken up might join a district or High Court fund. 
 
 The Hon. and Rev. S. Best then delivered an address on the Friendly Society 
 Association. 
 
 The Hon. E. Stanhope next addressed the meeting on the advantages of a Post 
 Office Friendly Society, pointing out the security which such an institution would 
 have, and combating the arguments which might be used against it. He said 
 postmasters had already been employed by the Kent Friendly Society, and the 
 system had been found to answer admirably, the rate of sickness being much lower 
 than in many of the other societies. A Post Office Fi-iendly Society, he said, need 
 not intei'fere with other well managed institutions, but it would fill up ground 
 which was now vacant. 
 
 Lord FiTZWALTER said, as a supporter of the County of Kent Friendly Society, 
 he was very glad to hear it spoken of with such confidence. One of the first ob- 
 jects of their meeting was to consider how they could render theso societies really 
 useful, and worthy of the confidence of those attached to them. Let them con- 
 sider how a society showed itself worthy of their confidence. In the first place it 
 must be always ready to pay a fair claim made upon it ; and it should have in 
 reserve a large sum of money ready in case the demands should be greater. In 
 that respect the County of Kent Friendly Society was well worthy of their regard. 
 He was far from saying, however, that small societies, similarly well conducted, in 
 the place in which they lived, were not equally desirable. It was all very well to 
 enjoy a jovial evening once a year, but such matters ought not to be mixed up 
 with the operations of the society which they looked upon to aid them in times of 
 sickness and old age— (hear, hear). The question which they had met to consider 
 was a great one. It interested the whole country at large, for what could be more 
 important than that the means which they had provided for the contingencies of 
 the future should be well and properly applied ? The anxious wish of the countiy 
 was to consider all the points bearing on the question, and they would have the 
 opportunity before the Royal Commission of giving evidence, 
 and taking steps to investigate matters which seemed to require explanation. He 
 was quite sure, as reasonable men, they would be desirous that in a fair and proper 
 spirit those enquiries should be made — (hear, hear). 
 
 The Chairman having called upon members of benefit societies present to ad- 
 dress the meeting on the practical working of their associations, 
 
 Mr. Pinchbeck, of the London District of Foresters, said he wished to express his 
 thanks to the noble Chairman, the Yice-Presidents, and committee of that asso- 
 ciation, for the trouble they had taken, and the spirit they had evinced, and he 
 hoped that God might grant them success. He then entei'ed into some of the 
 details of Forestry, showing that members might be transferred from one district 
 to another, and even to Australia and the colonies, without losing any of their 
 privileges. He referred to their system to settling disputes by arbitration, and 
 their several Courts of Appeal, and said he believed that their system was as 
 perfect as it could be made. They wanted no Royal Commission to interfere in 
 that matter. They preferred to trust to their own brothers rather than to any 
 County Court judge in existence — (applause). 
 
 Mr. J. G. Talbot, M.P., said in many matters they constantly heard that cer- 
 tain things should not be done without consulting the working classes, but he would 
 remind them that the working classes were not the whole nation, and that other 
 classes ought to be considered as well. The present, however, was one of those 
 very few questions which concerned almost exclusively the working clashes, and it 
 was with that view that the Chairman and other speakers sought to hear their 
 opinions, so that they might know what were their feelings on the matter. Mr. 
 Talbot then referred to the necessity there was among the working classes, not only 
 to provide for sickness and burial expenses (which the sharing-out clubs, he was afraid 
 rarely did) but that their widows and children should have something to fall back 
 upon when they were suddenly removed by death. If he was not much mistaken, 
 very few of the working classes made that provision ; and, if he spoke honestly on 
 the subject, it was from this cause — not that they had not wages enough, but that 
 they did not m ake the most of the wages that they had. He pointed out that the 
 provident and temperate (who might naturally be expected to live the longest) , 
 who ought to have the most ample security in time of sickness from the benefit
 
 society to wliicli they might belong, were generally those who were certain to 
 be thrown upon the poor rate. If one of the effects of the Commssion was to put 
 a kind of stamp on sound societies, so that it might be known whether they could 
 be really trusted, it would have a most advantageous effect. He trusted that 
 before long Government and Parliament would take up the matter, and see that 
 the working classes of this country were no longer deluded by bad societies. 
 
 Mr. Booth, a working man, said he belonged to a sharing-out club called the 
 Cranbrook Provident Institution, and he described its working as being upon sound 
 principles. 
 
 The noble Chairman asked that the rules of the society might be sent to the 
 secretaries. 
 
 The Rev. D.D.Stewart then addressed the meeting, pointing out the evils 
 which attended badly managed clubs. In the course of his experience, he said, as 
 a clergyman extending over nearly thirty years, he was quite persuaded there was 
 an evil which required removal. Over and over again he had to sympathise with 
 artizans and labourers, whose clubs had failed when they had arrived at a time of 
 life when they could not enter a new one. The healthy point of this meeting was, 
 that various ranks of society were bringing their minds to bear on the very same 
 point — (hear, hear). 
 
 Mr. BoNHAM Carter, M.P., then proceeded to address the meeting, but before 
 doing so he asked for a show of hands of those who were members of friendly 
 societies. The result was that it was shown that a very great majority were 
 members of some society. The lion, gentleman then referred to the commission 
 about to be appointed, and said he apprehended that the great blot which was 
 supposed to exist, and of which the merits and demerits were to be enquired into, 
 was connected with Burial Societies, which did not prevail in this, as they did in 
 manufacturing districts. With regard to Mr. Talbot's suggestion, he thought it 
 was impossible for the Government to put a stamp on societies, so that they might 
 judge if they were sound. He believed that the Government might be able to 
 afford them the most valuable information possible, which, with a very small 
 amount of education, they might be able to apply themselves. He referred to the 
 manner in which the Odd Fellows had worked out their tables of sickness, which, 
 he said, were not only invaluable to them, but exceedingly beneficial to every 
 society. What he wanted was that members of Friendly Societies should under- 
 stand that the matter rests mainly with themselves. 
 
 Mr. Hammond (Aylesford) then moved " That the Friendly Society Associa- 
 tion, be requested to communicate with the Commission which this meeting learns 
 Her Majesty is about to appoint on the subject of the Friendly Societies, and 
 pledges itself to co-operate with them as far as may be in their power, in giving 
 information with regard to the state of the law, and its administration with regard 
 to such societies." 
 
 Mr. Wood (Aylesford) seconded. 
 
 Mr. Powell, a Forester, Mr. Povey, a member of the Friendly Society of Iron- 
 founders, and Mr. Bramble, Secretary to a Maidstone branch of the Manchester 
 Unity, deprecated any Government interference with the internal management of 
 their societies. 
 
 Mr. BoNHAM Carter, in reply, said with regard to "legislative interference" 
 the term was very much misunderstood, and he pointed out that he was present 
 when the authorized representatives of the great societies met Lord Lichfield at his 
 house, and begged his lordship to advocate a commission of enquiry — (applause). 
 He believed that that enquiry would bring out the good qualities of the Odd 
 Fellows and Foresters, that it would strengthen their hands, and enable them to 
 sift out the chaff from the corn, and show that a certain class of societies were 
 trading on what was not a solid foundation. 
 
 Mr. Whatman, M.P., then moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor, for the use 
 of the hall, and 
 
 Lord Lichfield, as President of the Association, seconded the vote, which was 
 unanimously carried. 
 
 Lord FiTZWALTER then moved a vote of thanks to the noble earl for presiding 
 which was carried with acclamation. 
 
 Lord Lichfield briefly responded, and the proceedings, which had been pro- 
 tracted to nearly 11 o'clock, were brought to a conclusion. 
 
 Printed at the Journal Office, Maidstone
 
 October 25th, 1870. 
 
 QpHE report or statement which as the Secretaries of the 
 Friendly Society Association we have to lay before this 
 Meeting, is rather an expression of the hopes of the future, 
 than details of the operations of the past. It is not that the 
 Association has no history or no past transactions to record, 
 but that it hopes, in the present very unsettled state of the 
 Friendly Society question to take up a part which shall be 
 useful in the settlement of the vexed points now at issue, and 
 to render aid in the formation of a good and sound and set- 
 tled system on which the friends and founders of Friendly 
 Societies may for the future act. 
 
 It may be interesting however to those who for the first 
 time hear of this Association to know, that it is not a new 
 Society now springing into existence for the first time in 
 these days of great fertility in this respect, but that it has 
 been labouring for some years in a quiet unobtrusive form, 
 endeavouring-to bring Societies together, and to correct some 
 of the evils under which they have been labouring. It arose 
 in a union of the three County Friendly Societies of Hants, 
 Wilts and Dorset, about the year 1863. Its first meeting 
 was at Salisbury in 1864, under the presidency of the Right 
 Hon. T. S. Estcourt. It then removed to London and enlarged 
 its scope and interests by including all Friendly Societies 
 within its operations, but still held its meetings in the country, 
 moving from place to place to meet the convenience of its 
 members and according to the nature or locality of the busi- 
 ness which came before it for consideration. Several very 
 important questions, as matters of appeal or advice, have at 
 difi'erent times been submitted to it, and eff'orts were made,
 
 but not with any great success, to procure from the different 
 societies in union with the Association such returns of sick- 
 ness as might afford some practical guide in determining the 
 soundness of the tables on which Societies are acting. 
 
 The opening of the Friendly Society Question last year, 
 and the efforts made to secure for them a safer and more equi- 
 table basis, determined the managers to give a more central 
 and general character to the Association. By the implied 
 permission and through the kindness of the Society of Arts, 
 it was allowed to hold its meetings in the rooms of that cen- 
 tre of social improvement. It reformed its rules, added 
 largely and prudently to the numbers of its \' ice-Presidents 
 and Council and had the good fortune to secure for its Presi- 
 dent the noble Earl in the chair. 
 
 The object of the Association is fully set forth in its 
 prospectus and claims to be the promotion of Friendly Soci- 
 eties or Benefit Clubs, upon sound principles of assurance 
 suited to the industrial and labouring classes : — 
 
 1st.— By devising plans for the developement of the 
 principles of insurance societies. 
 
 2nd. — By the examination of the rules of societies, and 
 suggestions for their alteration or improvement. 
 
 3rd. — By the encouragement of the interchange of rights 
 and privileges between the members of different societies. 
 
 4th. — By the consideration of the bearing of the Poor 
 Laws on Friendly Societies. 
 
 5th. — By the suggestion of legislative measures. 
 
 6th. — By acting as a court of reference or arbitration. 
 To these your Secretaries would specially request your atten- 
 tion, and in saying a few words in enlargement or explana- 
 tion of its object close this report or statement of the designs, 
 proposals and objects of the Association. 
 
