302 Mr W. Fraser on the History and Constitution of 



of L. 1, from an entrant at 21 years of age, be calculated to afford a weekly 

 sick allowance of I^. 1, or any other benefit, it may easily be ascertained what 

 will be required from entrants at any later age, for the same, or higher or 

 lower rates of allowance. 



Full allowances were calculated to be paid in sickness during the whole 

 period between 21 and 70 years of age ; but, should societies wish to know the 

 effects of varying the allowances, according to the intensity or duration of 

 sickness, it was stated, that, although the returns to the Highland Society did 

 not give the different kinds of sickness with sufficient precision to afford cor- 

 rect data for shewing those effects, yet that an approximation had been drawn 

 from those returns, which might be adopted for ascertaining the average of the 

 whole, until a better standard could be obtained. Thus, as formerly remarked, 

 of 10 weeks of sickness among persons of all ages under 70, 2 might be assumed 

 as bedfast, 5 walking, and 3 permanent, — in all 10 weeks ; or, if the allow- 

 ances were to be regulated by the duration of sickness, 2\ weeks would be of 

 the first quarter, 3 weeks of the second and third, and 4i weeks of unlimited 

 duration, — in all 10 weeks. If, then, such rates were agreed to be adopted by 

 any society, and if the allowance for 



Bedfast sickness were 5s. "| f 2 multiplied by 5s. would equal lOa. 



Walking ditto, . 3s. >■ then -j 5 . . 3s. . .15s. 



Permanent ditto. Is. 8d. J Jl3 . . Is. 8d. . . 5s. 



10 30s. 



And which 30s. being divided by 10, would give 3s. for the uniform rate of 

 allowance. 



Again, if the allowance were, for 



Sickness of the 1st quarter, Qs.\ ^ | 2| multiplied by 6s. would equal 15s. 

 Ditto 2d & 3d do. 3s. V ^ -J 3 . . 38. . . 9s. 



Do. of unlimited duration, ls.)*^JU| . . Is. . . 4s. 6d. 



10 28s. 6d. 



And which 28s. 6d. being divided by 10s. would give 2s. lOd. for the uniform 

 rate of allowance *. 



Hence by the above method, it is easy for any new society to ascertain 

 pretty accurately the average rate, of payment, and the corresponding contri- 

 bution, until its own experience afford more correct data. 



These preliminary points being fixed, various tables were prepared by 

 Mr John Lyon — which were subsequently revised and approved of by 

 several eminent calculators — for the use of Friendly Societies, with ex- 

 planatory remarks as to their construction, uses, and application. In these 

 tables is shewn the condition of the supposed society in every stage during 

 its progress, and means are thereby afforded of instituting comparisons with 

 the successive steps in the past or future progress of actual societies, as they 

 advance from the lowest state of burden, with increasing capital, to the high- 

 est state of burden, when the capital ceases to accumulate, begins to decline, 

 and is finally exhausted. From those tables the following one has been de- 

 duced. 



♦ Highland Soc. Rep. pp. 108, 196. 



