312 Mr W. Fraser on the History and Constitution of 



in healthy or unhealthy, dangerous or not dangerous, employ- 

 ments. Any society or societies keeping these circumstances irt 

 view, and also considering the vast importance of at first secur- 

 ing the permanency of their schemes, may easily judge of the 

 rates most suitable to themselves. But, even with the most cor- 

 rect calculation of which the subject will admit, differences be- 

 tween the actual and estimated expenditure will frequently oc- 

 cur, arising either 'from the members being too few in number 

 to afford a fair average of sickness and mortality, or from epi- 

 demics, and other similar causes. "It is therefore desirable, 

 that societies should be made fully aware, that, while correct 

 calculation may do much in placing their schemes on a more 

 secure footing than hitherto, still there are contingencies a- 

 gainst which calculations made beforehand cannot guard, which 

 can only be obviated by attention on their own part to the pra- 

 gress of the societies'* affairs, and by accommodating their ar- 

 rangements to their circumstances a& occasion may require */' 

 For this purpose, a correct record must always be kept of the 

 society's transactions, particularly the ages of the members, and 

 the sickness and mortality which occur at the different ages. 

 These being known, the affairs of any society may be periodi- 

 cally balanced, the amount of the past and future contributions 

 compared with the value of the future allowances, and the abi- 

 lity or inability of the society to fulfil its engagements correctly 

 ascertained. 



By the statute 49th Geo. Ill, c. 12, it is enacted, that where 

 the rules of any society provide for all disputes between the in- 

 dividual members and the society being decided by arbitration, 

 the opinion or order of such arbiters shall be final and binding 

 on all concerned, without the power of appeal to any court what- 

 ever ; and it is very properly recommended by the Committee 

 of the Highland Society, that it should be an indispensable rule 

 in every Friendly Society, that all disputes between the society 

 and any of its members shall be referred to arbitration. The 

 great utihty of such a law must be evident to every one in the 

 least .acquainted with these institutions, not only on account of 

 a great expence being thus saved both to societies and indivi- 

 duals, but also on account of such questions being generally more 

 maturely considered by arbiters, than by the inferior judica^- 



• Highland Society's Report, p. 281. 