 It will be readily admitted that Friendly Societies and 
 Benefit Clubs are not now upon sound principles of assurance?
 
 nor upon such a basis as is suited to the industrial and la- 
 bouring classes. It is very desirable that the real position of 
 Friendly Societies should be recognised. The government of 
 the country has endeavoured to give protection against insol- 
 vent and fraudulent officers. In the eyes and judgment of 
 the public, in spite of all reclamations, it has been supposed 
 that the signature of the Registrar certified the safety and 
 soundness of the society. Even the variety of rules and 
 tables and the wonderful diff'erences and discrepancies of the 
 latter do not appear either to open the eyes or shake the 
 confidence of the members or their friends. The late Mr. 
 Tidd Pratt constantly disclaimed, but in vain, that his signa- 
 ture certified anything more than the legality of the rules, 
 and that the tables had been certified by an actuary. To the 
 varieties and discrepancies of those tables allusion has been 
 already made. To the same actuaries are referred the quin- 
 quennial valuations of the liabilities and assets of the societies 
 and with the same uncertainty. These are difficulties and ob. 
 stacles, which require and ought to be provided against, but 
 there are others and especially as contemplating village soci- 
 eties which are of a still graver character, namely, the inade. 
 quate hands into v/hich the management and working out of 
 such societies fall. The calculations and tables may be per- 
 fect, the rules carefully and wisely drawn up and the whole 
 society en 7^egle, but if it want an understanding mind or 
 minds to enter into the spirit of it, or habits of business and 
 account in its officers what security can be felt in it ? It is 
 too nice to be handled roughly. It is too near and close in 
 its calculations to leave any margin for incapacity or fraud. 
 
 It may be hoped that these points will be brought under 
 the consideration of the Boyal Commission about to be ap_ 
 pointed, and that such a body of men will be put upon that 
 commission as will be capable of entering into the real diffi- 
 culties of the case, and who not treating it merely as a finan-
 
 cial question, will see in it one which affects vitally the 
 dearest and best interests of the largest class of Her Majes- 
 ty's subjects, and who, at least in this respect, require more 
 than all others encouragement and protection. It is the best, 
 most thoughtful, and provident of the working classes whose 
 interests are involved, and we must not on the one hand 
 either ignore their present state, which education it is to be 
 hoped will enlighten, nor must we throw them off into the 
 cold shade of perfect freedom and irresponsibility, without an 
 effort on the part of the government of the country to give 
 security to their societies, their savings and investments by 
 protecting them against incapacity and fraud. 
 
 The efforts of the Committee on Friendly Societies which 
 laboured to procure the Royal Commission on this important 
 subject must not be passed over without the warmest thanks 
 of all the promoters and members of Friendly Societies, and 
 especially of this sister Association which is now labouring 
 to carry on and complete the work. The result must rest 
 with the Commissioners not yet appointed, but if the subject 
 be not inquired into in all its ramifications and consequen- 
 ces, if it be contracted or limited in its application and the 
 opportunity be lost, it will be a cause of grief and lasting 
 regret to those who have looked to it and reasonably for the 
 removal of overwhelming difficulties which now paralyse the 
 exertions of those labouring to secure independence and to 
 keep themselves from the cold comfort and charity of the 
 poor rates. It is earnestly hoped that the papers about to be 
 read and the discussions provoked thereby will lead to the 
 elucidation of questions of interest and the furtherance of 
 the cause which our very presence here shows that we have 
 
 at heart. 
 
 S. BEST, 
 
 J. Y. STRATTON, ' ^'''' ^'''' 
 
 -.1
 
 Benefit Clubs, from the point of view op the 
 Ageicultural Labourer, by the Hon. Edward 
 Stanhope, M.A., Fellow of All Souls' College, 
 Oxford, and late Assistant Commissioner to the 
 Royal Commission on Agricultural Employment. 
 
 It will be attempted in this paper to indicate the point of 
 view in which Benefit Clubs are regarded by the Agricultural 
 Labourer, and to deduce from this some reflections for our 
 guidance in considering the means of reforming them. 
 
 "We all know well enough the evils of the " Sharing Out " 
 Clubs to be found in so many rural parishes, the manage- 
 ment of which is often in the hands of the Landlord of the 
 public house, and is sometimes even transferred with the 
 goodwill of the house. The disgraceful scheme of annual 
 dissolution to free themselves from old or constantly sick 
 members, and the total want of security, even if fraud be 
 wanting, to be found in such Clubs, is so notorious that in 
 this paper no further reference will be made to these points. 
 
 It is much to be regretted that the cases in which simple 
 poverty is the cause preventing the establishment of sound 
 Clubs, or the enrolment of members in such as do exist, are 
 far more numerous than is generally supposed. Throughout
 
 2 
 
 large portions of the South- Western Counties the weekly- 
 rate of wages (including every possible addition made to 
 them) is so low, and so large a part of them is frequently- 
 payable in kind, that it is impossible for a man to put by 
 even the very small weekly sum which a sound Friendly 
 Society would require of him. I have myself seen districts 
 where the actual money wage passing between employer and 
 employed does not exceed 2s. (or even Is.) per week in winter, 
 the rest being paid in kind. It is clear that such a rate of 
 wages would be, without the assistance of the small earnings 
 of the wife and children, and the occasional help of the poor- 
 rate, miserably inadequate to secure any degree of decency 
 and comfort, far less to enable a man to belong to any Club 
 at all. And this conclusion is supported by the fact that in 
 the large and sound Benefit Clubs existing in some of these 
 counties, hardly any of the labouring class, except those of 
 special skill and therefore of exceptional means, are to be 
 found enrolled as members. 
 
 Assuming however that a labourer sees his way to the 
 necessary weekly payment, what are the inducements which 
 appear to be specially attractive to him ? 
 
 In the first place, it must be admitted that that which 
 should be his first and principal object, namely, the security 
 of his insurance, is not so regarded by him. No doubt the 
 improved education and information on such subjects which 
 have, during the last few years, been placed within the 
 reach of the labouring class, have led him to look to this far 
 more than formerly. But he has not yet learnt that the 
 certificate of Mr. Tidd Pratt is not in any sense to be con- 
 sidered as any guarantee of good management or sound 
 principles : and therefore, taking even this very rough test
 
 of soundness (which satisfies him, although it will not satisfy 
 any one of my present hearers), the fact that the proportion 
 of uncertified Societies is even at this moment to the certified 
 as two to one, according to the opinion of the most competent 
 enquirers seems to show that in rural districts security has 
 not been considered of the first importance. 
 
 To come nearer home, my own estimate in the villages 
 visited by me in this neighbourhood does not show quite 
 such a disproportion, the uncertified Societies being to the 
 certified in the proportion of three to two;* but even this is 
 sufficient to bear out my argument. 
 
 But as the labourer has gradually been taught to under- 
 stand the insecurity of the principles, upon which most of the 
 friendly Societies within his reach are based, he becomes 
 shy of trusting to any such institutions at all — " The Burnt 
 Child dreads the Fire," and so the greatest obstacle to the 
 success of institutions for mutual assistance is the miserable 
 failure of the early Benefit Clubs. 
 
 One great requirement of the ordinary labourer, in join- 
 ing a Club, is to get some return for his money. If he is a 
 healthy man, he cannot sit quiet and see others drawling 
 sickness pay and deriving other advantages from their con- 
 nection with the Society, while he seems to be getting no 
 benefit for himself. It is this which caused, and still causes, 
 the great popularity of the '^ Sharing Out " Clubs among 
 such as do not understand the first principles upon which 
 
 * In 12 parishes near this to-wn, there are 23 Benefit Clubs, of -which 22 
 meet at public houses ; Id were uncertified, and 12 were of the old '' sharing 
 out" class.
 
 sncli a system of insurance is based. It is this which has led 
 to the formation in many parts of England of the Societies 
 based upon the double principle of insurance and deposit. 
 Thus in the Hampshire Friendly Society " the members 
 receive back annually to their own private account on deposit, 
 also called their E-est, whatever sums remain over from, the 
 common sick fund, after providing for the above objects of 
 sick, old age, and medical allowance ; and they thus have all 
 the advantages of a sharing club without its risks." A bene- 
 volent fund is by this means created, which belongs to the 
 individual member, and gives him a feeling that in addition 
 to a provision for the contingencies of sickness or sudden 
 death, he is also laying by a sum of money which will 
 become available in old age. And this leads me to the belief 
 that the desire to make some provision for old age, to secure 
 in some form or other a superannuation allowance, is not so 
 uncommon as is generally supposed. It is commonly assumed 
 that the only two forms of insurance which are valued in 
 rural districts are a provision during sickness, and burial 
 money ; and no doubt the fact that even the attraction of the 
 new Post-office annuities has failed to induce many in such 
 districts to adopt this mode of insurance, tends to confirm 
 this view. But it must be borne in mind that these 
 facilities are as yet to an almost incredible extent 
 unknown. 
 
 In my opinion this desire to invest in a Savings' Bank rather 
 than in a Club, to. put by a surplus which may sometime be 
 available, springs to some extent from a wish to secure an 
 independent old age. To one class of farm labourers, those 
 hired by the year — a system which sadly interferes with the 
 establishment of any Friendly Societies in the districts where 
 it generally prevails — no other form of saving is thought to
 
 be accessible, and accordingly we find in Yorkshire, where 
 yearly hiring is the rule, an extraordinary stimulus given to 
 Savings' Banks rather than to any form of Friendly Society. 
 It is a feeling which appears to me to deserve the greatest 
 encouragement, although it may be questioned whether the 
 purchase of a Government annuity with the money paid 
 returnable at will, would not answer much more fully the 
 purposes in view. 
 
 But another object, which the labouring man has never 
 left out of view in selecting a Friendly Society, is that of 
 joining a "Club" in the social sense, of having an oppor- 
 tunity of meeting congenial companions under pleasant con- 
 ditions. He requires too, and very reasonably, a good feast 
 day once a year ; and the regalia and other appendages of 
 certain clubs constitute a peculiar attraction, especially to 
 the young men ; and it is no doubt, to this cause, as much as 
 to their improved management, that we must attribute the 
 wonderful progress made of late years in country districts 
 by the Foresters' and similar societies. The labourer himself 
 looks to his feast day as an occasion of special amusement 
 far more than as his annual business day, and he even goes 
 so far as to be willing to sacrifice, in order to enhance the 
 glories of this particular day, sums of money which were 
 contributed only for the purpose of insurance. Here is part 
 of tbe bill for the feast day in a village near this town — 
 " Band Ul. ; Comio Singer 61 ; Floicers \l ; Total 20/." 
 
 But while the labourer looks at his feast day only in this 
 light, the managers of the Club are looking very much 
 further ahead, and are prepared to turn both the religious 
 and social meetings of the day into a source of profit to the 
 institution.
 
 6 
 
 Now I must not be understood to undervalue what has 
 been described as " the effect produced by farmers and others 
 dining with the labourers at their anniversary meetings, by 
 this means making the members more respectable and orderly, 
 and uniting all classes in a bond of union and good feeling 
 which is most desirable." Nor again do I fail to appreciate 
 the possible good influence which may result from the 
 religious service of the feast day — " Some shaft from the 
 quiver of divine truth may strike home, and the chance listener 
 who came merely as part of the rustic pageant, may retire 
 in possession of something of more consequence to him than 
 the provision of a sick and burial Club. But inasmuch as 
 the public act of worship is oftentimes regarded by the 
 managers and members merely as a means of consolidating 
 and strengthening the position of the Club, caution is needed 
 in opening the church for special service and sermon." 
 The service ended, the feasting begins. The chair is taken 
 by the principal landowner, and other influential men of the 
 parish are present. The balance sheet is read, giving a 
 glowing picture of the condition and prospects of the Club. 
 And for the next year it is held out as an inducement to 
 intending members of the Club, that these gentlemen, on 
 whom superior education and social position deservedly 
 confer influence, have attended the meeting of the Club, 
 have become its patrons, or have even allowed their names to 
 appear in the printed report of the Club as oflicially connected 
 with it. And yet these gentlemen, who are by this means 
 leading their poorer fellow parishioners to become members 
 without any enquiry, are content to shut their eyes and take 
 no steps to satisfy themselves in any way of the real sound- 
 ness of the institution they are tacitly recommending. Are 
 they then — landowners, clergymen, and influential farmers —
 
 to stand aloof ? Far firom it, but they should most carefully 
 guard themselves from appearing to express any approval of 
 the principles or of the management of a benefit Club, until 
 they have, in some way, satisfied themselves that it is really 
 worthy of it. In some such cases they have made it a con- 
 dition of their patronage that the Club Eules should be cer- 
 tified : in a very few others a rigid investigation by a compe- 
 tent actuary (which alone would satisfy those who are aware 
 of the financial unsoundness of many certified friendly 
 Societies) is demanded : but when once the conviction is 
 arrived at that it is really deserved, no encouragement can 
 be too hearty, nor can any influence be wrongly exerted in 
 persuading labourers to join such an institution. 
 
 And this leads me to speak of the various agencies by 
 which the present system of Friendly Societies may be im- 
 proved, because first and foremost among them I look to the 
 gradual education of the labouring classes themselves, and to 
 their being taught the first principles of the management of 
 such institutions. They must learn that however ably the 
 tables may have been drawn up, however good the rules of 
 management may appear, it is only by the constant personal 
 supervision of more than one or two of the managers tha^ 
 real efficiency can be secured. '' The weak point in a club 
 ''' of the parochial kind is, that the real management is and 
 " must be in the hands of one or two persons. So long as 
 '^ the founder is open to take the chief part, all may be well, 
 " but sooner or later a change comes. The management, 
 *^ which requires some skill and considerable labour, is 
 " thrown into the hands of a new officer." Or again, " the 
 honorary members and managers have died out, and 
 there is no longer, though the funds are good, any life in
 
 8 
 
 the concern, as tlie members have not learnt to look to their 
 own interests, having been taught to lean on others." It is 
 then that some knowledge of the system is sadly required 
 among some others of the managers. 
 
 Secondly, it is essential to bring before the members of 
 Friendly Societies, and to impress upon them in the most 
 emphatic manner, the necessity of an independent audit of 
 the accounts. I do not here speak of the examination of the 
 tables or reserve funds by a professional actuary, which is of 
 course essentially necessary at short intervals, but of the 
 ordinary examination of the yearly accounts, which is at present 
 usually performed, if the cursory glance cast upon them 
 can indeed be called an audit at all, by any member of the 
 society who may be found willing to undertake the task. 
 An impartial investigation of their accounts every year at 
 least, by persons in no way interested, would do much 
 ^owards restoring a confidence which has been sadly shaken 
 and by this means attracting a large number of new members. 
 
 And thirdly, the ordinary principles upon which these 
 insurances are based, and the advantages which they offer, 
 ought to be much better understood by members of these. 
 Societies. Yery few have even realised the fact that the 
 Government has taken upon itself the securing of annuities 
 and sums payable at death, two benefits of the utmost im- 
 portance, but as yet insufficiantly known. So again as to 
 the ordinary rules that the accounts should be so kept 
 as to show the contributions paid to and benefits paid out of 
 the fund restricted for each particular insurance, it must be 
 admitted that this is very little acted upon, even if its impor- 
 tance be understood. Such examples might be multiplied
 
 9 
 
 but these two will suffice to show the necessity for the more 
 general diffusion of information on the subject. 
 
 As to the means which can be adopted by the state for 
 the improvement of Friendly Societies of the rural poor 
 there appears to me to be little room for doubt. I discard at 
 once all schemes of contribution either by the state, or by 
 the local Poor Law authorities, towards bolstering up the 
 Friendly Societies which, may from misfortune, careless or 
 fraudulent management, be in danger of dissolution. This for 
 instance was the object of the Bill presented to the House of 
 Lords by Lord Shelburne, in 1862. It was framed with the 
 same view as that of 1818, and was intended, says Mr. Tidd 
 '^ Pkatt, to give the working classes, particularly in the agri- 
 " cultural districts, the means of enabling them to receive by 
 *' sufficient payments, according to authorised tables, and in the 
 '^ management of which the members should be parties, the 
 " benefits they are so anxious to obtain, without being obliged 
 " to resort to the public house and join Clubs established 
 " on no sound principle, but formed solely for the benefit of 
 " the publican , — •" * ^* there is no doubt but that 
 " many would join a society established on sound principles, 
 " and held at a School Eoom or Public Listitution, though 
 " the necestary expenses were defrayed out of the Poor or 
 '^ other Rates, in the same way as parties take advantage of 
 *' the baths, wash-houses, and free libraries, established and 
 '^ supported, partly or in the whole, by Eates made for that 
 *' purpose." 
 
 Or again take the system thus described : '' I have long 
 " been of opinion that it would be an excellent system, if 
 " Parishes -were empowered to advance to Parochial Benefit
 
 10 
 
 *' Societies a certain sum annually, according to the number 
 *' of members. This would benefit them much better than 
 ^^ the reluctant subscriptions of honorary members." 
 
 But, in brief, whatever the system may be upon which such 
 advances from the Kates are to be made, it appears to me to 
 be above all other things necessary to dissociate the true 
 Friendly Society, (if it is to be, as I believe it may be, a 
 valuable lever in raising the moral condition of the working 
 classes, and in assisting them to form habits of self-reliance,) 
 from any connection, direct or indirect, with the Poor Rate. 
 The notion that they can rely in some way upon the Rates 
 for a provision, and that the Rules of their Clubs should be 
 so framed as not to interfere with their ultimate claim to 
 support, has been the most fatal bar to the establishment of 
 sound Benefit Societies throughout the country, and to the 
 independence of the labouring classes : and I believe and 
 hope that such would be the view entertained by the labour- 
 ing classes themselves, and that even among agricultural 
 labourers a large (though I fear under the influence of the 
 Poor Law as at present administered a diminishing) number 
 would be found too independent to have anything to do 
 with a Society deriving assistance from the Poor Rate in any 
 way whatever. 
 
 And further, all such schemes appear to have originated 
 with the idea that the Poor rate can by this means be 
 materially reduced, and to make this the prominent object 
 to be attained ; and they ignore the fact that careless man- 
 agement would be promoted, unless a regular inspection and 
 supervision could be introduced to secure the proper appro- 
 priation of the sums advanced ; a change which would at 
 once get rid of the advantages which the labouring classes
 
 11 
 
 themselves derive from having the whole responsibility of the 
 management of these institutions. 
 
 So again, the idea of any legislative interference with the 
 place of meeting of Benefit Societies must be at once rejected. 
 No doubt their removal from public houses is an object in 
 many respects much to be desired; but in spite of the almost 
 unanimous recommendation of some such interference by 
 persons most competent to express an opinion on the subject, 
 I cannot acquiesce in this view. While the '' Club " feeling 
 — the desire of associating with others at occasional meetings 
 without any restraint — remains as it is at present, one of the 
 chief inducements to young men to join a Benefit Society? 
 it would in my opinion be most impolitic to attempt any 
 sweeping change in this respect. In many cases the 
 labourer must look to the public house for society : there 
 is no other place, except the corner of the street, where he 
 can meet his friends and hear the news. Such an alteration 
 would certainly lead to the formation of unrecognized beer- 
 house Clubs of a far more objectionable and unsafe character 
 than at present. And further, there is another distinct ground 
 for non-interference, which has been ably argued by Mr. 
 Stratton (to whose writings on this subject I am bound to 
 confess myself under great obligation in the compilation of 
 this paper), and that is "Can such legislation be reconciled 
 with the liberty of the subject ? " On what ground can it be 
 denied to adult men to meet for the purpose of managing 
 their own Societies wherever they please ? 
 
 There remain two agencies, which may in different ways 
 render the most efficient aid towards the formation and main- 
 tenance of a sound system of insurance.
 
 12 
 
 The first of these, a well administered Poor Law, forms, 
 as I am given to understand, the subject of a distinct paper 
 at this Conference, and therefore it will be sufficient to in- 
 dicate the modes by which it appears to me that out door 
 relief might be given in a manner more calculated to effect 
 this object. Each Board of Guardians is at present left to 
 settle for itself the principles upon which it will act — to 
 decide whether in giving relief, it will take into consider- 
 ation the fact of a man having belonged to a Club, of his 
 Club being on a sound basis, and lastly, to what extent their 
 grants shall be influenced by these facts. It seems clear that 
 uniformity of action on the part of all Boards of Guardians 
 is of the first importance, that greater strictness should be 
 shown in the administration of out door relief to those who 
 have made no effort to help themselves ; while those men, 
 who, from the failure of their Club, or from the withdrawal 
 of their sickness pay after a certain lapse of time, are led to 
 apj^ly to a Board of Guardians, should be treated with a 
 judicious and timely liberality. " The Poor Law, as at pre- 
 sent administered, is said by Sir Henry Dashwood to be 
 '' becoming the means of granting pensions indiscriminately 
 ^' to worthy and unworthy, and placing the worthy man on a 
 ^* level with the unworthy, who has forfeited all such claims, 
 '' and it will discourage the labourer from making any pro- 
 " vision whatever for old age.'''' 
 
 The last agency to which I would direct your attention is 
 one that has often been described, and has of late years met 
 with increasing favour. It is the proposal to extend the 
 system of Post Office Insurances, and to enable labourers to 
 insure themselves at the Post Office for sickness-pay, just as 
 they can now secure annuities. It is a scheme which has
 
 i; 
 
 been strongly advocated by several able writers, which 
 received the approval of the Eoyal Commission on the 
 employment of the agricultural population, and was strongly 
 urged upon the attention of the government by a deputation 
 from the Kent Friendly Society and numerous other associa- 
 tions in Kent. ** It was in effect a petition for a Post Office 
 '^ Friendly Society, which being conducted by the same 
 " central authority which is already managing the business 
 " of annuities and sums payable at death, shall make its way 
 *' to the labouring classes through the same channel, the 
 '' Country Post Offices." 
 
 One formidable difficulty in the way of the adoption of any 
 such scheme is the enormous amount of additional labour 
 already cast upon country postmasters. But this appears to me 
 to arise not from the excess of labour, but from the miserable 
 remuneration offigred for the services performed. Higher 
 pay would soon secure a class of persons well able to under- 
 take an extra duty which, although responsible, would not 
 be very onerous. 
 
 But would it be possible to guard against imposition, 
 the usual safeguard of personal supervision by neighbours, 
 members of the same club, being removed ? The conclusive 
 answer to this briefly is, that in practice small local Clubs 
 are not found to suffisr less from imposition than large county 
 ones. The County of Kent Friendly Society for instance, 
 whose operations are extended over a very wide area, claim 
 that their sickness rate is not only not greater than in small 
 Societies, but is actually reduced to little more than one-half 
 by the energetic means of self-protection adopted by the 
 Society. Would not a Post Office Friendly Society have the 
 same means of guarding against fraud ?
 
 14 
 
 Such a Society, besides the unquestionable security which 
 it would offer, would extend a trustworthy system of insurance 
 to all parts of the country, and would give facilities to the 
 members of moving from one part of the country to another, 
 and of making or receiving payments in their new home, far 
 greater than those offered by the large organizations, such as 
 the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows, which have proved 
 so great a boon to the labouring class. I trust that it may 
 be in the power of this association to endorse this scheme, 
 and to press it strongly upon the attention of the government 
 and of the Royal Commission now about to commence its 
 enquiry. To country districts it cannot fail to prove an 
 advantage of incalculable importance. 
 
 Printed by J, Brown, 5~, Week Street, Maidstone.
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. J. Y. STRATTON, 
 
 Rector of Ditton) Kent. 
 
 TN dealing with the bearing of the Poor Law on benefit 
 societies, and the means of removing obstacles in the way 
 of a sound and permanent system of insurance suited to the 
 requirements of the wage-paid classes, it will not be necessary 
 to make more than passing allusion to the friendly societies of 
 the superior artizan and mechanic, who commonly seek such 
 advice and protection as the law provides. The members of 
 these institutions have for many years struggled hard to 
 obtain a provision such as the friendly society offers, and have 
 gained by painful experience an amount of knowledge and 
 skill in the management of their societies which augurs well 
 for the future. 
 
 No such cheerful prospect, however, is before labourers, who 
 look on the poor rate as their rent charge in lieu of ownership of 
 the soil they cultivate, and who consider that it is more than 
 questionable whether they should endanger their presumed 
 rights to relief, by efforts which would in the long run secure 
 to them a better provision than that drawn from the rate. 
 
 The wages commonly paid to farm labourers are sufiicient, 
 in point of money, to secure to them over and above their 
 maintenance in health and strength, a far better provision for 
 sickness and old age than the bulk of them can receive from 
 the funds of the rate.
 
 It is true that at present they have no means of investing 
 their savings, unless under most exceptional circumstances, in 
 benefit societies which are sound and likely to be permanent. 
 ]N"or have they much faith in the permanency of any friendly 
 society. Considering the common mortality and numberless 
 mishaps which befall friendly societies, this is not much to be 
 wondered at. 
 
 One great and essential step in the effort to raise the 
 labouring classes above the condition in which in their view 
 of the rate they are at present suffered to remain, is to provide 
 them with a cheap and easily-understood system of insurance 
 by which they may insure sickness pay as well as old age and 
 burial money, under Government supervision. This advantage 
 might, as has been elsewhere proved, be obtained by an 
 extension of the Act %1 & 28 Yictoria, so as to allow this great 
 boon to the lower classes of the manufacturing, mining, and 
 agricultural population, to be obtained at the post office. 
 This proposal is in the report of Her Majesty's Commission 
 on the Employment of Labourers, — recommended as " being 
 well deserving further consideration." 
 
 Pari passu with such an act of beneficent legislation the 
 administration of relief from the rate demands revision 
 and alteration, and even the mode in which the rate is 
 levied and collected should again pass under review. There 
 are some parts of the country where it is possible to apply 
 the strict principle of administering relief to none but those 
 who are destitute ; but in common practice, Boards of 
 Guardians cannot so treat applicants for relief who are mem- 
 bers of benefit clubs. The treatment of such applicants varies 
 greatly : in some Boards, as in the Maidstone IJnion, a man 
 with wife and four children, who receives 10/- a week from his 
 club, will be allowed four or five gallons of flour, but no money. 
 At HoUingbourne, a neighbouring Union, in all cases where the 
 club money does not exceed 10/- a week, one gallon of flour is
 
 given for eacb. child. In the Union of MalKng, adjacent to 
 Maidstone, whatever the man is insured for he has for himself, 
 the Board reheves his wife and family on their scale, which is 
 a liberal one ; in all these instances medical relief is given. 
 At Canterbury no relief beyond the medical order is given. 
 
 But no Boards of Guardians, so far as we know, make any 
 enquiry whether the club is good or good for nothing, and 
 shape their decision accordingly. An indirect but powerful, 
 and we venture to say, a fair mode of encouraging men to join 
 good clubs, or reform their bad ones, is thus thrown away. 
 
 We will now turn to the benefit societies in common request 
 among the rural poor, which succeed in keeping at a distance 
 large and well-managed certified societies, or trustworthy 
 branches of the great societies, such as the Manchester Unity 
 and the Foresters, and which will continue to maintain their 
 ground till alterations in the mode of dispensing relief from 
 the rate are made. 
 
 They are the sharing out * or " brumagem " clubs, and 
 divide their funds at the end of the year among the members, 
 after which they form anew, and thus continue from year to 
 year. 
 
 The sharing-out club holds its meetings at the public-house, 
 and is principally managed by the landlord. "Sometimes," 
 says Mr. Tidd Pratt, " the club is sold ^nih. the good-\\all of 
 the house." It is contrived to secure a "connection" for the 
 house, and at the same time to comprise the advantages of the 
 provident society without abandoning the member's claim on 
 the poor rate. All the members pay the same weekly contri- 
 bution, which is settled on the following rough and ready 
 calculation. One halfpenny a week from each member is to 
 
 * The number of these clubs is unknown. They have been estimated at 
 100,000, which would seem too high. Mr. Stanhope found them in Kent to 
 be in the proportion of three to two certified societies. They appear, however, 
 to be increasing, and at present keep better societies off their groimd.
 
 secure Is. a week to every sick member for a term of three or 
 six months (mark the indifference to the duration of the 
 term) ; 6cl for a further like term, after which, provided 
 the claimant does not miss re-election, superannuation, or old- 
 age pay. Where wages run high, 6d. a week is no uncommon 
 contribution. This will secure — 
 
 12s. a week in sickness. 
 6s. „ „ half-pay. 
 
 2s. 6d. a week, old age-pay ; 
 
 subject, however, to the deduction, in each case, of the weekly 
 contribution of 6d. In case of the death of a member, an 
 additional levy of l.s. is made ; if a member's wife dies, a 
 levy of 6d. ; if a child Sd. Each member pays for a pint of 
 beer at the fortnightly meeting, which he is welcome to come 
 and drink if he likes ; if he does not, the club will drink it for 
 him. On quarterly nights the amount spent by rule in beer is 
 6d. ; there is also something from fines (which should rather 
 be called extra pay) for refusing to serve the office of steward, 
 and wliich goes to the officiating steward. 
 
 The cost of the club, always supposing that no extra pints 
 of beer are drunk, is as follows : — 
 
 s. d. 
 
 At 6d. a week, for the year 26 
 
 Expenses of the room, at 3d. (26 meetings) 6 6 
 
 Extra expenses on quarterly nights 1 
 
 Fixed contributions by rules 33 6 
 
 Add for steward and other fines, say 1 (very moderate 
 
 Levy for deaths 1 
 
 £1 15 6 
 
 Something more must, in fairness, be added for cost of a flag 
 or two, and a few ribbons and beer ; for, in truth, a member 
 scarcely gets out of the business meeting for the pint, and the 
 estimate of £2 a year for the expenses of the club will not be 
 found much above the mark. The annunl club day runs into 
 a good deal of incidental expenditure, but as it is the annual 
 holiday of the villagers, which they would most likely have if
 
 there were no benefit societies in existence, we will not take 
 the items into account in computing the cost. The members 
 are elected on the annual feast-day, and make a declaration 
 that they are subject to no disorder or disease likely to cause 
 them to fall on the sick-fund. If their declaration is untrue, 
 such members are at once turned out of the club, and forfeit 
 all that they have paid. There are many societies in which a 
 medical certificate is required instead of a verbal declaration, 
 and the cost of the certificate is Is. When the member is ill, 
 he sends to the steward, and "declares on the sick-fund." 
 "Wliereupon the steward visits him, and if satisfied that the 
 illness is such as to incapacitate the member from work, he is 
 at Hberty to pay at the end of one week from the declaration 
 12s. less ()cl., the weekly contribution. If the steward is not 
 satisfied, he will have medical evidence, and lay the case 
 before the next meeting, when instructions will be given how 
 to proceed. The custom is that the club is satisfied of the 
 correctness of the claim if the board of guardians admit it and 
 afibrd relief. It may be noted that the board, in its turn, 
 attach importance to the fact of a member being in receipt of 
 sickness pay; and in societies which give no allowance for 
 anything but "total and undisputed incapacity by reason of 
 illness to do any work whatever," the man who is too ill to 
 earn his Hving, but not sufficiently ill to claim money from the 
 sickness fund, may receive, and occasionally does receive, hard 
 treatment from the board. The faulty system of espionage, 
 which, as an adequate protection against imposition in sickness, 
 has been strangely overrated, is strictly enforced, and falls to 
 the lot of the stewards, though all the members are expected 
 to assist by giving information if need be. The rules are 
 strict, and properly so, in the case of sickness — " No member 
 receiving benefit from this club shall be allowed to walk more 
 than three miles from home, without being fined Is. ; if found 
 drunk, to be fined Is. ; if found working or assisting in any-
 
 6 
 
 thing of the kind, or if he be out after seven o'clock in the 
 evening, he shall be fined or excluded, as the majority of 
 members at an ordinary meeting shall determine.'' 
 
 Be the case as it may, the annual election secures the means 
 of relieving the club of the man who becomes too great a 
 burden for his friends longer to sustain. The industrious and 
 honest old man who cannot tell the difference between sickness 
 and " chronic ailments and mere decrepitude," but who knows 
 that he is ill, must go. In order to save the leaky vessel from 
 foundering, the unlucky victim is tossed overboard, and falls 
 into the mouth of the Poor Law, from which he never has the 
 good fortune to emerge with life. The grumbling and dishonest 
 old man, who has fixed himself on the funds of the society, 
 and compels his friends to carry him with a tenacity of hold 
 like that of the Old Man of the Mountain, is shaken off, once 
 and for all, on the club day. " They gave me two shilHngs and 
 sent me my dinner, and said the union might do all the rest, 
 and was better able than they were." The poor-rate is, indeed, 
 the virtual superannuation fund of the farm labourers' societies, 
 and the annual election is the trap-door by which the member 
 is transferred to the rate. 
 
 Side by side with the amount which the member of a 
 sharing- out club pays for these benefits, let us notice the cost 
 of insurance for sickness and burial money in the safe and long 
 tried society, which welcomes the Association on this occasion 
 to the County, The Kent Friendly Society. A man at 25, 
 several years older than the usual age at which members of 
 sharing-out clubs begin to pay, may secure for 24/- a year, 
 12/- a week and £10 at death. For 10/- a year more he 
 would secure old age pay of 5/- a week, commencing at 70, 
 and lasting the remainder of his life. Under the present con- 
 dition of the society's finances, he would have an additional 
 allowance of not less than 2/- a week. 34/- a year would be 
 the outside cost.
 
 In order to prevent the spread of a state of moral and social 
 degradation which is engendered wherever men tamely submit 
 to the humiliating position of paupers, and spend their wages 
 and often waste their time on pauperising benefit clubs, the 
 special attention of the Poor Law Board is required. Leaving 
 to Boards of Guardians the usual discretionary power of 
 applying a fijsed principle of dealing with members of clubs 
 who apply for relief, it would not be difficult to insure such a 
 course of treatment as would encourage labourers to take more 
 care in the investment of their surplus wages than they have 
 hitherto shown. For instance : 
 
 L Let Boards grant out-door's relief to applicants belong- 
 ing to approved friendly societies, where the sickness pay is 
 insufficient for their need. 
 
 2. Let them refuse relief, other than the house, to appKcants 
 being members of clubs which in their construction, cost, and 
 management, have the poor-rate relief in view. For which pur- 
 pose certain facilities, which need not be discussed in this paper, 
 should be given to the Registrar of Friendly Societies which 
 would enable hiTn to give a Kst of approved and trustworthy 
 societies to Boards of Guardians. 
 
 3. The mischief which has resulted to cottagers under the 
 compounding act in force should also be dealt with. It would 
 have a most salutary efPect on the moral and social condition of 
 cottagers, if they were made to pay their share of the rate as 
 it fell due, instead of papng in the rent a sum in excess of the 
 amount chargeable on their tenements. The mode of " farming 
 the rates," as it has been termed, constitutes in the opinion of 
 intelligent labourers a grievance. Why should they be charged 
 4d. or more a week in the rent in lieu of rates, when the owner 
 does not pay more than 5s. or 6s. a year ? Their notion of 
 redressing this grievance is to get as much as they possibly 
 can from the rate. Claims which at present are pressed on 
 the Guardians with the support and sympathy of cottagers.
 
 would fall into disfavour as soon as it became their interest to 
 lighten the burden of the rate, instead of being, as they 
 are now, utterly indifferent whether there are two rates in 
 the year or three or more The difficulty of collecting the 
 rate as it falls due appears to have been overstated. The 
 cottager will pay with no greater reluctance than those who 
 rent larger houses, the tenants being in either case Httle more 
 than the channel through which the rate is paid, though they 
 have sufficient interest to ensure their wishing that payment 
 to be small. 
 
 In conclusion we express the hope that the forthcoming 
 Royal Commission of Enquiry into Friendly Societies, will 
 direct its attention to the bearing of the poor law on benefit 
 societies. The assistance of the Poor Law Board would 
 probably be given for this purpose, and a circular letter 
 accompanied by a few questions to Boards of Guardians, would 
 eHcit information at little trouble and expense, and of great 
 value to the country. Closely following on such alterations as 
 are advocated in this paper in the mode of administering 
 relief, and in the collection of rates, we should begin to mark 
 improvements in the benefit societies. At the same time it 
 seems only fair to the classes on whose behalf we write, that if 
 the facilities for help from the poor rates should become some- 
 what less ; the attention of the legislature ought to be drawn to 
 the means, which, at no cost whatever to the country, might be 
 given to enable young and prudent labourers to work out their 
 own independence, by investing in safe insurances those funds 
 which at present are being wasted in benefit societies so called. 
 Such beneficent care on the part of those who govern, would 
 not only save persons, not by nature more improvident than 
 their fellow country men, from ultimate penury, but what is 
 of more consequence, would in the loiig run, contribute largely 
 to their social and moral elevation. 
 
 W. WEST, PRINTER, HIGH STREET, MAIDSTONE.
 
 %h J'rtenirItT ^otM^ 0f tire Jiitiire ; 
 
 BY 
 
 W. H. MICHAEL, ESQ. 
 
 TTOW many friendly societies are at the present time solvent ? 
 -^^ That is in such a condition as mil enable them to pay off 
 all their accruing Kabilities. — It is to he feared that however 
 interesting the enquiry, the answer would disclose the painful 
 fact, that but a small proportion are founded on sound com- 
 mercial principles, and that sooner or later, in proportion to 
 the influx or witholding of young members, they must be 
 unable to fulfil their obHgations. 
 
 This has arisen almost entirely because due consideration 
 has not been given to the great influence of age in determining 
 rates of pa^-ment for allowance in sickness. Of the importance 
 of this element in calculating rates of pa^Tuent a shor^ 
 illustration will suffice. Supposing 100 members to form a 
 club, and to keep up its numbers to 100, then for this number 
 at the age of 21 only 86 weeks of sick pay would have to be 
 pro^-ided ; and at the age of 41 this payment would only have 
 increased to 100, whereas in the next ten years it would have 
 more than doubled, amounting to 202 weeks; at 61, again more 
 than doubled to 460 weeks ; while in the next decade, the 
 number of weeks of iUness would have reached to the large 
 figure of 1,549. It is thus evident that a society, which, while 
 its members are young may be seemingly prosperous, may, 
 and indeed must, unless careful pro\dsion be made for the 
 future strain on its funds, prove entirely inadequate to meet 
 its engagements, when its members have reached middle 
 life, and are going down the hill. It appears by the published 
 accounts of the Eoyal Liver, that in the year 1868, 1869, 
 £2,519 was paid into the sick fund, and £2,962 paid out, 
 and in another society, after three years working with between 
 12,000 and 13,000 members the balance of receipts over ex- 
 penditure amounted only to £44 to meet claims which must daily
 
 2 
 
 increase in number and extent. And, fartlier, at the last A. 
 M. C. of the Oddfellows, it was stated that owing to the pay- 
 ment of excessive benefits for the contributions received, there 
 was a deficiency of assets in the Manchester district amounting 
 to £9,639 19s. 2cL I subjoin here two tables taken from the two 
 last annual reports of Mr. Tidd Pratt, the late Registrar, for 
 the years 1867-8, 1868-9. Consideration of these tables will 
 make us unwilling too hastily to adopt conclusions from 
 statistics, however carefully elaborated, for any one who 
 founded an argument on the figures of 1868, would be Hkely 
 to find it entirely destroyed by those of 1869. It is to be 
 noticed that in each year hardly more than one half of the 
 societies to whom forms were sent by the Registrar, have 
 furnished returns, and it is impossible to say, as details are 
 wanting, whether those who are recorded in 1868 are also 
 included in the returns of 1869. But one thing is manifest, 
 that while the average amount of funds per member is at least 
 £5, it cannot be right that Lancashire should only have less 
 than £1 in 1868, and £1 2s. 6d. in 1869, and tliis with a con- 
 stituency of over half a million of members in the societies 
 making returns. Another most extraordinary discrepancy is that 
 evidenced in the returns of various counties for the two periods ; 
 thus Middlesex has £14 per head for 100,000 members in 
 1868, and for the same number only £5 7s. i^d. in 1869. Corn- 
 wall £8 in 1868, and £5 15s. in 1869; Devonshire £10 10s. as 
 against £6 ; Hereford £9 and £5 ; Norfolk £8 as against 
 £5 15s.; Northumberland £11 10s. as compared with £2 12s. 6d, 
 There are many other differences of the same kind, evidently 
 showing that good, bad, and indifferent societies must largely 
 exist under precisely similar circumstances. And justifying 
 Aie remark of the late Registrar, that spite of registry of rules, 
 these societies are, to a very great extent, unsound. And 
 moreover, that we are painfully ignorant of how far these 
 societies instead of being helps are snares to the working man, 
 inducing him to trust his savings to agencies Avhich in the 
 time of his need will be only too certain to fail him.
 
 ENGLAND, 1866 
 
 No. of 
 returns 
 sent out. 
 
 No. of 
 returns 
 received 
 
 Amount of 
 funds. 
 
 Number Average fund 
 
 of for 
 
 Members, each Member. 
 
 Beds 
 
 Berks 
 
 Bucks 
 
 Cambridge 
 
 Cheshire 
 
 Cornwall 
 
 Cumberland .... 
 
 Derbyshire 
 
 Devonshire 
 
 Dorsetshire 
 
 Durham 
 
 Essex 
 
 Gloucester 
 
 Hampshire 
 
 Hereford 
 
 Hertfordshire 
 
 Huntingdon 
 
 Kent 
 
 Lancashire 
 
 Leicester 
 
 Lincoln 
 
 Middlesex 
 
 Monmouth 
 
 Norfolk 
 
 Northampton 
 
 Northumberland . 
 
 Nottingham 
 
 Oxfordshire 
 
 Eutland 
 
 Salop 
 
 Somerset 
 
 Stafibrd 
 
 Suffolk 
 
 Surrey 
 
 Sussex 
 
 Warwick 
 
 Westmoreland. . . . 
 
 Wilts 
 
 Worcester 
 
 Yorkshire 
 
 -WAIjES, 1866. 
 
 Anglesea 
 
 Brecon 
 
 Cardigan 
 
 Carmarthen 
 
 Carnarvon 
 
 Denbighshire 
 
 Flint 
 
 Glamorgan 
 
 Merioneth 
 
 Montgomery , 
 
 Pembroke 
 
 Radnor 
 
 251 
 166 
 169 
 208 
 738 
 256 
 126 
 564 
 575 
 179 
 665 
 524 
 620 
 501 
 88 
 234 
 110 
 621 
 
 2,917 
 418 
 351 
 
 1,724 
 459 
 770 
 396 
 293 
 373 
 188 
 32 
 341 
 494 
 
 1,260 
 616 
 745 
 315 
 794 
 56 
 250 
 464 
 
 1,877 
 
 31 
 111 
 
 72 
 
 160 
 
 60 
 
 140 
 
 106 
 
 795 
 
 46 
 
 59 
 
 55 
 
 14 
 
 125 
 
 73 
 
 93 
 
 99 
 
 338 
 
 102 
 
 51 
 
 294 
 
 243 
 
 71 
 
 391 
 
 135 
 
 242 
 
 212 
 
 29 
 
 70 
 
 39 
 
 306 
 
 1,351 
 
 197 
 
 198 
 
 806 
 
 » 175 
 
 284 
 
 177 
 
 143 
 
 124 
 
 84 
 
 12 
 
 120 
 
 131 
 
 583 
 
 161 
 
 360 
 
 183 
 
 299 
 
 30 
 
 81 
 
 170 
 
 1,076 
 
 7 
 
 44 
 
 . 16 
 
 75 
 
 31 
 
 58 
 
 38 
 
 380 
 
 15 
 
 25 
 
 31 
 
 6 
 
 Totals. 
 
 1 '.884 
 
 £ 
 
 45,158 
 
 26,471 
 
 49,579 
 
 38,458 
 
 171,697 
 
 79,865 
 
 32,361 
 
 146,037 
 
 325,251 
 
 36,595 
 
 117,078 
 
 111,089 
 
 119,481 
 
 162,539 
 
 23,237 
 
 76,807 
 
 15,34^J 
 
 166,986 
 
 673,153 
 
 82,585 
 
 78,236 
 
 1,399,200 
 
 67,820 
 
 251,692 
 
 85,515 
 
 176,013 
 
 47,294 
 
 29,441 
 
 5,913 
 
 108,394 
 
 82,651 
 
 307,099 
 
 100,406 
 
 148,152 
 
 99,376 
 
 246,003 
 
 24,961 
 
 35,742 
 
 71,190 
 
 525,617 
 
 3,061 
 14,961 
 
 5,553 
 28,019 
 14,013 
 24,123 
 16,391 
 116,808 
 
 3,968 
 29,079 
 13,208 
 
 8,390 
 
 10,228 
 
 6,806 
 
 7,998 
 
 7,338 
 
 60,419 
 
 9,815 
 
 4,828 
 
 39,179 
 
 30,974 
 
 7,119 
 
 39,129 
 
 15,300 
 
 22,693 
 
 31,556 
 
 2,621 
 
 7,606 
 
 3,285 
 
 33,042 
 
 685,914 
 
 18,749 
 
 19,686 
 
 99,832 
 
 12,629 
 
 29,623 
 
 14,406 
 
 14,916 
 
 14,001 
 
 6,122 
 
 841 
 
 12,501 
 
 11,065 
 
 56,906 
 
 14,827 
 
 27,734 
 
 17,986 
 
 61,432 
 
 3,581 
 
 12,578 
 
 21,276 
 
 111,824 
 
 398 
 2,176 
 1,535 
 5,647 
 5,358 
 5,153 
 3,101 
 29,718 
 2,188 
 4,144 
 3,255 
 1,109 
 
 6,608, 186 1,672,177 
 
 £ s. 
 4 7 
 
 17 
 
 5 
 
 17 
 
 
 6 15 
 
 3 10 
 
 10 10 
 
 less than £1 
 
 8 10 
 
 6 
 
 11 10 
 
 3 5 
 
 4 15 
 
 7 
 
 8 10 
 7 10 
 
 5 10 
 
 6 15 
 5 5 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 2 15 
 
 3 5 
 
 4 10 
 
 15 
 
 
 15 
 
 
 15 
 
 10 
 5 
 
 15 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 nearlv iW
 
 COUNTY. 
 
 Bedford 
 
 Berkshire 
 
 Buckingham 
 
 Cambridge 
 
 Chester 
 
 Cornwall 
 
 Cumberland 
 
 Devon 
 
 Derby 
 
 Dorset 
 
 Durham 
 
 Essex 
 
 Gloucester 
 
 Hants 
 
 Hereford .' 
 
 Hertford 
 
 Huntingdon 
 
 Kent 
 
 Lancashire 
 
 Leicester 
 
 Lincoln 
 
 Middlesex 
 
 Monmouth 
 
 Norfolk 
 
 Northampton 
 
 Northumberland 
 
 Nottingham 
 
 Oxon 
 
 Rutland 
 
 Salop 
 
 Somerset 
 
 Stafford 
 
 Suffolk 
 
 Surrey 
 
 Sussex 
 
 Warwick 
 
 Westmoreland 
 
 Wilts 
 
 Worcester 
 
 York 
 
 Anglesea 
 
 Brecon 
 
 Cardigan 
 
 Carmarthen 
 
 Carnarvon 
 
 Denbigh 
 
 Flint 
 
 Glamorgan 
 
 Merioneth 
 
 Montgomery 
 
 Pembroke 
 
 Eadnor 
 
 Total 
 
 Too late . . . 
 
 Returns without Names) 
 
 of Societies / 
 
 Total 
 
 Number 
 sent out. 
 
 242 
 160 
 168 
 201 
 773 
 232 
 131 
 513 
 536 
 152 
 669 
 488 
 614 
 469 
 
 67 
 217 
 101 
 593 
 2,666 
 422 
 344 
 1,483 
 412 
 701 
 361 
 367 
 355 
 191 
 
 34 
 326 
 442 
 1,211 
 476 
 664 
 340 
 672 
 
 40 
 
 211 
 
 430 
 
 1,839 
 
 28 
 139 
 
 77 
 169 
 
 58 
 147 
 114 
 806 
 
 47 
 
 58 
 
 56 
 
 14 
 
 22,026 
 
 22,026 
 
 Returned 
 
 135 
 
 77 
 
 111 
 
 116 
 
 378 
 
 91 
 
 57 
 
 250 
 
 290 
 
 87 
 
 370 
 
 169 
 
 258 
 
 231 
 
 33 
 
 73 
 
 42 
 
 393 
 
 ,513 
 
 232 
 
 219 
 
 830 
 
 214 
 
 302 
 
 216 
 
 208 
 
 174 
 
 91 
 
 15 
 
 167 
 
 152 
 
 681 
 
 168 
 
 402 
 
 174 
 
 303 
 
 26 
 
 82 
 
 179 
 
 ,113 
 
 7 
 
 49 
 
 17 
 
 69 
 
 30 
 
 54 
 
 51 
 
 429 
 
 16 
 
 18 
 
 28 
 
 5 
 
 11,395 
 142 
 726 
 
 12,263 
 
 Funds. 
 
 54,153 
 
 23,248 
 
 53,318 
 
 46,274 
 
 184,354 
 
 52,304 
 
 28,980 
 
 264,297 
 
 138,239 
 
 53,539 
 
 97,676 
 
 237,316 
 
 107,245 
 
 175,646 
 
 19,681 
 
 81,484 
 
 15,344 
 
 160,982 
 
 624,579 
 
 98,757 
 
 82,563 
 
 546,858 
 
 53,539 
 
 191,404 
 
 100,005 
 
 73,516 
 
 58,867 
 
 27,015 
 
 9,072 
 
 106,092 
 
 90,413 
 
 271,321 
 
 154,188 
 
 153,968 
 
 75,313 
 
 223,188 
 
 25,049 
 
 70,341 
 
 76,335 
 
 521,790 
 
 1,291 
 
 12,838 
 
 4,719 
 
 28,462 
 
 10,937 
 
 14,712 
 
 13,209 
 
 134,572 
 
 4,073 
 
 22,532 
 
 11,816 
 
 5,393 
 
 5,692,937 
 
 5,692,937 
 
 Members. 
 
 Average fund 
 
 for 
 each Member. 
 
 11,854 
 
 6,273 
 
 12,677 
 
 9,692 
 
 59,642 
 
 9,000 
 
 6,639 
 
 44,926 
 
 26,075 
 
 11,101 
 
 42,969 
 
 31,498 
 
 26,040 
 
 35,205 
 
 3,948 
 
 8,414 
 
 3,156 
 
 40,912 
 
 534,413 
 
 22,754 
 
 25,074 
 
 100,952 
 
 14,489 
 
 33,241 
 
 17,302 
 
 28,158 
 
 16,778 
 
 6,042 
 
 1,856 
 
 17,256 
 
 17,234 
 
 94,732 
 
 17,318 
 
 30,735 
 
 13,831 
 
 56,947 
 
 3,724 
 
 9,567 
 
 23,094 
 
 107,045 
 
 265 
 
 2,616 
 
 1,354 
 
 7,005 
 
 4,961 
 
 4,189 
 
 4,350 
 
 31,462 
 
 2,275 
 
 2,797 
 
 2,848 
 
 680 
 
 1,646,965 
 
 1,646,965 
 
 3 15 
 
 4 5 
 
 4 
 3 
 5 
 4 
 6 
 5 
 4 
 2 
 7 
 4 
 5 
 5 
 9 10 
 
 5 
 4 
 1 
 4 
 3 
 5 
 3 
 5 
 5 
 2 
 3 
 4 
 5 
 6 
 5 
 2 
 
 8 17 
 5 
 5 
 3 
 6 
 7 
 3 
 5 
 4 
 4 
 8 
 4 
 2 
 3 
 3 
 4 
 1 
 8 
 4 
 8 
 
 nearly £3 10s.
 
 But how can this be remedied ? I would lay it down as a 
 fundamental principle that these societies should be interfered 
 with as little as possible by the State. That is that legislation 
 should strive to make them secure and no more ; leaving their 
 management under certain well defined principles to those who 
 are to benefit by their use. But this is a matter of no easy 
 attainment. It may be said if the tables of rates of payment 
 are wrong in societies, let the State allow no society to be 
 carried on Avithout an actuarial certificate as to the soundness 
 of the basis on which its aff'airs are to be managed. But it is one 
 important part of such tables that the area over which the opera- 
 tions are conducted be not too confined, and that the number of 
 its members be not too limited — a series of tables may be sound 
 for 1,000 members spread over a county, while they will be 
 disastrous for 100 li\ing in a village. Neither can it be fair 
 to insist on a deposit of a large sum of money before such 
 societies be instituted — this would be to debar clergymen who 
 have done so much to help forward the best of these agencies, or 
 other benevolent persons from ever establishing any; it would 
 debar working men from mutual co-operation for the same 
 purpose, and throw their whole conduct into the hands of either 
 interested parties or large associations. Neither would I wish 
 to see this relief become a part of State machinery. It is most 
 disastrous where the working men of a country take no part in 
 the management of their own afi'airs, — better a few errors, than 
 absolute disassociation from all effort. Centralization in this 
 aspect of it wiU be to deprive the people of a powerful means of 
 self education. Besides, however well some portion of the 
 work can be done, the needful and constant watchfulness in 
 the matter of sick pay as against idleness and malingering can 
 hardly be successfully secured by Post Office management and 
 supervision. Odd Fellows, Foresters, and other societies of 
 the same kind, however much themselves open to improvement, 
 are still infinite improvements on the state of things which 
 preceded their establishment; and however much we may 
 deplore that these societies meet at public houses, where the
 
 members are tempted to indulge in drink, I quite agree with, 
 the Rev. Mr .♦Stratton, who has so ably discussed this question, 
 that it is quite impracticable to say by legislation that beer 
 house clubs shall cease to exist. And indeed it appears diffi- 
 cult to prove that all these associations can possibly or indeed 
 ought to be conducted on such purist principles, that none of 
 the pleasures in conjunction with the benefits of organization 
 are under any circumstances to be at the disposal of the mem- 
 bers. And logically the proof is wanting that Avhile it is 
 meritorious to spend a guinea at a hospital anniversary, it is 
 criminal to part with a shilling for a club feast. But these 
 expenses, or anything in the way of drink money, should on 
 no account come from the funds of the society ; and I believe 
 an element of stability is always wanting where a separate 
 allocation is not made for management expenses without 
 trenching on those accumulations for sickness and death, 
 which should be calculated strictly ad hoc and solely devoted to 
 the payments due on the occurrence of these events. I think 
 further these societies should not in any form be eleemosynary, 
 they should not supplement relief from the poor rate, or be 
 based on any parochial principle. The true elevation of the 
 working man demands that he should provide for himself, and 
 look only to private benevolence or public aid when circum- 
 stances entirely beyond his control has made relief from one 
 or both imperative. And I am not sorry to see Poor Law 
 relief still looked upon by the industrious artizan or labourer 
 as a degradation to which he will only submit in the last 
 instance. 
 
 I would have all properly conducted friendly societies which 
 are recognized by the State, and which are to enjoy State immu- 
 nities from taxation on account of their national service, to be 
 based on this principle as essential : contribution in the present 
 for a future contingent, and certain benefit to the individual and 
 his family ; contingent as to sickness, certain as to annuity after 
 sixty years of age for himself, and certain as to benefit to his 
 family at the time of his death, — no one to enter any of these
 
 societies at an earlier period than 7 years of age. Tliese 
 regulations will do a\Yay with lot and distribution societies, 
 which are hardly better than goose clubs, and often worse, as 
 they are subject to considerable deduction in the way of money 
 to be spent in ale "for the good of the house;" and they would 
 also effectually check the woi-st form of burial societies, at the 
 present time fertile sources of crime and dishonesty. It can 
 hardly be but that in the management of these societies, with 
 whatever laws, and however well organized, difficulties should 
 arise in un^dnding the complicated chain of human life. A man, 
 at least so far as assurance pa^Tnent is concerned, can only die 
 once, but sickness is a most uncertain and unkno\\Ti quantity, 
 and the healthy man, not in this case rejoicing in his health, 
 is too apt to think he pays for benefits he does not receive ; 
 while the sick member, ^dth the true selfishness of sickness, 
 beheves when rules are strictly applied to his case, that these 
 societies are only established for the healthy members, and 
 not for the sick. An inexpensive mode of arbitration in 
 the difficulties continually arising between members and 
 managers of societies is much wanted. The suggestion con- 
 tained in Mr. Sothertox Estcourt's Bill of 1855 would 
 be most valuable if passed into a law, namely, the appoint- 
 ment of a standing commission for this and all other cognate 
 purposes where help could be afforded to friendly societies. 
 I would suggest such a commission to consist of a barrister, 
 doctor, and actuaiy; and, as there are more than 20,000 
 societies in existence, a pa}Tnent of 5/- annually from each 
 would supply a fund adequate to its effective working, with- 
 out entailing any cost on the country; the registrar then 
 as now being the only charge on the Consolidated Fund. 
 Every member should be furnished mth a poKcy and copy 
 of rules upon admission to a society, and no change from 
 one society to another should be valid without written 
 authorit}^ from the member; while where collectors are 
 appointed, no forfeiture should take place from failure of 
 the collector to call for the periodical subscription until
 
 8 
 
 notice liad been sent from the chief office, or nearest 
 branch, office of the society, of the default of the mem- 
 ber, stating the amount and giving seven days notice 
 of claim for payment. To each society a benevolent fund 
 attached would be a great boon, and to this those who 
 wish to aid friendly societies would do good service by sub- 
 scribing; out of this fund loans might be made or gifts of 
 small sums voted to deserving members pressed down by sudden 
 calamity or distress, in order to prevent a loss of benefit by 
 non-payment of subscription money ; but that form of bene- 
 volence now existing, which maintains and uphold a society 
 and without which it could not exist, is hurtful rather than 
 beneficial, for it makes the members trust to others where they 
 should depend on themselves, and when from death of the 
 benefactor, or other causes, the help is no longer forthcoming, 
 the society can no longer exist. 
 
 The adoption of regulated rates of payment according to 
 age, supervision, and periodical valuation of assets, and pre- 
 vention of management expenses trenching on sickness and 
 death funds, supervision of accounts by the Registrar, their 
 production rendered compulsory, an easy mode of settlement 
 of differences, and help and advice to societies in difficulties, 
 appear to be the chief want, which, when supplied, would 
 procure for the friendly society of the future an extended 
 sphere of national usefulness. 
 
 W. ■«EST, PRIKTER, HIGH STREET, MAIDSIOKE.
 
 MEDICAL ATTENDANCE 
 
 FRIENDLY SOCIETY MEMBERS 
 
 Won. & Rev. Samuel Best. 
 
 /J^NE of the difficulties in the way of a better adjustment 
 ^ of the Friendly Society system, is an obstacle intervening 
 in the shape of Medical Attendance. There is no doubt, and 
 you will be told very generally by the members, that it is to 
 gain the advantage of Medical Attendance that very many 
 join the club. It is a strong inducement, and society is in- 
 debted to those enlightened practitioners who lend themselves 
 and their services in aid of this good work. There are, how- 
 ever, two sides to the question, and it is not all philanthropy 
 that secures these services, nor is the cheap rate at which, 
 they are given all loss. — In the first case, it is often a very 
 good introduction to business, and used as such ; and in the 
 second, we must recollect, that, the privileges of the mem- 
 bers are not extended to include the wife and family, and that 
 the practitioner in the one case with privilege, is in the other 
 without, and that the bills for attendance in the second case 
 often assist to eke out the liberality of the first. 
 
 Again, a very large portion of those who claim as mem- 
 bers the services of the medical attendant would, unless so 
 claiming with some degree of independency in right of their 
 privileges, come often under the same medical attendants 
 hands as paupers. The question therefore of medical atten- 
 dance is a balance of difficulties, which the medical payments 
 under the club system are an efi'ort to adjust. That they do 
 adjust them collectively may be taken for granted from their 
 general prevalence and the readiness with which medical men
 
 are found to take them. 
 
 From the medical man's point of view there is much 
 difficulty and hardship to be provided against. For a payment, 
 individually considered wholly unproportionate, he is at the 
 mercy of any fanciful, or whimsical malade imaginaire who 
 may send for him by night or by day. Such being the case, 
 as regards the agreement in its general bearing and operation 
 upon the parties contracting, it is evident that it bears fairly 
 on neither. The medical officer complains of the exactions 
 and requirements of the members for so small and inade- 
 quate a remuneration, while the member has no mercy on the 
 time or feelings of the medical officer, for whose services he 
 considers that he has paid. At all hours and times he will 
 send for him, and often for ailments that a common rhubarb 
 pill or dose of salts would cure, thus over-reaching and break- 
 ing the contract in the spirit while purtinaciously insisting 
 on it in the letter. Jarring as these things are against the 
 kindly and attentive spirit in which the office of medical ad- 
 viser is almost uniformly executed, there are other and great- 
 er evils behind to which 1 would wish to direct your attention. 
 
 In all common Clubs or Friendly Societies established 
 on a sound basis, there is a difference of payment determined 
 by ages, and unhealthy lives are excluded. Yet although 
 different payments are required to secure these benefits ac- 
 cording to age, yet is there no recognition in favour of the 
 medical officer, who practically contracts for life. But with 
 years come greater liabilities to sickness, and again if we 
 have made a mistake and admitted an unhealthy life we cannot 
 offer in any way to review or mitigate our agreement. This 
 would seem unsatisfactory on the one side, let us see how it 
 works upon the other. We are very desirous ; it is one of 
 the assigned objects of our Association to promote the free 
 interchanges of our members from club to club according to 
 their movements and change of home. We are met in limine 
 with difficulties, which are the product of this system. The 
 medical officer would naturally object to take a man of 50, 
 coming under contract afresh, on the same terms as he takes 
 one of his own people at 20. — He would still more strongly 
 object and most reasonably to a member, who came to him 
 an unhealthy life, in whatever health he may have been when 
 he first joined his club. These are all obstacles to the inter- 
 changes of which I have spoken and which is so desirable, nay 
 almost imperative in these days of rapid locomotion and large
 
 contracts. The medical officer has a right to be remunerated 
 more fairly for his work. The checking of unnecessary and 
 fanciful applications on the part of members would be servi- 
 ceable even to themselves. It would prevent idle panics, 
 cause them to study and know themselves and conduce very 
 much to laying those wholesome restraints upon themselves 
 and their children in their food, exercise and lavations, which 
 would produce a good sanitary effect on the whole population. 
 
 I pass by, however, any such general considerations, and 
 would wish to direct your attention to a scheme of medical 
 attendance which has worked well and favourably under my 
 own observation, and in a few other cases where it has been 
 tried. It has been very favourably spoken of by the Lancet 
 *' as an effort (as its title says) to reconcile the just claims of 
 medical practitioners with the ordinary means and necessity 
 of the members of club^." 
 
 I subjoin the Rules under which it is carried out. The 
 first four rules relate to the members, and provide that a 
 ticket shall be given on every attendance (see Rule 2). Part 
 of this is paid by the member and the residue paid by a rate 
 on all (Rule 3). The fifth and remaining rules relate to the 
 medical officer and provide for his payments (Rules 5 & 8). 
 
 It has these advantages : — Any medical officer may be 
 consulted (Rule 1). He is paid for distance (Rule 6), or for 
 better position in life, and therefore greater ability of paying 
 (Rule 7). Paying for his ticket when he takes it out, the 
 member will not use it thoughtlessly,nor take or use it unless he 
 wants it, and the medical officer will sleep many a night 
 sweetly and undisturbed where he now lies down in moment- 
 ary dread of that horrible night bell. Let me add that its 
 further efiect is to do away with all the difficulties arresting 
 the transference of members and renders it a matter of com- 
 parative indifierence to the medical officer whether the lives 
 be healthy or unhealthy. 
 
 I venture to annex the rules for consideration and to add 
 the last year's report of our own society acting upon them, 
 putting in italics the part which immediately refers to them. 
 I add also specimens of the tickets used.
 
 A SCHEME OF MEDICAL ATTENDANCE, 
 
 In which Medical Practitioners are respectfully requested to co-operate 
 as an effort to reconcile their just claims with the ordinary means 
 and necessities oj the Members of the Society. 
 
 RULES RELATIVE TO MEMBERS. 
 
 1 . — A Sick Member may consult any Medical Man who 
 accepts the tickets of the Society under the following propo- 
 and conditions : — 
 
 2. — Medical attendance tickets, of different colours, will be 
 issued to the members by the Secretary or his Agent. The 
 red ticket is to be given to the Medical Man on his attend- 
 ance at the patient's house ; the blue on the patient's attend- 
 ing at the Surgery ; the white on an extra supply of Medicine 
 being required. 
 
 3. — A Member shall pay on each ticket, when taken out, 
 3d. if red ; 2d. if blue ; Id. if white. It shall have on it the 
 year, the name, and age of the Member, and the name of the 
 Officer who issues it. When returned by the Medical Officer 
 it shall be charged as 3d., 2d., or Id. to the Member's Fund, 
 and the remainder to a Medical Rate, levied in each case ac- 
 cording to the Member's Class. All operations as far as they 
 are included in the first column of rule 8, shall be charged 
 to the Medical Rate. 
 
 4. — The tickets are not available for confinements nor for 
 one month after confinement, for any person but those whose 
 names they bear ; nor unless signed by the officer who issues 
 them, as guaranteeing membership ; nor beyond the year 
 the date of which the ticket bears. They will be renewed 
 on application. 
 
 RULES RELATIVE TO THE MEDICAL OFFICER. 
 
 5. — The payment to the Medical Officer on each red ticke 
 of a Member not claiming from the Society more than 2s. 
 daily sick pay, shall be 2s. For every blue ticket, Is. 6d. 
 The payment of Members shall increase 6d. on each red or 
 blue ticket for every additional 6d. of daily sick pay. The 
 payment on either ticket shall include medicines sufficient for 
 two days. For every fresh supply of medicine sufficient for 
 the same time a white ticket shall be given, value Is.
 
 6. — If a patient live more than three miles from the 
 Medical Officer's residence, 6d. extra shall be paid by the 
 Member for each additional mile on every red ticket. 
 
 7. — The Medical Officer may, on giving notice to the Com- 
 mittee, and with their assent, require higher payments from 
 any Member according to his condition in life. 
 
 8. — The following payments shall be made by the Club. : — 
 
 Eed . For each 
 Ticket. ! additional 
 6d- of daily 
 bick Pay. 
 
 £5 
 
 10s. 
 
 6s, 
 4s. 
 
 2s. 
 
 For Compound Fracture of the Thigh 
 
 Compound Fractures or Compound Disloca- 
 tions of the Leg 
 
 Amputation of the Leg, Arm, Foot, or Hand 
 
 The Operation for Strangulated Hernia (or 
 Rupture 
 
 Treatment of Simple Fractures or Simple 
 
 Dislocations of Thigh or Leg £3 
 
 Amputation of Finger or Toe £2 
 
 Treatment of Dislocations or Fractures of 
 
 the Arm £1 
 
 No amputation nor important operation shall take place (if 
 time permit) without a consultation with another Medical 
 Officer, whose fee shall be 10s. 
 
 9. — All additional payments under Nos. 5, 6, 7, or 8, will 
 be charged to the Member's Fund. 
 
 10. — The foregoing rates include all kinds of appliances, 
 splints, or medicine, as well as attendance for one month ; if, 
 therefore, the patient die within 36 hours, the payments 
 shall be half the sums mentioned above. 
 
 11. — Excepting accidents, or cases of great emergency, 
 every message requesting the attendance of the Medical 
 Officer must be delivered at his residence before ten o'clock 
 in the morning. 
 
 12. — All tickets are to be returned by the Medical Officer 
 to the Secretary of the Society on or before January 1st. 
 The accounts will be settled annually.
 
 6 
 
 Abbott's 
 
 / 
 
 NN 
 
 Provident 
 
 Society. 
 
 Trustees. 
 
 THOMAS BEST, Esq. H. THOMPSON, Esq. J. SMITH, Esq. 
 
 Treasurer— Uon. & Rev. S. BEST. 
 
 Secretary — Mr. DEAR. 
 
 ANNUAL STATEMENT from 1st Jan., 1869, to 1st Jan., 1870. 
 
 KECEIPTS- 
 
 To Balance in the 
 
 hands of Treasurer 2505 19 
 Monthly Receipts 344 9 
 Interest for 1868 92 12 
 
 ^2943 1 
 
 EXPENDITURE. 
 
 £ s. 
 
 By Cash for 2736 days' 
 Sick Allowance .. 99 10 
 
 By Cash refunded on 
 3 Deaths .... 56 
 
 Drawn for various pur- 
 poses by 60 members 83 1 
 
 Drawn for Medical At- 
 tendance 120 3 
 
 Drawn for Manage- 
 ment, Postage and 
 Sundries ... ... 44 16 
 
 Drawn for Festival 
 Fund 17 
 
 Drawn for Rectory Fund 1 9 
 
 ^355 3 6 
 Cash to Balance 
 
 in hands of 
 
 Treasurer 2587 17 6 
 Of which is due to 
 
 804 Members 2162 2 7 
 
 Medical Rate 40 8 
 
 Sick Rate ... 96 1 9 
 
 ManagementFund 28 19 8 
 
 Festival Fund 18 3 
 
 Rectory Fund 8 7 3 
 Rev. G. Thompson's 
 
 Fund ... 11 11 5 
 
 Old Age Fund 51 11 2 
 
 Surplus Fund 187 17 5 
 
 2587 17 6 
 
 ^2943 1 
 
 Exammdand Audited June Sth, 1870"~E. C. STEDHAM.
 
 I^EFOI^O?. 
 
 The Report for the year 
 1869 shows us that 
 while the Monthly Re- 
 ceipts 
 
 and Interest 
 
 increased the Fund by 
 The sums withdrawn 
 amounting to 
 
 left a remainder in the 
 Society's favour of ... 
 
 The Society provided 
 during the year 1869 
 for 2,736 days' Sick 
 Allowance, amounting 
 
 to 
 
 of which 1,306 days 
 were paid to Members 
 in Sickness, 332, to 
 Women in Confine- 
 ment, and 1,098 to 4 
 Members above 70 
 years of age, as Old 
 Age Allowance; De- 
 ducting this last sum, 
 which amounts to 
 and which, under the 
 alterations made last 
 year in the Rules, 
 will henceforth be 
 kept seperate, being 
 otherwise provided for, 
 there will be left a bal- 
 ance of 
 
 divisible between 460 
 Members, which gives 
 an averag^e of 3^ day.s, 
 if including Confine- 
 ments, and 2| if ex- 
 cluding them. Taking 
 into account the por- 
 tion paid by the Sick 
 Member, it is con- 
 sidered that a rate of 
 2 day's Sick Pay will 
 cover both Sickness 
 and Old Kge, 
 On 3 Deaths there has 
 been refunded 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 344 9 4 
 92 12 8 
 
 437 2 
 
 355 3 6 
 
 81 18 6 
 
 99 10 4 
 
 30 8 
 
 The next items in our ac- 
 count are sums drawn 
 by different Members, 
 for their own use, who 
 thus use the Society 
 as a Savings bank. 
 These amount to ... 83 1 4 
 
 The sum paid for Medical 
 Attendance has been.., 120 3 
 On 814 Members this 
 will be nearly 3s. a 
 head. It should be re- 
 membered that this has 
 bee7i paid per visit, and 
 by Tickets. Important 
 facilities and privileges 
 depend upon this, viz : 
 that of having Medical 
 Attendance wherever the 
 Member goes. If the 
 Member will think of 
 sickness while in health 
 he will easily make the 
 necessary arrangements 
 but if this be left tmtil 
 the day of Sickness, 
 he can hardly expect it^ 
 The Member must think 
 and act for himself, aid- 
 ed as he will be by Pa- 
 pers furnished to him 
 by the Secretary, on ap- 
 plication.* 
 
 The sum for Management 44 16 2 
 includes all expenses, 
 as well as Postage and 
 Printing. Divided, by 
 way of average, over 
 840 members, this will 
 be at the rate of about 
 Is. per head 
 
 It will be found by the 
 Statement of the Audi- 
 tor, to whom, for his 
 great care in over-look- 
 ing the Accounts of the 
 Society, its best thanks 
 are due, that the bal- 
 ance now standing in 
 the names of the Trus- 
 tees or in the Treasu- 
 rer's hands is ... 2587 17 6 
 
 * The Officers implicitly rely on the liberality and readiness ol the Medical Men through- 
 out the Country, who have always shown their willingness to co-operate in the scheme of 
 Medical Attendance, which has been drawn up and instituted by the Society, with the hope 
 of more fairly balancing the claims of both parties. 
 
 2 4 
 
 5 6 8
 
 8 
 
 [Red, Rule 2 ] 
 Medical Ticket of the Abbotts Ann Provident Benefit Club. 
 
 To be given when the Medical Officer's visit is paid at the 
 Patient's House. 
 
 Member Aged 
 
 Steward 
 
 Medical Officer 
 
 N.B. — Unless the Ticket is signed by the Steward, the whole 
 sum will be charged to the member. 
 
 [Blue, Rule 2.] 
 Medical Ticket of the Abbotts Ann Provident Benefit Club. 
 
 To be given when the Patient goes for advice to the Medical 
 
 Man's House. 
 Member A^ed 
 
 Steward 
 
 N.B — Unless this Ticket is signed by the Steward, the whole 
 sum will be charofed to the member. 
 
 [White, Rule 2] 
 Medical Ticket of the Abbotts Ann Provident Benefit Club. 
 
 FOR MEDICINE ONLY. 
 
 Member^ Asred 
 
 Steward 
 
 If used by any other person than this Member, or for any 
 other purpose whatever, it will not be paid. 
 
 Medical Officer 
 
 N.B. — Unless this Ticket is signed by the Steward, the whole 
 sum will be charged to the member. 
 
 W. G. Chamberlain, Printer ^ Stationer^ West Mailing.
 
 1¥S^ ^ 
 
 ^t^ 
 
 
 -*'^ 
 
 
 ^(^ 
 
 ^'m^ 
 
 
 W^^'^U 
 
 
 
 WH . ^~^\ ^^^ ^<l 
 
 
 %M 
 
 
 mx 
 
 tW'^^' 
 
 <^-^>^i'